MEMOIRS (7)

We arrived home on the Monday following our two weeks away after seeking to find the answer to the stirring I was feeling in my spirit but still did not have an answer. In the evening I received a phone call from the General Superintendent of our denomination, he was also the Chairman of the denomination’s Bible College (known as Commonwealth Bible College at that time) this is the College I had graduated from 22 years earlier which in my time as a student was situated on the banks of the Brisbane River in Queensland, but after a devastating flood was moved to the top of a mountain in the Blue Mountains in New South Wales.. He informed me I was invited to become a Faculty Member of the College. I was deeply shocked as it was the last thing on my mind, I wasn’t even sure I was a Teacher. We decided to visit the Principal a few days later and after talking with him knew without a shadow of doubt, we were to accept. Margaret was not surprised as she always felt I would end up serving in a Bible College. So we returned home and I tendered my resignation to the Eldership and after prayerful consideration one of the other Elders was invited to become the Senior Pastor.
There were three new Faculty Members appointed at the same time, the first a friend of over 20 years (at that time) who was to become a renowned New Testament scholar, he has recently retired. The other, has since gone on and commenced his own Bible College on the Gold Coast which has become a successful institution. and myself, naturally speaking the least academic and qualified person of the three. I had to quickly upgrade my qualifications with Life Experience credits and academic work to receive a Bachelor of Missiology, then with further study a Master of Missiology.
This time was a very important one in the history of Bible Colleges, as the government was making loans available for students to study in accredited courses, so much work needed to be done to bring the College courses up to accreditation level.
On my arrival in early January 1987 I was informed of my job description, it entailed:
Bible College lecturer. With on average 14 hours a week of face to face lecturing, this was a massive learning curve for me, to understand all the Academic criteria and to write Course Outlines, set tests and assignments and final exams, plus all the Lecture preparation that was required, plus general administration.
Dean of Men. I had the Pastoral responsibility of all the male students and as a residential College this sure required extra work. What a privilege  though to be able to speak into the lives of hundreds of men over the 11 years we served there, many I am still relating too even to this day.
College Missions Fellowship. To promote Missions and to conduct a monthly Missions Service, and raise finance for Missions. Again I introduced “Faith Promise Giving” and these “poor” College students began to give hundreds of dollars a month for the cause of Missions.
Much of what you read in this blog happened well over 30 years ago some things are still very vivid today especially ministry matters, in other areas my memory is not so good anymore. I asked myself where did all the finance come from for all the Missions trips I made? I initially thought perhaps some of it came out of the College Missions fund, but I am sure that is not correct. I have checked with Margaret and she feels we set up a Ministry account into which all my Love Offerings from preaching was put into. Whenever I needed to pay for an airfare there was ALWAYS sufficient in the account to pay for it. praise the Lord.
After being in Pastoral Ministry for over 20 years, I initially did not find the transition to a Teaching Ministry easy, and so with the College Principal’s blessing I pioneered a local church in a village in the mountains, with a student team, the church grew quickly to nearly 100, and I had to recognise and decide that I was no longer to Pastor local churches, and handed the church over to a graduating student and we would drive to Sydney at weekends to fellowship at City Christian Life Centre (now Hillsong city church). Not surprisingly I was asked to oversight the Asian fellowship in the church, which I thoroughly enjoyed doing.
On one occasion I took students with me  to Tallin Estonia and Kiev Ukraine and I taught at two Colleges that had recently started following the fall of communism. In Kiev, one Sunday night I took the students to a new church called Christian Life Centre that was started by Brian Houston’s church (now Hillsong) and Brian was actually preaching that night. Years later I would regularly visit Kiev and teach at the College they started.
Three years running I spoke at a Pastor’s Leadership Seminar in Chiang Rai (North Eastern Thailand) on one occasion I took with me my mate the New Testament scholar. I was taken for a drive one afternoon (on my first visit) and we followed the Mekong River around  and passed the “Golden Triangle” to a market town called Ma Sai. There was a bridge over the river and the local Burmese and Thais regularly crossed over, foreigners could only go to the centre of the bridge as there was an armed guard there to stop foreigners from crossing over into Burma. As I looked into Burma (Myanmar) I felt the Holy Spirit weep within me for the nation, I simply yielded to this intercessory burden and prayed in the Spirit. On my return home, as I prayed for Burma, I received a heavy burden for the three Indo China countries, (Laos, Cambodia & Vietnam). I visited Yangon once, and had a fantastic time, (nearly 30 years later I still carry that prayer burden). Some time later, I heard about a missionary who had been going into Vietnam, (it is a closed Communist country). He had now returned to Australia and was pioneering a church. Later he went to Japan, and has built a network of churches throughout the whole region (not just in Japan) so I contacted him and he said he was going to visit and he would connect me. I arrived earlier than the missionary into Ho Chi Minh City and went to the hotel I was told to book into. Soon after there was a knock on the door, it was the leader of the Assemblies of God (underground church), he checked me out, and then invited me to preach next morning which was a Sunday, after the morning service I was invited to speak again at night, after that service, I was asked would I come to Vung Tau the next  morning and teach the National leadership of the underground church for two days, of course I said yes. that was the first of some 32 visits to that nation, the last being when the A/G was formally recognised by the Communist government. I have had some 6 visits to Phnom Penh Cambodia and ministered at a great church called New Life Fellowship, I have also conducted a Pastor’s Seminar for Lao leaders who came across the river into Thailand, there were 50 Leaders, some 25 from the CMA church which had functioned there before Communism, and 25 from the newer underground churches, everyone  (who was not already) was filled with the Spirit and spoke in tongues, it was an awesome time.
The College Principal became gravely ill and had to retire, and a new Principal was appointed, the Vice Principal felt to move on, so added to my responsibilities was that of V.P. Later the Academic Dean also developed some health problems although he remained on Faculty, I also became the Academic Dean. Then in the early 90’s  a full time College President was appointed, so we had a President and a Principal oversighting a fast growing and exciting College. It was decided to commence full time Extension Campuses across the nation, I added the role of Extension Campuses Director to my many portfolios. Life was so full and blessed. Reading this I wonder how I could fulfil all these roles but the Lord helped me, it was a time of much blessing.
On our arrival at the College Margaret had been appointed Dean of Women, this was initially a one day a week appointment, but in time Margaret also became full time, and fulfilled the role of College Registrar, and Manager of the correspondence degree program called I.C.I. and is now known as Global University.
The College also had a name change to Southern Cross College, the new President had a vision for the College to become a Christian University, and quite soon this will become a fact. It is now known as Alpha Crucis College. In 1995 negotiations began on the purchase of a 16 acre air force accommodation base in Sydney, a perfect property for the growing College. The College began classes there in 1996 and the properties in Katoomba sold.
In our 11th year at the College we again began to feel the stirring in our hearts and at this time we began to be open to a move somewhere. Around June a Missionary friend visited the College, he popped his head into my office and said hi and moved on. he actually walked around to Margaret’s office, and invited her to go to Bangkok and be his P.A. He was the Field Leader for the whole of Peninsula Asia. Margaret had never felt a Missions call but had always totally supported my calling. He then came back to and said I could have a roving role all over his region, Singapore/Malaysia/Thailand, Laos/Cambodia/Vietnam and Myanmar. This sure sounded exciting, so we began to pray, Margaret realised she may have to learn Thai (a difficult tonal language) and learn to ride a motor bike, I realised we may need a year to raise support for this ministry. In hindsight this invitation was preparing us to fulfil that Missions call I had now felt for a number of years.
About three months later I walked out of my office one day, and saw an Asian man in the foyer, he was the General Superintendent of the Singapore A/G. I had met him in 1976 when I went on that  tour. He asked me what I was doing here “I said I was the V.P. (etc)” he on the spot asked me “Would I come to Singapore and be the Principal of their College”? It was a  contracted salaried position. I now understood why in the 11 years I had been exposed  too and trained in every aspect of Bible College life. We  made a visit to Singapore, and met with the College Board,I only had one request, I would want to be free to minister across the Body of Christ if I accepted the position, they happily agreed and so we resigned our positions at the College and concluded at the end of the Academic year in 1997.
I have deliberately not mentioned the children except to say they accepted the transition very well, and moved with us to Katoomba. Stephen obtained employment in the I.T. industry met a Bible College student and they have been happily married with three children for close to 30 years. David concluded his High School studies and went to University and studied and received a Bachelor of Computer Science. He also married a local girl and they have been happily married  with two children for 25 years. All the family are walking with the Lord for which we are eternally thankful