A master of ministry

Luke makes life-changing move from public to pastoral service

The frontline of ministry is the local church. Not the building; the people. “We can meet different people in different places,” says Luke Robinson, head elder of the Park Ridge Seventh-day Adventist Church south of Brisbane. He mentions shift workers and members of community sport clubs as examples. “How are we making ourselves accessible to these people when we meet to worship only between 9 am and 12 pm on Sabbaths. I love evangelism, so I’m passionate about reaching a broader segment of society rather than just the faithful few.”

And that’s one of the reasons why this 41-year-old is now changing careers, from the public service to pastoral ministry. Influenced by the character-building stories of author Eric B Hare, Luke wanted to be a missionary doctor. He graduated with a science degree in public health and planned to study medicine. Then he married Mylie, which gave him a new perspective on life. “I thought, Doctors work 16-hour shifts. I’m never going to see my family. So, I went to work for the government.” COVID came just after Luke had completed further study in public sector management. An MBA would have been next, “but I felt God calling me out of comfortable, well-paid work to focus on life-changing work—the saving of souls.”

Study at Avondale is helping with the transition. Luke is one of the first students moving into our new Master of Ministry, which is replacing the Graduate Diploma in Ministry and Theology. “It packs so many good topics into just two years. I call them the essential ingredients, and they’ll not only boost your faith but also grow communities of faith.”

The research component of the course is particularly appealing. As a director in the federal government’s community grants hub, and with previous experience in welfare-related departments, Luke consults with community, experts and industry and reads widely to inform his decision-making. “I get to see how civil society comes together to rally around people.” Churches must do the same. “The Bible truths remain relevant, but we must learn how to apply them to our local context.”

Doing so is having a big impact on Luke’s role at Park Ridge. He and his pastor are applying more of a biblical rather than business model to church and thinking more wholistically about faith sharing—as something we do on the journey of life rather than just part of church life. Luke joined a local literature evangelism team and knocked on doors in the neighbourhood for one of his practical assessment tasks. “It’s not all about selling books. The conversations are just as important. I’ve never had such a clear picture of the needs in our community.” The church is now using small group ministry to meet these needs.

Luke is growing in his relationship with God. “My morning devotionals have kicked off again.” Park Ridge is growing, too, which Luke attributes to the “soft influence” of the Holy Spirit—“where we’re willing to learn and then to pass on that learning to others.”