Who we are

We’ve been theologically resourcing and raising up women to proclaim the love of Jesus since 1891.

We champion Christian women across Sydney, throughout Australian and around the world. 

Our vision

Women for the Lord

A world where every woman delights in Jesus, knowing their true value, worth and purpose in Him, and serving God and others in courageous ways.

‘Dia ton kurion’ was the original motto adopted by the Deaconess Order in Sydney. It can be translated ‘for the sake of the Lord’. It encapsulates the way the work of the deaconesses was done in wholehearted service to Christ.

ADM exists to raise up Women for the Lord who strengthen the Church’s gospel witness, transform our communities, and bring glory to God.

Our Mission

We inspire and empower Christian women to bring the love of Jesus to a hurting world through education, compassionate ministries, community, and public gospel witness.

ADM stands on a legacy of inspiring women who lived out the Word of God in practical ways. We seek to honour this history by offering theological education, enabling compassionate ministries, creating community, and promoting public gospel witness, all with a focus on women. These outcomes are achieved through our suite of programs.

Our Values

Pursuing our vision to see Women for the Lord, ADM works through and for women. We recognise and uphold that Scripture provides a clear foundation for the inherent dignity and value of women of all ages and backgrounds, created in the image of God, and loved unconditionally by Him. This underpins all ADM’s values.

  • God’s faithfulness is the foundation of our faith. The Lord is trustworthy and true; nothing can separate us from his unfailing love, which is shown in Christ’s death and resurrection as revealed to us in Scripture. Through the power of the Holy Spirit, we hope to mirror God’s faithfulness as we pursue all things to the glory of God.

  • We grieve with those who grieve in our hurting world, responding with loving concern and care. As our Lord Jesus entered into our humanity and shared our suffering, we follow His example in responding to human need with grace, compassion, and justice. We are women of faith in Word and deed.

  • We create hospitable communities unified in Jesus Christ where the grace of God is modelled in the way we steward our resources and relate to one another. We always begin with assuming the best of others and extend a generous welcome to all. We make every effort to keep the unity of the Spirit through the bond of peace (Eph 4:3).

  • We stand on the shoulders of courageous women who – because of their wholehearted devotion to live for the Lord – dared to try new things to respond to the needs they saw around them. Mary Andrews spoke of three V’s: vision, virtue, and venture. With our hope firm in Christ, we have the confidence and agility to attempt remarkable things for God.

Our Theological Principals

Life giving Word

We believe that God’s word written, the canonical Scriptures of the Old and New Testaments, is the supreme authority in all matters of faith and conduct. Therefore ADM seeks to be consistent with Biblical teaching in all activities and train and equip believers to live in light of God’s word.

Human dignity and need

We believe human beings, male and female, are created in the image of God. We believe in the equality, difference and inter dependence of men and women. Humanity is uniquely made for relationship with God, and with each other, and for stewarding the creation under God, to his glory. In this context marriage is intended by God as a lifelong union between a man and a woman. We therefore recognise both the inherent dignity and worth of all human beings and acknowledge the need of all people of God’s reconciling action and renewal into the image of Christ.

God the Reconciler

We believe God’s faithful love is demonstrated in his act to reconcile all things to himself through Jesus’ life, death, resurrection, ascension and reign. Humanity has rejected God’s sovereign and loving rule and are deserving of his judgement. The deepest and most urgent need of humanity is to be forgiven and reconciled to God. The gospel of Jesus Christ speaks into all life contexts to provide grace and encouragement, to alleviate suffering and distress and provide eternal hope. Integral to ADM’s work is the hope of testifying to God’s redeeming work in Jesus Christ - calling all people to repent of their sins and trust in Jesus as Lord and Saviour and be united by His Spirit into the fellowship of His people.

Enriched by the Holy Spirit

The Holy Spirit, the Lord and Giver of life, convicts the world of sin, righteousness, and judgment and this same Spirit comforts the believer by unifying them with the Lord Jesus and enabling them to call God Father through the gift of new birth. Repentance of sin and confession of faith in the Lord Jesus are immediate signs of the indwelling of the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit’s work continues in leading believers to grow in Holiness by convicting hearts and by enriching right understanding and application of God’s word. We therefore seek, the outward signs of this enrichment, transformed lives which bear fruit for Christ.

Future hope and present engagement

We believe in and anticipate the personal return of the Lord Jesus Christ in glory as judge to establish his Kingdom and renew all things. In the light of this we recognise our calling to make disciples of all nations by proclaiming and living the gospel and our accountability as servants to reflect his character. Therefore while we wait we have hope, and pursue God’s good purpose for this world seeking his justice and reconciled relationships knowing that true justice and lasting peace are found in the age to come.

Fruit of faith

We believe that it is faith alone which unites believers with Christ through whom God enables believers to be made Holy. Faith is never found alone but produces a transformed life of holiness and good works. We therefore seek to model faith in action responding to need and provide means by which works of Christian faith are fostered. ADM seeks to train and equip women to use their God given gifts to his glory in all spheres of life, to engage culture with biblically informed insight and speak and act with the hope of Christ.

Good News for women

We believe that Christianity is good news for women and the Bible’s teaching provides a clear foundation for the inherent dignity and value of women. The Lord Jesus Christ called women to hear his teaching and to go into all the world making disciples in his name.

We recognise that women with a shared view of the authority of Scripture come to differing conclusions on how they will express their faith in practice and seek to be unified through Christ.

We are a foundation of Christian women for women serving Jesus in kingdom work.

Funding priority for Low Income Parishes

In 2025, funding priority across all categories will be given to: Applications from women in ministry in Low Income Parishes or Provisional Parishes.

‘Low Income Parishes’ are defined by the Sydney Anglican Diocese ‘Assisting Low Income Parishes Policy’ as “those with total income of less than $150,000 per annum. Parishes that fit this description will have little or no ability to undertake material capital works without substantial parishioner contributions above and beyond normal giving. They will also have limited ability to hire additional staff (beyond a fulltime rector) other than part-time, student or MTS workers).”

Christ centred

We believe in the unity of God the Father, the Son and Holy Spirit, and that Jesus Christ is the true image of God come into this world to reveal God the Father. All humanity have sinned rejecting God’s sovereign and loving rule. Jesus Christ brings forgiveness for sin and reconciliation with the Father through His atoning death in our place and resurrection on our behalf. Therefore in all ADM’s activities we seek to be Christ centred and bear witness to the gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ and bring him glory.