G’day friends.   Greetings from rainy Orbost!

Much has happened since the first week of January, let me tell you some of the story.

I started the year watching the glow in the sky of an approaching fire which, in the hours that followed, narrowly missed my parents’ property where I was living and proceeded to obliterate much of the region I call home – I wasn’t really ready but was mostly willing and certainly available.

We were faced with a very present need and shortly thereafter I found myself with a mandate:  To find fire affected people, find out from them what they need and do my best to meet that need.

It’s fairly simple in words, unfortunately less so in action.  So, what have I achieved?

I have built fences, cut down fire affected trees and even rebuilt a bridge restoring primary access to a home, just in time to allow Grocon to clean up the sheds that had burnt. Oh, and drunk lots of tea.

These are all hands on, quantifiable things (except for the tea) – I’m a practical guy, I like to see what I’ve achieved – but I’m slowly learning that God sees things I don’t.

Over these months I have accumulated a total of 49 people/couples/families on my list of those I’ve sought to engage and of them have 22 ongoing relationships.

There have been evenings when I’ve sat in my 4wd on the side of the road and just prayed,

‘Lord, is that all You had for today?’

‘I’ve been out for 10 hours, driven 150kms and You’ve prompted me to stop in places that have led to 3 conversations. Jesus is that enough? Can I go home now?’

Yes.

In His eyes and economy spending time with people is time well spent even if the only thing I built was trust.

One guy whom I’ve had a dozen different interactions with since the start of February said the last time I saw him, ‘you’ll be back before then,’ speaking of a fencing job he might need a hand with. It may have taken a dozen visits and phone calls over months but he knows that sooner or later I’ll show up, ask him how he’s going and offer him a hand – and he appreciates it.

He’s not the only one who appreciates me dropping by semi-regularly. People generally seem to be getting tired and they’re lonely and COVID 19 isn’t helping.

I hadn’t spoken to this particular older lady for a number of weeks when a mutual friend called and said she was talking about leaving this world and they were worried for her. She answered my second call and spoke for over an hour. I visited the following day and she spoke for another 2 hours. She seems stable but really needed someone to talk to and again, I’ve visited or called her more than a dozen times since early February building a friendship where she’s comfortable to actually invite me in, offer me a cup of tea and just talk.

In response to the question, ‘what have I achieved?’ I could give many answers but I think the best answer is simply, ‘I have been there when people needed me,’

Lord willing, by the generosity of the Baptist family, I’ll continue to be.

Thank you!

It’s now the end of July, 7 months since the first of the Upper Murray cluster fires that began an inferno of similar severity to the 1939 bushfires. One of the main differences, is that many larger properties have been subdivided into smaller properties, a large percentage of which do not support families on agriculture alone. These are either smaller farms where perhaps one partner works to put food on the table and provide funds for large capital expenses; or lifestyle blocks, where owners either rely solely on outside income or may be semi-retired and only generate a modest income from their land.

Whatever the situation, many of these properties lost livestock, pasture and fodder (stored hay, silage, and grain/pellets). Additionally, the loss of infrastructure in the way of fencing, yards, water systems, sheds, equipment and for some, houses, took a huge toll. Whilst some people had insurance, even those who thought they were well covered are finding huge gaps they are unable to meet.

Large grants have been made available to commercial scale farmers whose farming income exceeds their off-farm income, which has assisted with the shortfall. A huge number of fire affected people in the Upper Murray do not qualify for these grants.

Hence the importance of organisations such as Blaze Aid, Red Cross and many different church and philanthropic groups that are coming to give financial aid and help.

The Corryong Baptist Church with the backing of donations from generous Baptist folk has been in a position to help fire affected farmers across the board. From my perspective assisting Pastor Graeme van Brummelen, it is not the amount of financial aid that we are offering, but that we consider each and every person of equal worthiness, no matter whether they have 2 cows or 200 cows. This is the teaching of Jesus, which we demonstrate by our actions rather than our words in this situation.

Jesus also taught compassion. Because I don’t have his ability to see into people’s hearts I am learning to become a better listener. I can help the person a lot better if I understand where they’re at in their recovery journey. 

At this point in time, some folk have told their story often enough and don’t want to go through it again. For example they’ve been happy to receive a seed or freight subsidy from the BUV, but don’t want to accept a Relief and Stimulus Package as they feel this is “double dipping”. They are grateful but their head is full of the next steps they need to take to prepare for a fencing team arriving sometime in the next month and they only have headspace for that task.

Some folk have been lost for words when receiving a package or assistance. Having reason to follow up in the future, gives them the opportunity to tell their story if they wish to, or determine whether they have other needs where we can help or connect them.

Others have only just come up for breath from their task-focussed labours to contain their animals from wandering all over the district and keeping them alive. Or they’ve had their livestock away on agistment, have managed to replace some fencing, the stock have arrived home, it’s winter, they need hay to get them through, their hay shed has not been rebuilt and they don’t have any stored fodder. This is only one thought stream as the reality is juggling a myriad of thoughts and tasks.  They feel overwhelmed and are only now asking for help and perhaps, not feeling comfortable in having to ask. Their first and foremost need may be to tell their story.  Sometimes they are ready to receive assistance and we are in a position to offer them something or refer them to where they can get the help they need.

Others may be further down the track in their recovery, but have lost or never had social connectedness. They may not even want to receive any financial help from a church, but need someone to come alongside, listen, and perhaps connect or re-connect them back into the community.  One of the effects of a natural disaster can be to fragment existing relationships, both at individual and group level.  For these people, someone to assist them into easing back into community belonging is another role the church can offer.  Sometimes other community groups are already forming or in existence and local knowledge of this nature is invaluable. The church needs to be part of the overall community for this to happen.

Currently, Corryong Baptist Church has put together the 4^th round of Relief and Stimulus Packages, which are a wonderful resource to have on offer when making the first connection or following up with fire-affected people. As many folk on properties also have off-farm income from a business they either work for or operate in town, these businesses have been whacked with a double-barrelled shot from both the bushfires and coronavirus. BUV donations have purchased vouchers from the bulk of these businesses, supporting their owners and employees as well as those receiving these packages.

Such is the heart of this community, that several businesses declined the offer to purchase vouchers for Round 4. Their story was identical. “We’d love to take your money, but we’ve only redeemed a few vouchers from the earlier round. Re-direct it towards groceries instead”. Not only are these businesses struggling from lack of custom, they often echo the words of property holders who decline our financial assistance with “I’m sure there’s somebody else who needs it more”. 

Sharon Roberts
Corryong Baptist Church

At a time when most see ‘unprecedented’ obstacles, Mornington Peninsula Mayor Sam Hearn sees opportunity. With COVID-19 lockdowns forcing the closure of many Community Support Centres, Sam (who is also involved in the leadership of his neighbourhood Baptist church community) dreamed up the ‘People’s Army’: redeploying stood down local council staff to deliver care packages to vulnerable and isolated people in the area. The idea came to him after seeing community members share on Facebook how they were reaching out to their neighbours.

‘People have been doing it far tougher than they probably have for decades and decades,’ said Sam. ‘And yet the way that people have just reached out and suddenly become so much more intentional about wanting to do things for their community has gone through the roof.’

The food parcel plan is part of the Mornington Peninsula’s Caring for Community program, intended to help lessen the spread and effects of the pandemic by creating a sense of ‘togetherness’. The council co-ordinated response involved creating a database of all the vulnerable, elderly or disadvantaged people in the area and setting up supply chains directly from supermarkets to requisition food for those who could not get it themselves. More than 2500 families have been supported so far and the formal council response created a ripple effect into the community, with locals sharing approximately ‘ten times’ the resources of the council on an informal level.

‘It cuts through in a different way when someone sees their mayor or a local community leader saying, “This is the way we as a community are going to respond to this,”’ said Sam. ‘So I’ve gone on the front foot very quickly to give the message that this is about checking on your neighbour, call your friends, check in on the older people in your street, make sure people are doing okay.’

It’s not the first time Sam has headed up something like the food parcel plan. As bushfires raged over summer, more than 200 Mornington Peninsula Shire staff came together to offer support, comfort and accommodation to over 1000 Mallacoota evacuees. Sam views the mission to ‘love your neighbour’ as inseparable with community support, particularly in challenging times.

‘I think the biggest opportunity is for the church to truly and fundamentally be a community of people that are really present individually and collectively in an intentional way as good citizens in their local community – that’s always mattered and is always needed.’

Sam has been committed to building long-term community relationships and trust in this local community, seeing it as vital to mission. His first sense of calling was to his own high-school of Mornington Secondary College when he came to faith as a 15 year old and continues now with his role as Mayor.

‘If we as the church want to actually be relevant and present in our communities, we need to build selfless, long-term, trusting, generous relationships with our local community…to support in anyway way,’ said Sam. ‘I think this year will have shown churches across the country whether they are really connected to their community… If you have only turned up when this crisis hit saying “We want to rescue you, we want to help out”, most people will go “Who the heck are you?”’

‘The great thing is that all church communities can encourage and mobilise their members to reach out and care for their neighbours at a time like this.’

Rather than merely an obstacle to overcome, Sam sees the pandemic as an opportunity to serve community, and for churches to reflect on their local community involvement. Bringing hopeful change to community often feels slower than Sam would like it to be, but the pandemic has brought what matters most to the front and accelerated the process.

‘COVID-19 has probably shown us, reminded us and confronted us with the fact that as human beings we’ve always been together at our most cellular and foundational level,’ Sam said. ‘We’re realising that staying socially connected is what matters most to us – being part of community, feeling loved, giving love, knowing our place and feeling a sense of belonging.’

‘This is especially true as we’ve had the heartbreaking experience of coming out of the first wave with a sense of optimism and gratefulness only to see a second wave emerge,’ Sam said. ‘It’s really taking a heavy toll on people’s mental and emotional wellbeing, and a sense of connection and hope is more important than ever.’

Through the second wave, Sam is practically reaching out and connecting with the people he personally is caring for: delivering food to a single dad in his neighbourhood, chatting to other families at kinder drop off, giving the local café owner a call to encourage him.

‘Those simple things can really help people find strength to persevere, not to mention being a witness to the hope and love that is there for them in Jesus.’

Alison, can you tell us a bit about your journey into pastoral leadership?

Like many women, I moved into pastoral leadership hesitantly. My mother was a pastor at a time when the church was largely hostile towards women in ministry; it was not a situation I envied. Although I was studying theology, writing Bible studies, preaching, questioning how we did things as a church, and journeying with people towards change, it took several requests from the church, and a long process of God breaking down my internal resistance, before I could formally accept the call.

What would you say are the barriers (and blessings) to your ministry as a woman?

Although they rarely realise it, many people cling to an idea that ‘normal’ pastors are straight white men. This means that those of us who don’t fit into that mould are seen, first and foremost, as the perceived ‘difference’ to that mould. So I am seen as a woman not a pastor, and asked to talk about being a woman in ministry rather than just my ministry. The unspoken assumption is that neither I nor my experience are ‘normal’.

And so, for example, the men in my local Baptist ministers fellowship go away together to men’s conferences and retreats, because that’s what ‘normal’ pastors do; and I am excluded from the shared experiences, conversations and networking. I love the local blokes, but I have had to maintain a pastoral peer group in Melbourne to ensure I get the support I need.

To give another example, when I was ready to leave South Yarra the only work I was offered was with playgroups. Now, I love little kids one-on-one, but a group of them leaves me cold; it would have been a disaster both for them and for me. People who know me call me a pastor-theologian: I am a thinker, writer and preacher. But because I am a woman, others do not see these gifts; they just assume I should work with kids.

Ironically, having no formal opportunities has had its advantages. It opened the door for the Holy Spirit to prepare a people and a place for me here in Warrnambool. I am now the sole pastor of a four-year-old church plant of 50-60 regulars, including many children and teens. In this context, I have enormous freedom to try things which have never been tried before; to follow the Spirit’s lead; and to serve an intergenerational cohort of people, many of whom previously had very little connection with church. This ministry is a great blessing and joy.

In what ways do you see God’s hand at work in your ministry now?

When Jesus meets the Samaritan woman at the well, he promises living water that will never run out. For me, one of the signs of God at work is an endless well of creativity bubbling up from within, which shapes and inspires my ministry. I am constantly dreaming up new paths through the desert, writing extensively, and in so doing watering other people’s faith. When I began Sanctuary, people described their faith as dry, desiccated, dormant, even non-existent (they came for their kids). People are now stronger and more confident in faith, and some young people are seeking baptism. Online (since COVID-19), I see many people, including many pastors, accessing our website, and borrowing and adapting things for their own circumstances.

As you reflect back on your own leadership journey, what advice would you give to women starting out on theirs?

In our society, there is enormous pressure on women to be inoffensive and to conform to other people’s expectations; this can be doubly true in the church. But your task is not to conform, make everyone happy, or be super-nice. Instead, your task is to love God and people, keep your eyes on Jesus Christ, follow the Spirit’s leading, and be true to your call.

For some, this will go sweetly. For others, this will upset a few apple carts and lead to conflict, even crucifixion. If this happens, know that this is normal. Healing in the gospel invariably leads to conflict, and journeying with Jesus means heading towards the cross: but on the other side of the cross you find life. So stick with him; keep dwelling in the Word; keep praying; keep loving your enemies—and make sure you have a couple of trusted colleagues who will journey with you through thick and thin!

Alison at her Ordination service in 2018 with a member of Sanctuary, Noah, who introduced her. 

It all started with a friendship—with a Syrian woman I met in Shepparton in December 2017. When I asked her how I could help her and other Syrians recently arrived in Shepparton, she said they needed help practicing conversational English.

From that I began to teach classes, creating a program called Thrive Shepparton, with a plan for a creative expansion called Shepparton Story House. When students began to ask for writing and grammar alongside conversation, I knew it was time for Story House to begin.

Only it didn’t begin right away. Unable to secure a new working visa, I went home to the U.S. for nearly a year, during which time Rev Richard Horton at Shepparton Baptist Church contacted me. He’d read my plans for the Story House program and he wanted me to return to Shepparton to begin this program at his church.

In the year and a half since he contacted me, Shepparton Baptist Church has become home to two Congolese fellowships, an Indonesian fellowship, and continues to have an English service each Sunday and a Chinese service fortnightly. In mid-2018, Thrive Friendship Café launched at Shepparton Baptist Church, and friendships began to form between volunteers and close to a dozen Syrian families in our neighbourhood.

My working visa to begin Shepparton Story House at this already diverse church arrived the same week as COVID-19 restrictions. Not wanting to let down our expectant students, in term two we launched our three levels of English classes online, as well as our Bible Story & Chat program and Creative Writing Hub. With God’s grace, these programs have all continued through the past three months, growing despite launching online. Now we’ve also launched our program’s Story Platform with an online storytelling series: “Coming to Australia” which aims to show the diversity of migrants in our city and pave the way for our future story platform program at the church.

These programs aren’t just for our Syrian friends, but for those in our own church and all of those in the community around us who are learning English. So far our program participants have been from over a dozen countries.

It all started with a friendship— and as we hear and tell our own stories through our programs, we are blessed with many friendships across our beautifully diverse community.

Crossway LifeCare is a community services organisation passionate about helping people in tough places flourish. Although some of their services have been suspended due to COVID-19, LifeCare has found ways to fulfil its vision during this time.

Prior to the COVID-19 shutdown, Crossway LifeCare delivered about 30 food hampers a month. In the last 11 weeks, LifeCare's Community Pantry has distributed 613 hampers!

One client said, "To your wonderful volunteers, and the kind people who donate, please pass on my heartfelt thanks". And another, "I wanted to say thank you again for the generosity you have shown my family today. The kids have already picked out a movie to watch tonight to have the popcorn with! They were over the moon to unpack everything and spent some time together figuring out potential meal ideas. It was so lovely to watch! I felt like they were on a game show. Please know that we are so grateful."

Many volunteers help pack and sort the food hampers. On April 27 this included three of the Essendon Football Club Staff, Gregor, Luke and Andrew. These three men had been stood down from their jobs indefinitely due to financial challenges arising from COVID-19 restrictions, but they wanted to give back despite their personal struggles and were grateful for the opportunity to help.

Every year, Crossway LifeCare's Women’s Centre puts on a pamper morning to celebrate the women who attend the Centre for Mother’s Day. Most of the women who attend the Women’s Centre are mothers, and all of them have experienced family violence. Due to COVID-19 restrictions, this year’s pamper morning was unable to go ahead, so instead, the Centre delivered flowers to all the participants. After receiving her flowers, one woman said, "It's been a long, long time since I received anything for Mother's Day. They are beautiful, thank you ".

There are many more ‘good news’ stories and photos on Crossway Lifecare’s facebook page, demonstrating that even a pandemic cannot stand in the way of God’s love in action!

Crossway LifeCare Facebook

In lieu of being able to physically gather for our biannual Members Dinner tonight, we've create a Members Update Video for you. In this video, you will hear from Jo-Anne Bradshaw, Union Council Chair, from Daniel Bullock, Director of Mission and Ministries, on the year so far and strategic direction, and from Debbie Uy, Director of Finance and Administration on the Financial info. In addition, we will welcome some new churches and faith communities to the BUV and will hear briefly from our 3 Ordinands.

Its a great 30 minute video update and we encourage you to make time to watch it sometime over the weekend.

Please click here to view the May Members' Update video

The 2019 BUV Annual Report is now also available  – Click here 

For pastors in Victoria and right around the world, let me just come right out and state the very obvious… Things have changed dramatically in recent times! I know it’s not a new piece of news but it needs to be said.  And for pastors, there have been so many significant changes to the way we minister, that it is important to stop for a moment and acknowledge this.

You can most likely identify with the following…

• I have not been able to meet personally with the people I pastor
• I have had to learn new ways of communicating to the church, and to do it more often
• I have had to change the way I prepare for Sundays in order to adjust to online services
• I have seen what other pastor are doing online & there is the opportunity to compare like never before
• I have been at home more and my routines, disciplines and boundaries have needed to adjust
• I have had to work harder to collaborate and have had to make more decisions on my own
• I have started to think about what I need to do differently when the restrictions are lifted

These changes are real and have left many pastors feeling fatigued as a result of all the decisions they have had to make, emotionally drained as they feel like they are always trying to catch up, and physically tired as they wonder how long they can sustain this level of challenge. This is the reality for many pastors.

So now, perhaps more than ever, we need to hear anew the call of God’s word to us through the writer of the letter to the Hebrews…

“…let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us.” (Hebrews 12:1)

While the events threatening to stop the recipients of the letter from persevering were persecution and the trials of life in their day, we face challenges and changes that can cause us to feel like we are unable to go on. But God wants us to persevere, to keep going, to run the race marked out for us.

Now is the time for pastors to have resilience more than ever. It’s the capacity to recover quickly from difficulties, from challenges. Just like the “slinky” toy many of us had when we were growing up, resilient pastors spring back and resume their original form after stretching. They don’t give up, they endure, and they prevail in the midst of adversity. How can we ensure that we are resilient in these times?

Remember – God got you into this!

God has called you to run.

It is God who got you running this race. You believed the gospel, you responded by faith and began the journey as a follower of Jesus. You surrendered your life to him. And now you are a pastor and you are running this race. People are looking to you. God called you and has equipped you. You must persevere. Until God makes it clear you have completed the race, keep running.

You have a call and a sense of purpose, so remember that “the one who called you is faithful and he will do it.” (1 Thess. 5:24) It might just be the right time to retreat and spend a half or full day in prayer. On this day, why not reflect on how God called you initially into pastoral ministry, give thanks and praise for all that he has helped you through in the past, and ask God to help you, to strengthen you, to give you wisdom, to empower you and to fill you in the light of this current challenge. Remember that God’s grace is sufficient, and that when you are weak, you are strong in Christ Jesus (2 Cor. 12:9-10). 

Remember – Comparison Kills

God’s has marked out the race for you.

“…let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us.” (Hebrews 12:1)

As churches have started streaming their weekend services online, many pastors have had their very first opportunity for a long time to see what other churches are doing and to compare themselves with other pastors & churches. It’s possible to see the sermons other pastors are preaching, how they pray, how they lead. We can end up feeling all kinds of regret, inferiority and inadequacy. But the writer to the Hebrews says that we are all in a race, but it is one that he has marked out for each of us. We don’t run the race in the same way as someone else does. Run your own way in this race, the way marked out for you. Run with the unique gifts, skills and experiences he has given you. Craig Groeschel has said, “The fastest way to kill something special is to compare it with something else.” Don’t waste time comparing yourself or your church with others. If you keep looking around, you’ll run off course. Run your race with all that you have for God’s glory. Be yourself, everyone else is taken!

What are your strengths? Build on them. What gives you joy? Work toward those things. What are the unique needs in your church and your community? Ask God to help you meet them. The race is before you. Run your unique way. You have something special as a pastor to offer the people God has entrusted to you. We’re cheering for you!

Remember – Look to Jesus

“…let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us, fixing your eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of faith” (Hebrews 12:1-2)

Look to the One who called you to run.

When we fix our eyes on Jesus, we can experience the fullness of God’s grace poured out on us. We may have failed, stumbled and fallen so far short of our hopes and expectations, but at the cross as we see Jesus, we can declare with boldness, “I am forgiven, I am accepted, I am redeemed, I am called.” This fills us with joy.

When we fix our eyes on Jesus we see his example of how to persevere. The cross of Christ reminds us of the terrible suffering Jesus faced which was not only experienced physically but also in taking upon himself the sin of the world. Still, the promise of future joy provided Jesus with the strength to suffer. We are called to help pastor flourishing churches. What a joy it will be to see lives changed and communities impacted. Keep your eyes on Jesus as you run and don’t give up!

Resilience Resources

We need resilient pastors who persevere in the face of great challenge. Now is the time to build your resilience. The BUV has great resources to help you and I want to point you to a number of them.

1. Rev David Devine has presented a Professional Standards Workshop that can be completed online for maintaining your accreditation. It is called Resilience for Pastoral Leaders and is very helpful.

2. Maintaining supportive relationships is a key to building resilience, and the most significant relationship that many pastors have is that with their spouse. That is why the Marriage Course is being offered to pastoral leaders with Rev Dr Bill and Julia Brown hosting the course. This course started last Wednesday (6th May) but if you are quick you can still join in and catch up on the first episode. Sign up here…

3. Pastoral Clusters are operating right across Victoria using ZOOM to connect, encourage and offer peer support. Contact your regional pastor for information about when the next one is happening near you.

4. I attended the online The Resilience Webinar hosted by Partners in Ministry with Mark Connor and Psychologist Dr Grant Bickerton as guest speakers, the full webinar is available here on demand. I found the webinar very helpful and would recommend it to you.
    
5. Life Therapies Victoria, an organisation founded by psychologists and members of New Community Ringwood Baptist Church, has a number of video and PDF resources on wellbeing and resilience – http://www.lifetherapiesvictoria.com.au
    

Together as Baptists on mission we can not only persevere through this time but I believe we can prevail. Remember that God got you into this, that comparison kills and that Jesus is the one to keep looking to at every step of our race. There will be great joy when we meet Jesus face to face one day and we celebrate together! 

It was 1972 when Gilbert said that he was considering going into the ministry. We had been married 10 years and had two children, Tim aged 8 and Libby aged 6, and were members of the local Church of Christ, a church I first attended when I joined the Sunday school at the age of 5.

He wanted to join the Methodists who were in discussions with the Presbyterian and Congregationalists about forming a Uniting Church. The Church of Christ had been part of the early discussions but had decided not to proceed.

We had gone to a Methodist church for eight years while Gilbert was a teacher in the High School in Bairnsdale. While there Gilbert had become a local preacher and we had been very active in the life of the church.

Our Christian Life was very important to us so this decision wasn’t a complete shock. It seemed like a natural progression of our faith. So he had a talk to the local Methodist minister who gave him lots of wise and helpful advice and everything started moving.

But first we had to tell our parents.

Gilbert’s Mother and Dad were both active members of their church and so telling them would be easy. Gilbert visited them one night to break the news. They didn’t seem to be very surprised and seemed to be quite pleased. However the next day, while Gilbert was at school I had a visit from his father, who wanted to know how I felt about the decision. I think I convinced him that I was happy with the prospect and keen to provide Gilbert with my total support.

It then remained to tell my parents.

I wasn’t from a church family and was not sure how they would take it.  Dad went very quiet and Mum could only say ‘But what about your securities?’

By this time we had moved back to Ashburton from Bairnsdale and had bought a nice little house not far from them. The children would often visit their grandparents on Saturday mornings, with Tim spending time in the garage or garden with Grandpa and Libby following Grandma around the house talking her head off. My parents loved having us nearby, especially after we had been so far away when the children were babies.

Gilbert had enjoyed teaching and it provided a secure future and it was also important for Mum and Dad that we lived in a nice house.  

Ministry did not tick any of these boxes very well. We might end up in an awful manse and Gilbert may find himself dealing with difficult people in the congregation. Also ministry was seen to be a less secure job than teaching.  

However, Mum and Dad soon came around and accepted our decision. Dad could not have been prouder on the night of Gilbert’s ordination.

Personally, this was a big change for me as I was under pressure to take on leadership roles in the church. Though I had been active in women’s fellowship groups and had taught in the Sunday school I had always been a shrinking violet, preferring to be part of the group and to sit and knit or chat. Every now and then I would add a bit of cheek or advice but never take the lead.

When pressed in this new situation I gave in, but do not think I was a great leader. Women’s fellowship groups were always friendly and happy places for me and there were always other ladies who could step in and deal with the contentious issues. As I started out there were some terrific minister’s wives around who acted as role models. They gave me good advice so that in due course I found my own style but it was very low key.

While Gilbert was studying he was appointed to Altona North and after he graduated we went to a church based in Deloraine, Tasmania. It was a big shift but we enjoyed life in the country and it was excellent for the children.

After three years in Tasmania we moved back to what is now the Uniting church in Highfield Rd Canterbury. This was a larger church and we stayed for eight and a half years. The children were in high school by this time and it was a big change for them to be in a much larger school and to have to catch a train and a bus to get there.  

Being a minister’s wife at this time brought with it the expectation that you would provide leadership, fresh ideas and be available at all times. At first I was happy to accept this traditional role but later on, with more women working this was seen as being unfair. It was not long before some women were expressing amazement that I would try and fill the traditional role, especially the expectation that you would be available to respond to all sorts of situations at any time of the day or night.

As more and more women became highly educated, they began to have their own professional careers in teaching or nursing etc. As a result they contributed substantially to the family finances, and were able to help stabilise the budget during the crunch points of family life, while at the same time maintaining their own credentials.

When the children were in their teens, with one at University and the other finishing secondary school, money became tight for us and we began to worry as to how we would manage.

I thought it would be a good idea to find a part time job that would fit around my other commitments. This seemed a tall order. However, while shopping at our local greengrocer I noticed a sign in the window advertising a position for two days a week. Everything about the job was just what I had hoped for. I applied and was given it on the spot!

So, I became a part time shop assistant, not the most highly paid job in the world, but it made all the difference to our budget and life became far less stressful.

It was wonderful to be working ‘in the world’ again and meeting people who were not part of the church. And to be paid for the privilege was a marvellous bonus. I loved the work and the family I worked with, and stayed with them for ten years.

When we left Highfield Rd, Gilbert was called to the Rosanna Uniting Church.

After seven years at Rosanna he was called to the Diamond Creek Uniting church, located near the Hurstbridge railway line. It was part of the Diamond Valley parish and in a lovely area. It had a fairly new manse that was rather big for the two of us. But it was great for entertaining visitors and holding study groups and meetings. With both of our children married and having children of their own it was always good to have sleepovers or holiday times together.

Rosanna was a busy and challenging parish and after nine years Gilbert was able to retire.

We moved to a house in Ringwood and settled into a rather quiet life together. It is good to be free of the responsibilities of ministerial life and to be involved in our local church where other people are able and willing to provide the leadership.

Looking back over all the changes we have seen and the wonderful people we have met it has been a very full life. When one is in there you just get on with it and do not always appreciate how good it is especially when health issues arise and times are not so easy. At those times the church family is always there with lots of kindness and support.

And I suppose that is how we have always regarded people in the church, as family who are close, affectionate, and respectful.

This makes the whole life of ministry such a very special privilege.

I give thanks to God who was with us all the way.

Yvonne Joyce

When asked about his new role with Global Interaction Australia, Geoff Maddock prefers to offer an analogy rather than a title. He likens the role of State Director to that of connective tissue – connecting the movement of Victorian Baptist churches with international cross-cultural work. By extending the analogy, this is work that requires agility and connection – both of which have been forged in Geoff throughout his life.

‘Mission’ is Geoff’s passion and first love, and yet he is quick to admit that he wrestles with the term. Previous ideas about mission are being forced to adapt to the new world in which we find ourselves. With experts forecasting that most of the world’s populations will be living in cities by 2050, missional ideas limited to socio-economic groupings, or isolated geographies must be stretched and changed to adapt. “Mission is now from everywhere to everywhere. This definition frees us up to participate in mission wherever we are. There is no privileged location … As I step into this role with Global Interaction, I’m energised by the conviction that incarnational mission done well is the same across the street and across the world – two organisations but one missiology”

Having been brought up in Yackandandah, Victoria, Geoff moved to the USA to undertake his Masters in Intercultural Studies. However, his study was not limited to theological insights within classroom walls. In 1999, Geoff and his wife Sherry moved into an under-served African-American neighbourhood in Kentucky, while both still undertaking study. “We learned our missiology by doing it. The feedback of action and reflection in community fuelled a sharp learning curve.” Geoff realised that in his Kentucky neighbourhood, God was already present; already at work. The way neighbours loved one another, cared for their families and appreciated beauty were evidence of the presence of God in the community. “It is clear that God is close to the broken-hearted. There was also a lot of hurt [in the neighbourhood] because of the legacy of slavery. There were a lot of wounds still bleeding out.” For the Maddock family, at the heart of mission is being credible witnesses of shalom in the neighbourhood. “We should inhabit the kind of world that we tell people about – one of forgiveness, love, justice and welcome.”

After 18 years of loving and serving his neighbourhood, Geoff returned to Australia, bringing with him a lived-experience of mission that remains agile. His family moved from a community with an urban farm that fed the neighbours, to vertical living in Melbourne’s CBD, with no soil in sight. Their apartment building, owned by Collins St Baptist Church,  includes a ‘House of Hope’ which provides accommodation for asylum seekers at risk of homelessness. Geoff’s practice of mission across the world has been brought into Melbourne’s CBD, where mission is evidently from everywhere to everywhere.

It was not long before Geoff and his wife Sherry started a social enterprise, ‘Planted Places’, the first indoor garden in Melbourne’s CBD. Planted Places centres on closing the distance between people and plants. They have installed multiple gardens at Baptcare facilities where single men who are asylum seekers are housed. They have also been using The Green Room (Collins Street Baptist’s basement converted into an indoor garden) to connect with neighbours.

Geoff says, “Caring for even a small house plant transports us to our first human vocation – to tend and to keep. It restores us to the Creator’s design.” Those keeping plants in their homes are shown to benefit in many ways including improved mental health, lowered blood pressure and improved air quality.

During this COVID-19 crisis, Geoff and his wife Sherry continue to seek out people of peace in their neighbourhood. Without the clutter of one million people daily descending on the city, their neighbours are less obscured. However, the isolation experienced by many living in the city is a great challenge. Geoff and Sherry are currently in conversation with the City of Melbourne to identify people who are vulnerable in isolation – students, the single, older people and asylum seekers – and work out how to distribute plants to those cooped up.

Recently a collection of 75 easy-to-care-for indoor plants were distributed through Baptcare to the residences of people seeking asylum. Sherry says, “[The plants] did what we couldn’t, that is to become physically close companions in a time of isolation. Plants were received by families and children with joy. We heard reports of delight and ‘lit up faces.’ While also collecting weekly food supplies, men from Baptcare’s Sanctuary program were able to choose a plant and they did so with ‘great care.’ At this time of collective restriction and enforced isolation indoors, interior green space and plants as companions become essential. As essential as the clean air they bring.”

The current COVID-19 climate again calls Geoff and his family to adapt – to be agile and to connect with God and people. And in this mission, God is already present and at work. Geoff sees this presence in the forced Sabbath from busyness, which is creating conditions to hear God in a way that would otherwise be drowned out. “Part of what I see in Australia is that people are acknowledging how grateful they are to be here. Gratefulness is an antidote to anxiety. Gratitude opens the door to a generous God.”

From Yackandandah to Kentucky to Melbourne’s CBD, Geoff, along with his family, has needed to adapt to vastly different circumstances and surroundings. And yet the mission continues to be one that joins in where a loving God is already at work, while being a credible witness of shalom to the neighbourhood.

In announcing this new role, Geoff says, “I’m excited about the fact that God is already at work from Camberwell to Cambodia and from Traralgon to Thailand and we have the joyful opportunity to join in.”

To connect with Geoff Maddock, Global Interaction State Director (Vic and Tas), email: victas@globalinteraction.org.au