When CMS NSW general secretary John Bales (pictured with his wife) brought his family home from Pakistan 12 years ago, he and his wife Jan always considered further missionary service would be a serious option once their children had finished university.
That yardstick passed 18 months ago and the couple started praying about their next move, seeking God's leading. The result is not quite what they originally anticipated: they are moving to a Muslim heartland but one in the Sydney suburb of Greenacre (which has a 30 per cent Muslim population).
"In thinking through whether to go back to Pakistan or not, the obvious alternative is to be involved in cross-cultural ministry " parish ministry " to Muslims here," Mr Bales says.
"For John and Jan Bales to be involved in ministry to Muslims it makes sense to be part of the local church reaching out to its local area, because my gifts are as much in pastoral ministry and training others in pastoral ministry as they are in direct evangelism. So being able to go to a place like Greenacre, where there is a great little congregation of people who really need to be nurtured and see growth happen, is something that really warms our hearts."
The church has been without a rector for four years and has received support over that time from St James', Croydon, whose rector, Barry Dudding, has served as acting rector to the parish. Mr Bales says some key lay people from Croydon have now committed themselves to Greenacre, "which is really terrific".
Once he arrives in Greenacre in February, Mr Bales plans to work with the congregation on ways to reach out to the community. He says prospective student ministers are already keen to come and support the work, which in the future he hopes will include an MTS program "tailored towards training people for Muslim ministry here and overseas".
He believes Greenacre "is not going to be the easiest place to do Muslim evangelism" because many locals are so well established within their cultural and religious community.
Having said that, he also believes many Muslims around the globe are "questioning Islam because of the violence that is happening. There are people who are open to talking to Christians; there are more missionaries going into the Muslim world now" and the terrorist attacks have committed more people to Muslim ministry, not reduced it. So exciting things are happening."
