As Sydney’s population escalates at the rate of 40,000 people per year – bringing a diverse cultural mix – new, bold measures for outreach are required in order to touch our city with the gospel of Christ.

Sydney truly is an international city with a multi-lingual population. According to the 2001 census, nearly one third of all Sydney-siders use languages other than English at home, with Arabic and Cantonese the most widely spoken of these languages.

Armed with this kind of data, Mark Fairhurst, rector of St Philip’s, Eastwood, took action. “Our vision is to see St Philip’s become an international church ministering to people of the different cultural backgrounds within the area,” he said.

Mark was especially concerned for the growing Chinese community in Eastwood.

He recalls, “Following a year long consultation process within the church (which was guided by the Cross-Cultural Ministries Team at Anglicare) we began an ESL ministry in 1999. David Yue was then employed in 2000. His brief was to plant a Chinese church.

“David began the first service within three months of joining the staff at St. Philip’s. It has grown from zero to more than seventy in less than two years!”

Remarkable.

SR: David, tell us something of your family of origin.

DY: I was born in Hong Kong. I have two brothers and one sister. My father had a connection with Christianity but slipped away. My mother keeps the Chinese tradition of ancestor worship. I became a Christian at age 17 after a friend invited me to a Christian retreat. We later migrated to Sydney because of my accounting qualifications.

SR: Why full-time ministry?

DY: Well, I have always served in the church since becoming a Christian in Hong Kong. During a retreat – when I was considering full time ministry – I prayed for God’s guidance concerning theological colleges. I believed in my heart that the Lord wanted me to go to Moore College. And my wife fully supported the decision. God was guiding me through every step.

I really liked the zeal for evangelism in the Anglican church. I was also given the opportunity to be a trainee under the Rev Irene Mok.

SR: At present you minister to the local Cantonese speaking population, correct?

DY: Yes. I want to see that congregation grow to around 150 people. We also need to add a Mandarin service – it is an irresistible task which must be done! Our plan is to keep on expanding congregations. We see it as a very effective form of evangelism.

SR: What is the place of small groups?

DY: Small groups are formed when there is a need and when leaders are available. We have a couples’ group, a nurture group and a study group at present. One of my greatest challenges is to find time to train my leaders.

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Given David’s emphases, I put some questions to Eastwood’s rector, Mark Fairhust.

SR: Mark, what of the long term future?

MF: If Eastwood continues to change, I can see a day when the majority of St Philip’s will be from a Chinese background. It is my hope, should this come to be, that the Chinese ministry will support an ongoing work to the minority Anglo-Saxon community and to the second generation English-speaking children of Chinese families in the area (which is what we are already doing).

SR: How will this happen?

MF: Building good, supportive, committed relationships between the Chinese and English-speaking congregations (especially at the level of leadership) will help cement this mutual ministry in the future.