In 2007, I had what some may call the good fortune to be able to retire early from my chosen career as an accountant. At first it was fun – a gentleman of leisure no longer accountable for how he spent his time. But after about 18 months the gloss started to wear off; there […]

In 2007, I had what some may call the good fortune to be able to retire early from my chosen career as an accountant. At first it was fun – a gentleman of leisure no longer accountable for how he spent his time. But after about 18 months the gloss started to wear off; there was no real reason to get up and I had seemingly exhausted my bucket list.

At this point, one morning I was lying in bed relaxing when suddenly some words came into my head: ‘Get up Stephen, I’ve got work for you to do’. In my heart I knew where these words came from, but what was I to do? Well, I waited. In due course and, through a series of happy ‘coincidences’, I was moved to put in a last-minute application for the advertised position of Finance Secretary for the Board for Missions of the LCA.

My application was successful and what a joy serving in this role has been for the past decade! Now that I am retiring, I can truthfully say that, while I have had a mostly happy working life, there is no doubt God saved the best job for last.

The duties of the position have been exceptionally varied, from commercial work with Finke River Mission store and tourist operations in Hermannsburg, to frontline mission and ministry with Aboriginal people in Central Australia, and the work of the church in Papua New Guinea and Asia.

In all this, I saw my primary role not as a scorekeeper but rather as an enabler who cleared the path, removed the administrative obstacles, and provided the resources for our frontline missionaries to get on with their work.

In all this I have been surrounded by, worked with and met a wonderful group of motivated, faithful people dedicated to furthering God’s kingdom. I thank and praise the Lord for this privilege and opportunity.

This story was also published in the March 2018 edition of Border Crossings, the magazine of LCA International Mission.

Many of our partner churches are working in new territory for the kingdom of God; therefore, spiritual attack is their everyday reality. As a member of a congregation, school, or family, or a couple or individual, you are invited to commit to praying for our partners in mission. For regular prayer point updates, go to www.lca.org.au/international-mission/act-now/pray

Read more stories about our partner church in Papua New Guinea at https://www.lcamission.org.au/category/stories/international-partners/papua-new-guinea/