Executive from fast food giant quits to become Anglican minister

Why would you give up a high paid job as an executive with a multinational company to become an Anglican minister in Sydney’s west?

Ted Brush, 45, was an executive with one of the world’s biggest fast food companies with responsibilities across the Australia- Pacific region, until three years ago when he decided to enter Moore Theological College.

At the time he entered Moore College, Mr Brush had expected to take just a year out of the hospitality industry. His aim was to do some theological study and help with the ministry of the church of which he was a member – St John’s Park Anglican Church in Sydney’s west.

“I had planned to return to the secular workforce. The outcome of becoming a full-time Anglican minister was not what I expected when I began studying. But one step led to another. I came to realise that if I am to live my life as a servant of Christ, then my secular career was not taking me in that direction,” he said.

Now Mr Brush who says he ‘had always wanted to serve God as best he could’ is set to return as the minister of St John’s Park.

Although he can only be ordained as a deacon for now, Mr Brush will nevertheless be running the parish of St John’s Park day-to-day, with oversight from the Rev Colin Bale, a lecturer at Moore Theological College. Traditionally, oversight of a parish can only be given to a priest.

“It’s a unique arrangement but we had always planned that he was the right person for St John’s Park and should serve in ministry there,” said the Bishop of Liverpool, Peter Tasker. “Colin Bale and I will devise training and support so he is not thrown in at the deep end.”

On February 2, Mr Brush was among 22 men ordained as deacons in the Anglican Church at St Andrew’s Cathedral.

Also among those ordained at the service was Cam Phong Huynh, who will be involved in ministry among the South-East Asian community at Cabramatta.

Others ordained at the service included Rowan Kemp, Stephen Roberts, and Robert Copland. All three are sons of Anglican ministers. Their fathers are Canon Peter Kemp, the Rev Dr Vic Roberts, and the Rev Frank Copland respectively.

ENDS

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