Our story

Hope Revolution (formally Katalyst Church) was not a traditional church plant, birthed by a sending or mother church. The Baptist Union of Victoria commissioned Mark and Cheryl Wilson to start a new charismatic faith community in the S.E. Melbourne growth corridor in the suburb of Officer. Katalyst Church was supported financially by Beaconsfield, Pakenham and Berwick Baptist Churches and the BUV, providing a great platform to launch this new initiative.


The Oxford dictionary describes a “catalyst” as an agent that provokes or speeds significant change or action; or a person or thing that precipitates an event or change; or something that causes activity between two or more persons or forces. A catalyst is an ideal image to describe the paradigm of a vibrant church led by the Holy Spirit. The life of Jesus Christ provokes change and calls people to a radical lifestyle, a way of life that is counter-cultural to the world around us. We called it a revolution of love. With this vision from God, Katalyst Church was officially launched on 11th September 2011.


In 2016 Katalyst church experienced a period of transition. Our founding pastors sensed that the Lord was calling time on their tenure at Katalyst church. Later that year, the church leadership team and members appointed Matt and Tanya Patterson to lead Katalyst Church forward.


Since its inception, Katalyst Church has placed great importance on having a balanced expression of the five-fold gifts within its leadership. In late 2018/early 2019, the leadership team sensed that God was calling Katalyst into a new season, specifically one including a change in the structure of the pastoral team. Following the sensing that the leadership team felt, they began intentionally praying for an individual with complimentary gifts to join Matt and Tanya to lead the church. In June of 2019, Nathan Dawson was appointed alongside Matt as Co-senior Leader of Katalyst church. Together, they desired to see the church become an incubator for people to encounter God, grow in maturity as Jesus followers and impact the community with God’s love.


In early 2021 whilst the world around us was retreating and striving to survive amid the global pandemic, the Elders sought direction from God about the next 3-5 years for the church. What began as a conversation quickly became an all-encompassing process of re-envisioning the church.  This also included the prospect of a name change. Throughout this process, there were numerous prophetic words and directions from God that confirmed and led the Elders in their planning and decision-making.


On 11th September 2021, at Katalyst’s 10th birthday celebration, Matt and Nathan shared an overview of the purpose, calling and plans for the church moving forwards. Along with this, they shared that Katalyst church was to become Hope Revolution. This name change came in response to a prophetic word from the Lord, and similarly to biblical name change stories, it symbolises the end of an era and the beginning of a new one. 

As of the 1st of January 2022, Hope Revolution was officially launched and is called to be “a mobilised community of disciples, advancing the Kingdom of God, bringing hope to Cardinia and beyond.” 

Nathan Dawson resigned from the role of Co-senior Leader, concluding June 30, 2022.