Stuart has worked in Anglican parish ministry in Sydney and Geraldton, WA, and has been a director of various church-based companies. He was National Director of the Church Army in Australia and joined Local Leaders in 2003 as Executive Director. He holds the part-time role of Head of the Department of Ministry and Practice at the Australian College of Theology, and does occasional lecturing in Australian Bible colleges. He has broad academic and mission interests and travels extensively visiting Local Leaders partner colleges. Stuart has degrees in five disciplines and his PhD is from the University of Sydney looking at Western influences on theological education in the developing world. Stuart and Marion have three adult children and three grandchildren.
What I like about my role is that I get to strategise for 20 years ahead. Each day gets closer to the goal and I can see how this phone call, or that email, contributes to the 20-year vision.
I’ve been the Executive Director of Local Leaders International for 20 years and the ministry constantly motivates me.
I’m a classic extrovert personality, one energised by other people. It’s not just about being with people, but also the reciprocity of learning from one another.
My job is to inspire Christians in Australia to support our brothers and sisters who are training at Bible colleges around the world. I also travel overseas and identify key theological colleges which we may consider for support.
Our aim is to help every country have the competence to do its own theologising, to build up the church and reach out with a message of Christ appropriate to that place. In Australia, we’re so used to competent, well-educated pastors and clergy. But most of the world doesn’t have this facility.
To be able to make a difference so that the church is healthy, the mission is sensible, and Christ is honoured country by country … that really is the great joy of the whole thing.
At a personal level, one great pleasure of this job is that I get to deal with competent people from all over the world who want the best for the Kingdom. They enthuse and inspire me.
Local Leaders International keeps stretching me, and everyone around me, to do more to build up the global church. And we love the privilege of that!
