Dale Stephenson
Dr Dale Stephenson is the Senior Minister at Crossway Baptist Church in Melbourne, the largest Baptist church in Australia, with 8 campuses and another opening in 2025. His wife, Edi, serves as the Discipleship Consultant and National Facilitator of Building a Discipling Culture. Together, they are deeply committed to both employment and education initiatives, focusing on equipping individuals and empowering communities.
Crossway, often affectionately called a Bapticostal Church, is known for its dedication to the broader body of Christ. Through three key initiatives, Crossway has partnered with over 5% of all churches in Australia, spanning 18 denominations. Their vision is to shift the public narrative about Christianity in Australia from decades of decline to one of growth, with a goal to help 10% of all churches by 2030.
Their flagship initiative, Building a Discipling Culture (BDC), focuses on coaching churches for two years, helping pastors and their teams rediscover Jesus’ method of making multiplying disciples. This initiative is already having a significant impact and is set to expand internationally. In addition, Crossway runs two programs dedicated to supporting the poor and marginalized: COACH, a community mentoring program where 82% of participants reach significant life goals, and Empowered Faith Communities, which applies the BDC approach to raise up leaders and disciples in these communities.
Dale, who was once a converted atheist from a secular Australian family, and Edi, from a multi-generational Scottish Christian background, have been married for 40 years as of 2025. Together, they have four children and four grandchildren. Their work in education, mentoring, and church development continues to make a lasting impact both locally and globally.
