Duty solicitor Dan Smyth told the court yesterday that Stephen Anthony Luke believed he was the 144,000th incarnation of Jesus Christ and set fire to St Clements Anglican Church in Camberwell because God told him to.

Mr Smyth told magistrate Dorelle Pinch that Luke, 33, of Watsons Bay, said he was destined to die in jail as a martyr.

Luke was charged with stealing a motor vehicle, damaging property by fire and break and enter.

All the offences are alleged to have occurred at Camberwell, in the Upper Hunter, on March 10.

He did not apply for bail and was remanded to appear by audio-visual link in Maitland Local Court on May 26 for mention.

Ms Pinch ordered Luke to undertake a full psychiatric assessment before his next court appearance.

The Herald reported the "senseless" arson attack on the historic Camberwell church in March.

St Clements is one of the oldest churches in Australia and the Georgian-style church was the centrepoint for five generations of the region's families.

It was understood at the time that the damage was expected to run as high as $500,000 but would be fully covered by the church's insurance.