OUR STORY

Macquarie Life Church is a vibrant, multigenerational church, with a rich history built on an apostolic foundation. These pages share the historical journey, vision, and values that have moulded the identity and future of the church.

Our HISTORY….

Our church began in Beeson Street, Cardiff South, in 1955 with pastor Andrew Kolb as a church plant from a European community in Hamilton.  He served 10 years succeeded by his son, Leon Kolb, and supported and strengthened by significant families like the Kolasinki’s, Zmak’s, Pultar’s and Wolfenden’s. 

Decades later, with a dream for a greater future, the church purchased 2.5 acres of land in a new estate in Macquarie Hills. The church building was carried there from Beeson Street on the back of a truck and relocated in 1975.  During this time the church built new facilities onsite, which was dedicated as Cardiff Assemblies of God by Pastor Leon Kolb in 1978.  

Some time in the next decade the church began to decline under various leaders.

Mark Zaia, along with his wife Roz, became pastors of the church on 3 February 1991. The church was renamed Macquarie Christian Life Centre and later Macquarie Life Church.  Mark led the church for 30 years, growing it from a small congregation to a thriving church with a new 500 seat auditorium built in 2011.  In Mark’s season he fostered a gospel of grace, planted 5 churches, fathered a worldwide network of church pastors and led Macquarie on a journey of indigenous reconciliation. 

In 2021 Mark Zaia retired and handed the sole leadership to his wife, Roz Zaia, charging her with the responsibility of transitioning the church to the next generation, under instructions from the Holy Spirit:  

“I will now transition my church into The Age that is quickly approaching. It needs a different anointing, a different generation and a different insight to take reins.”

The church embraced a DNA strategy to create a structure for growth and perpetuality that would carry the future of the church through all generations.

  • 1950's Hall In Cardiff South

  • 1950's

  • 1975 MOVING HALL

  • 1975 Hall moved to land in Macquarie Hills

  • 1978 New Auditorium

  • 2011 Construction

  • Auditorium and cafe

    2011 New Auditorium and cafe

  • Inside the hall

THE NEW SEASON

In response to the evolving church landscape in the modern era, Roz Zaia transitioned leadership of the church in 2024 to an Apostolic Leader with a Fivefold Leadership Team tasked with leading the church into the future, while upholding the legacy and core values of the church.

The Fivefold Leadership Team model embraces the New Testament synergy that is created through Christ’s gift to the church: Apostle, Prophet, Pastor, Teacher and Evangelist. The biblical basis for the fivefold ministry is found in Ephesians 4:

"And he (Christ) gave the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, the pastors and teachers, to equip the saints for the work of ministry, for building up the body of Christ, until we all attain to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to mature manhood, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ." Ephesians 4:11-13

This model spreads the load of leadership across more shoulders, to carry more. Rather than leaning on a single senior pastor with just one or two gifts, the church is now led by the full fivefold ministry all functioning together in New Testament synergy.   

The Apostle leads the team and the team will lead the church.   Together they will outwork the responsibility set out in Ephesians 4 to equip the saints.   

The Fivefold Leadership Team will lead within a DNA framework to retain our legacy and prophetic future throughout the generations. The team will lead, innovate and change, in keeping with what is needed for the future of the church, but it will be done in the safety of this framework. Things may look different, but they should still feel like “Macquarie”.

Governance of the church is also carried by three teams - the Board, Senior Elders and the Fivefold Leadership Team. 

The constitution holds a framework of appointment and accountability within these three teams. 

  • Fivefold Leadership Team - An apostolic leader with a Fivefold Leadership Team, responsible for the vision and leadership of the church.

  • Board – Carry legal governance, protect and provide business advice to the leadership team.

  • Senior Elders - Responsible for the spiritual wellbeing, care of the church and its leaders

OUR DNA

  • VISION

    LOOK UP - LEAN IN - REACH OUT

    Our Vision statement, “Towards Christ”, is fulfilled in our own lives as we ‘look up’, to God in all things, ‘lean in’ to each other and our personal growth, and ‘reach out” to those who need to find Christ.

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  • MISSION

    KINGDOM - COMMUNITY - NATIONS

    Our mission is to bring others “Towards Christ”, as we show kindness to those in disadvantaged circumstances, share the message of the hope of Jesus, and see God’s Kingdom come in our Community and the Nations.

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  • VALUES

    Macquarie Life Church is a vibrant, generational church. Our values reflect the rich culture we've cultivated over the past three decades. We invite you to join us and make our values a shared foundation as we journey together.

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Vision Scripture

"Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.” Matthew 28:19-20

FOUNDING PASTORS

Mark and Roz Zaia are founding pastors to the new season of Macquarie. They took on the role as pastors to the church in 1991 when it had fallen on difficult times. Since then, they have rebuilt the foundation and restored the prophetic future of the church.

When they started this journey Roz asked Mark this question, “What would you like to achieve in ministry”?  His answer was, “I want to raise up sons and daughters who will go further and higher than me”.

We honour Mark and Roz for their years of service and dedication to Macquarie Life Church.

Mark Zaia’s Season

Mark is the longest serving senior leader of Macquarie Life Church and an apostolic father to the current season.

Mark's journey with Macquarie Life Church began in 1991 when he and Roz were approached by the ACC State President to take on the church, supported and commissioned by their senior pastor on the Central Coast, Kevin Brett.

They were joined by Bruce & Kate Robertson and John & Kaye Marks, who also left their lives on the Central Coast to help build the church.   

It was a challenging start as the church was at a crossroads with only 20 remaining members after the State Executive dismissed the previous senior pastor. The church also had debt and little cashflow.

Initially Mark’s goal was just to “keep the church alive”, overcome debt, and create a meaningful Sunday service for the community.  Musicians from surrounding churches volunteered to help, along with some financial support.  

Mark was strategic in shifting the culture through establishing a gospel of grace and inviting trusted visiting prophetic ministers to speak into the future of the church.

A foundation was laid of generosity, encouragement, grace, family and intergenerational connections, Holy Spirit-led vision and a steadfast commitment to preserving this new unique culture.

In time, God gave Mark a vision to plant 5 churches, with the same message of grace, which he achieved over a 12-year period. He continued to plant more churches and send out more senior pastors.

The church became financially healthy, expanding its buildings through a new auditorium, paid off in just 7 years. The church continued to grow in number, spiritual strength and missions’ vision with a 100-fold increase in membership throughout his leadership.

Roz Zaia’s Season

In 1991 Roz was called to Cardiff AOG with her husband Mark, and became a pivotal contributor to shaping the culture, growth and vision of Macquarie Life Church.  

In the early years, as a young mother with two children under three at the time, Roz felt a call to Kids ministry.  Reaching out to the community, Roz went to the highways and byways and bussed kids in every Sunday morning.  The leaders visited the kids in their homes once a fortnight and the kids ministry flourished, with 100 children attending weekly.   In this pioneering space, Roz grew in leadership and communication.

After 10 years, Roz handed on the baton of kids’ leadership, so that she could focus more on overseeing the growing church, and her season of working alongside Mark as a co-senior pastor began. 

With a passion to reach the community, Roz launched many programs, including a community playgroup, an annual disabled disco and a seniors Christmas concert, and continued to teach scripture in schools.  

Roz also had a heart for children in developing nations, so Macquarie partnered with the Haynes Home in India which now houses and looks after over 70 orphans, with Macquarie as the sole financial supporter.

In 2016, Roz was appointed to the ACC State Executive and took on the portfolio of State Women and State Pastors Health. This helped grow her leadership and expand the church’s influence in New South Wales and the ACT.

Roz places value on people, is an evangelist and a shepherd, and values all generations. 

In 2021, Mark gave Roz the baton and commissioned her to transition the church to the next generation. While the conventional church transition typically involves a new senior pastor couple, finding a suitable match posed a challenge, and God began to speak to Roz about a more team-based leadership model.  

Allowing the Holy Spirit to form this new model, Roz led this process with strength and resilience, hearing from God on how it was to form.  Roz was assisted by 2 mentors and the Board, and with the support of the church, started a two-year process of raising up a team to lead the church. 

It was Roz’s privilege to hand the baton to a new apostolic Leader in February 2024, Mindy Newsome, who will lead the church through the newly appointed Fivefold Team. The team is charged with equipping the saints for the work of the ministry, so that the mission Christ gave the church of making disciples, can continue to be accomplished.

Roz and Mark will stay in the church and look forward to seeing all that God does in the new season.