The first pastor from 1861 to 1897 was Silas Mead who set in place church governance by elders, deacons, and deaconesses, established an open membership policy, sent out members of FSBC to form other congregations, established missions in the city, instigated the formation of the South Australian Baptist Association in 1863, and initiated the formation of the South Australian Baptist Missionary Society in 1864. Mead was a formidable organiser. Since 1897 there has been a succession of pastors including John Raws, James Mursell, Peter Fleming, F. G. Benskin, Donovan Mitchell, J. Arthur Lewis, Samuel Millar, Leslie Gomm, Neil Adcock, Barrie Hibbert, Tom Cadman, Graeme Pitt, Roger Bryson, and Scott Cadman.