Stuart P. Robinson interviews Paul Perini, rector, St Hilary’s, Kew
It was in 1967, during the six day war between Israel, Egypt and Jordan, that Paul Perini decided “that Jesus was true”. He recalls that “it took me another year or so (at the 1968 Billy Graham Sydney Crusade) to realise the implications of that decision”. Paul was deeply impacted by his mother’s prayerful and gracious witness to Christ. Having begun to grasp Christ’s lordship Paul reasoned, “that the most important thing for me was to introduce people to Jesus, to teach and to pastor”.
Paul is married to Michelle. The Perini’s have three children, one son-in-law and one grandson. Paul is Senior Minister at St Hilary’s, Kew, a church comprising six congregations, 80 small groups and around 1,000 people attending on Sundays. He has been serving there since 1999. The journey to Melbourne has included curacies at Mt Druitt and Mosman, a Chaplaincy at Barker, serving as rector of Miranda, Archdeacon under Harry Goodhew and a stint as interim rector, All Angels’, New York.
SR: What exactly is the role of the Senior Minister at St Hilary’s?
PP: We have a staff of 25 people. My chief role is to enable them to realise their ministry and for us to move towards a shared vision. We are working with agreed values and our common purpose is, ‘To honour God by bringing people into a mature relationship with Jesus.’ I personally want to focus on the big picture of Jesus, his person, his work and his promises. This will invariably mean serving alongside people whose experiences and methods are different to mine.
SR: You mention “shared vision”?
PP: Right. St Hilary’s is a special place. It has a breadth of ministry that is exciting and demanding. It has an understanding of the gospel that commits us to proclamation and works of justice. Our vision is this: ‘By 2010 we seek to be a community with 2000 people meeting in congregations and small groups, living out the Great Commission and Great Commandment in the city of Melbourne and beyond.’ This is an awesome challenge which causes us to rely on God but it also enables us to dream wildly and plan with purpose!
SR: How then are you reaching and discipling people?
PP: Those who come to St Hilary’s are drawn mainly from the inner eastern and northern suburbs of Melbourne. We have a special focus on children and youth. Alpha has been a great instrument for evangelism. We run around five courses each year. We also run a Market Place ministry and have established an evangelistic ministry to schools called ‘Mustard’. We are committed to equipping and training women and men through our ‘Institute for Contemporary Christian Leadership’. Our staff numbers (including five interns all studying at Ridley) reflect our training emphases.
SR: I understand that church planting is one of your growth strategies too.
PP: It is. We intend to plant more congregations and churches. We are partnering a struggling church in a nearby suburb. Mark Leach, our present 7pm minister will become Vicar . We are sending around 50 people with him. We’ll also make our administration and property team available to this new work. An additional $20,000 will be invested in this ‘plant’. We are also running play groups and a children’s program in another neighbouring church. We’ll base a new congregation there also.
SR: What are your greatest challenges?
PP: To realise our vision. For me as Vicar I’ll need to keep on encouraging and equipping the staff and our lay leadership. It’s beyond me as to how we’ll do it! You know, each day I pray that I’ll be conscientious, caring and creative. Do you have any other ideas?
