Severe flooding across New South Wales has prompted widespread evacuations, road closures and emergency rescues, with the Adventist Church stepping up its response as the crisis intensifies. According to SES’s latest update, at least four people have died, nearly 50,000 residents are isolated and more than 150 flood warnings remain active across the state.
The Adventist Church in the North New South Wales (NNSW) region has also been significantly affected, with flooding impacting schools, local churches and the Conference office in Cooranbong.
ADRA Australia and NNSW Adventist Community Services (ACS) are partnering with local churches and community members, actively responding to the crisis—providing meals, packing hampers, delivering supplies and partnering with local authorities to support those displaced or isolated by the ongoing crisis.
Lake Macquarie
The NNSW Conference office in Cooranbong was forced to close due to flooding. Although the main office building is currently safe, the resource room has taken in 30 to 50 centimetres of water and the parking lot is underwater, according to NNSW WHS coordinator Melinda Mason.
The flooding has also disrupted Faith FM programming, with The Breakfast Show—which is broadcast live daily from the Faith FM studio at the NNSW office—unable to air this morning.
Multiple Adventist schools, including Avondale School, Toronto Adventist School and Manning Adventist Bush School, are temporarily closed. Better Books & Food has also shut due to access issues caused by the floods. The local Adventist community is monitoring conditions and preparing to offer assistance as needed.
Port Macquarie
More than 50 volunteers from the Adventist school, local church and wider community came together to pack food hampers for an evacuation centre. Port Macquarie church is on standby to serve as a shelter for elderly and disabled residents and has collected beds and mattresses from Yarra Holiday Park (former Stuarts Point Convention Centre) for the evacuation hub.
Cleaning kits and donations from local businesses—including food, clothing and transport—are supporting the effort. Supplies are being prepared for isolated North Shore residents and the church is coordinating delivery of blankets and linen to evacuation centres, including Wauchope Community Centre.
Kempsey
Kempsey Adventist Church is working closely with the State Emergency Service (SES) to organise response teams. ACS volunteers are gathering supplies, while South Kempsey Church has opened its doors to provide food and community connection.
Taree
At Taree Adventist Church, volunteers are using the church kitchen to prepare meals for SES workers. The church is also working to organise cleanup teams to assist with flood recovery efforts in the local community.
“It’s wonderful to see church members rallying together to use church buildings and resources to be a blessing in their communities,” said Kyle Morrison, interim ACS director for NNSW. “Our pastors and members have their finger on the pulse—they’re listening closely to local needs and springing into action to help where it’s needed most.”
He also encouraged Adventists across Australia to pray for those affected and to consider how they might support relief efforts in the coming days.
NNSW ACS and the the Australian Union Conference have made emergency funding available to Seventh-day Adventists who have been affected. “Members can access the simple online form through their pastor or Adventist Community Services leader,” explained Mr Morrison.
To support ongoing relief work, donations can be made via Adventist Community Services or ADRA Australia.
