I struggle with feelings of alienation as I try to reconnect with my Australian heritage.
My curate at St Matthew’s in the 80s, Tim Thorburn, has turned 60. He worked with me in 1984-85 and went on to lead the evangelical student movement in Western Australia (WA).
My own work focused on preaching and small groups. Tim and Rosemary devoted themselves to one-to-one ministry, discussing Christianity and reading the Bible with individuals, and encouraging them to a mature faith.
Thirty years later there is a small army of university- trained Christians in WA, many of whom are themselves active in the same sort of ministry that helped them. Patient quiet ministries produce much fruit.
What is happening socially and politically, fed to us by our anti-Christian, atheism-promoting, secular media suggests the country is galloping (not slouching) towards Gomorrah.
But all these young Christians, and the many more Christian leaders than 20 years ago say something different.
Training is one very big factor. Churches in the 1960s and 70s thought little about training leaders. Ministry was an individual “calling”; the way to pursue it was to leave your church and go to a theological college.
But now, in an increasing number of evangelical churches people young and old are introduced to Jesus, discipled, encouraged and trained, perhaps “apprenticed”, and then down the line they may go to a college for professional training.
God has not given up on Australia!