Our History
Mary Andrews College is thankful for a history of over 120 years of equipping women to serve Christ through unique, flexible lay training.
In 1885, the Sydney Anglican Diocesan Synod passed ‘a resolution in favour of deaconess work’*. The first Australian ordination of an overseas-trained deaconess was in Sydney in 1886. There were five deaconesses at work in Sydney before the idea of operating a training home took shape.*
The Rev. Mervyn Archdall and his wife Martha were the founders of the Deaconess Institution ministry in Australia, which was modelled on similar work in Germany and England. On 17 August 1891, the deaconess training school ‘Bethany’ opened in Balmain.
The ministry of deaconesses was an international movement that began in the 19th century to foster the Christian ministry of women to the sick and needy. Florence Nightingale was particularly influential in bringing the deaconess movement to England from Germany, where the diaconate of women had been revived by Pastor Theodore Fliedner.
Deaconesses in Sydney worked in parishes – visiting people in their homes, visiting and nursing the sick, teaching at Sunday Schools and Scripture in schools and conducting evangelistic meetings, amongst other activities. The also travelled to regional areas, and overseas, as missionaries.
Other works were begun in addition to the training of deaconesses including the founding of hospitals and palliative care homes.
Rev. Mervyn Archdall
‘Mrs Archdall was content to take up teaching and her equally devoted husband cheerfully surrendered one-fourth of his income that Sydney might have the benefit of a suitably trained body of Christian women workers.’
– Source: The Vision Unfolding. Deaconess Institution 1891-1991
Deaconess House
The needs of the expanding work resulted in the purchase and consecration of 28 Carillon Avenue, Newtown, on 6 December, 1916. This became the headquarters of the Deaconess Institution (now ADM), a residential hall and training institution for female ministry trainees. Various renovations were made to Deaconess House over the years, to improve living arrangements for the ever-increasing number of students.
In the 1970s, female students began to enrol in the Bachelor of Theology offered by Moore Theological College (MTC), next door to Deaconess House.
An evolving mission
In 1985, Narelle Jarrett was appointed Principal at Deaconess House. As Principal, she had primary responsibility for a ministry training program for women enrolled at Moore Theological College, to address the special pastoral needs of female students. A variety of other programs were run under Narelle’s leadership, including ministering to the university students living at Deaconess House, part-time Bible courses for lay women in Sydney, and an annual women’s conference. Narelle’s vision was key in MAC beginning to offer the Australian College of Theology’s Diploma courses, in which women could study part-time, during the day, in term time - a radical concept for that era. This was the beginning of the courses we offer at MAC today.
In 1989 the clerical role of deacon was opened up to women. The last deaconesses to be ordained in Sydney occurred in 1991. While MAC was no longer responsible for the training of Deaconesses, its mission evolved to that of equipping all women for ministry, both formal and paid, and informal and voluntary.
Rev. Narelle Jarrett
Our name changes to Mary Andrews College
A joint enrolment agreement was introduced between Deaconess House and Moore Theological College in 1993. In 1997, Narelle Jarrett saw the need to change the name of Deaconess House. It became Mary Andrews College in recognition of the outstanding life-long work of Deaconess Mary Andrews, who died the previous year. Ten years later, a formal partnership agreement between the Anglican Deaconess Institution Sydney Limited and Moore Theological College saw degree-based theological education of women students pass fully to Moore.
Mary Andrews College moved from Newtown to Stanmore at the end of 2007, focusing on teaching the Diplomas and Advanced Diplomas in Theology and Ministry.
In December 2009 Mary Andrews College moved again. This latest move from Stanmore to St Andrew’s House in Sydney Square now sees the College well located in modern premises for our main teaching centre, library and staff offices.
Mary Andrews College is unique as the only Bible college in Australia
founded to equip women for ministry, a mission begun in 1891.
Mrs Martha Archdall, together with her daughter Rosa, in Stettin, Germany, where Martha was born.
Students at a lecture in Deaconess House in the mid 1900’s
Deaconess House 1964 group photo
Deaconess Nancy Drew teaching a group of children
* Source: The Vision Unfolding. Deaconess Institution 1891-1991