Uniting & empowering
At Carey, we attempt the extraordinary. We’re named after the pioneering Baptist missionary William Carey, who famously urged, “Expect great things from God. Attempt great things for God” — advice Carey has sought to live by. These words have birthed a remarkable community where hope, compassion, family and learning are valued and fostered, and we have been able to celebrate many successes along the way.
As we walk around Carey’s beautiful campuses, engage with more than 2000 students and their families, or hear about the difference Carey has made in the wider community, it’s easy to forget the fragility of our movement’s birth. Carey is a testament to God’s provision and guidance, and a reminder of what is possible when a community of ordinary people are prepared to embark on a journey of faith with an extraordinary God.
Early days.
Our story begins in 1996 when a handful of young pioneers, led by Pastor Steve Izett, dreamt of building a church that would be a home for the community. They were cultivating a place where faith in God is a springboard for relevant and active engagement with the world. The first step was planting Carey Baptist College, and later, Jump Early Development Services.
Expansion & growth.
As the first school campus flourished, and the church matured and deepened, new possibilities emerged. In 2009, Carey adopted the “Carey 2014” vision — an ambitious document that articulated where Carey believed God was leading it for that five-year period. Carey committed to plant a new campus, build the Carey Centre, and investigate the viability of reproducing itself over and over again.
This led to the purchase of 20-hectares of land in Forrestdale. Here, the Carey Forrestdale venture began with a new church, college, childcare centre and in due course, a community centre. Back in Harrisdale, the Carey Centre has been built, opening doors to new opportunities to proactively engage with the local community.
Looking ahead
Since our founding, we’ve evolved — moving from “Carey the campus” to “Carey the movement”. Across two thriving campuses, we have six incredible moments making up one community-focused movement: Carey Church, College, Jump, the Leadership Institute, Right Track and Timer Café. Moving forward, we’re committed to developing the capacity to reproduce other campuses. Over more than 25 years, God has taken us on a breath-taking ride, and we’re excited to see where He’ll lead us in the future.
David Kilpatrick
Director of Ministries / CEO
Tim Dorsman
Director of Business
Tracy Holmes
Director of Education
Nevellene Linquist
Director of Human Resources
Vision
To see a world transformed by the love of God.
Mission
To establish flourishing communities of hope through which people can experience God’s love, have the opportunity to say “yes” to Jesus, and demonstrate God’s compassion for the world.
Values
In striving for our vision and living out our mission, we invite the Carey community to embrace our five core values.
Courage
Without it we will not have a go, or speak up when we should.
Respect
We believe all people are made in God’s image.
Humility
We know that all we have comes from the hand of God.
Integrity
Without it, we are lost.
Kindness
Life has many struggles, and we need to support each other along the way.
A snapshot of what we’re aiming for by 2026.
Our mandate for the next five years is ambitious; we long to go deeper and wider.
When we speak of going “deeper”, our intention is to continue to be shaped by the transforming love of God. We want to strengthen the platforms we currently have so that every person in our community — student, staff, graduate, gardener, pastor, or parent — feels part of who we are.
When we speak of “wider”, we mean that the foundations that have been laid so far will enable us to reach further into our community, our city, and beyond. As an organisation, we want to raise and develop leaders from within who not only demonstrate the kind of leadership that speaks hope, but who can create other flourishing communities. We want our leaders to go from here into the world, creating life-bringing communities of hope which demonstrate God’s love for the world.
Big things are coming, and we’d love you to join us. We encourage you to read through our 2026 Vision as we go deeper and wider over the coming five years.
