with Stuart P. Robinson
So what’s an Anglican clergyman from Sydney doing in a Northern Irish Presbyterian Church on the outskirts of Belfast? Well the correct answer is making a difference for the Kingdom.
Steve Calder is the Associate Minister at Hamilton Road Presbyterian (HRPC). Having been ‘received’ into that denomination he is technically both an Anglican and Presbyterian minister. Steve is responsible for evangelism, small groups, and ministry to the 20-40 age group at HRPC.
At age 17, Steve was told by his brother Andrew to get his life in order. Steve, in God’s mercy, did just that. Here’s a brief report of what happened!
SPR: Eastwood born and bred?
SC: Yes. I attended the Anglican church, St. Phillips, for some 15 years before moving on to Broadway. My faith and Christian obedience flowered in the late 1980’s when I came to an understanding, from the Bible, of what God had done for me in Christ rather than what I could do for Him. That was a real revelation.
SPR: Why full-time ordained ministry?
SC: I used to be a geologist and really enjoyed it. But my growing passion for sharing the gospel enabled me to see that I couldn’t remain a geologist all my days. In 1992 I went to Moore College and then joined the team at St. Alban’s, Lindfield for four years. Around this time I developed an interest in serving overseas. Dave Mansfield, recently returned from a Mission to HRPC, told me about an opening on the staff and the email exchange began.
SPR: We’ll come to HRPC in a moment. Tell us about your family.
SC: I am married to Sandra and we have four sons. Our older son, Charlie (five), was born in Australia and the other three boys were born in Northern Ireland. At the same time! The Lord blessed us with healthy triplets in 2002. Life has never been the same since.
SPR: Let’s talk about your life. Is it a precarious existence in Northern Ireland?
SC: When people think of Northern Ireland, they picture the IRA. While for the most part terrorism has given way to politics as the favoured means of advancing the republican/nationalist agenda, a climate of fear does continue to affect people’s lives.
We live and work in an area which is 20 miles from Belfast. People here generally want nothing to do with sectarianism. We have never felt unsafe.
SPR: I understand HRPC is a fairly established church.
SC: The church had its centenary in 1997. It was planted as a daughter church, of First Bangor Presbyterian, when they ran out of seats during the summer months! HRPC has a clear vision for outreach and discipling. Each year we have three guest services, and every third year we have a week long mission. John Dickson was our guest evangelist in October last year. As a follow-up, we take people through Christianity Explained and Firm Foundations courses.
We’ve been delighted to see people come to faith in the process, and have found that relational small group courses, like Christianity Explored, by Rico Tice are most effective.
SPR: What challenges are currently before you?
SC: The busyness of family life; the pressure to handle the Bible well in the pulpit and in small groups; being creative in evangelistic endeavours and the strange way in which the church year effectively grinds to a halt during the northern summer. I’ve also discovered that when you’re an Associate Minister, if the Senior Minister does not like an idea, it doesn’t happen.
SPR: Any advice on that last point?
SC: Yes. Get used to it!!!
