Ely and Fahtima are the founding pastors of Belong Church in South East Melbourne. With over 15 years of ministry experience, they have served in a variety of roles including youth and young adult pastors, campus pastors, and leaders in church settings both in Australia and overseas. Their ministry journey has ranged from one-on-one discipleship to leading large-scale events and mentoring emerging leaders, with a consistent heart to make Jesus known and help people walk in their God-given purpose. They have also contributed to church planting and local church formation, always with a passion to see healthy, vibrant communities grow.
Their desire is to see people not just attend church, but truly belong, to God and to a purpose-filled, Spirit-led community. They believe the local church is one of God’s greatest gifts to the world and are committed to building a church that is biblically grounded, relationally rich, and deeply welcoming.
As a couple, they’re raising their three wonderful children, Chloe, Max, and Isla, and are passionate about building a church that feels like family, where people of all generations worship together and grow in faith. Their prayer is that Belong Church would be a place where the disconnected find connection, the searching find truth, and everyone finds a home.