our history

Riverview Church started in 1979 as Inner City Faith Fellowship.

The founding pastors were Brian and Val Baker with the first services held in a hall in Belmont with just a handful of people.

In 1981 it moved to Brisbane Street, Perth, where the Church added a school (now Regent College) and a bible college.

By 1982 the congregation had grown to more than 400 people and thereby relocated to Stirling Street in the centre of Perth.

In 1985, the church was renamed Rhema Family Church and purchased the current site in Burswood (previously an old warehouse) with attendances exceeding 1000 people at Sunday services.

In 1989 Philip Baker, Brian Baker's son and the Principal of Rhema Bible College, became the Senior Pastor. Philip took the Church through a period of substantial change as it became a more outward focused church intent on reaching people who had traditionally been outside the influence of the local church. This transition was marked in 1998 when the church was renamed Riverview Church. At that same time, the Church further developed its focus through a clear mission statement, five distinctives that describe the Church and ten core values that clarify the heart behind the Church.

The mission statement to this day remains "to lead people to Christ and build them into a worshipping community".

In 2005 steady growth saw the need for a second campus to commence in Joondalup at the Edith Cowan University Recreation Centre and a third campus at Cockburn Central opening its doors a year later in its own facility. Both campuses currently have between 250 and 350 attendees at Sunday morning services.

Operating under the philosophy of ‘one church, multiple locations’; each campus has it own campus pastor who is accountable to the senior minister and Riverview Board.

In addition the Church has added a diversity of activities to support the church, the local community and overseas missions groups. These include Riverview Media (global television as well as weekend service support), Riverview Community Services (education and response organization for social action and support in local area) and Riverview Children's Foundation (working with overseas partners to provide services to children in south-east Asia, Africa and Eastern Europe).

In mid 2009, Philip Baker faced an unexpected health crisis that resulted in him resigning his leadership role in July 2010. At that time the Church started a committed search for the next senior minister and Haydn Nelson was appointed to this position in November 2010.

The Church has continued to grow with now more than 5000 partners attending eight weekend services over the three campuses.

And the journey continues...