UTS Anglican chaplain Caroline Evenden is increasing her focus on Asian ministry at St Barnabas’, Broadway, as she completes her student ministry work.
Caroline has been the senior female staff worker at the University of Technology, Sydney (UTS) campus Christian group Credo since 1997 and UTS Anglican chaplain since 1999, but from next year she will focus on ministry at St Barnabas' Broadway, including amongst Asian students and workers.
"God has given me a passion for international ministry, particularly to Asian people over last few years," Caroline says.
"We started up a ministry at Barneys this year for Asian people called Internet [International Network Church] with a focus on mainland Chinese who are living here."
Internet is in simple English and meets every Thursday, 6pm at Moore College.
"I organised a short term mission trip to China earlier this year with a team from Barneys. It was great to learn more about the context that people from mainland China are coming from," Caroline says.
The rector of St Barnabas', Broadway, the Rev Ian Powell says Caroline's work with the Internet ministry is helping reach the large Asian student population near Broadway.
"If God brings people in we have do something about it. We want to keep working with the uni students and see them get saved so they can take the gospel back to China."
At St Barnabas', Caroline is also one of the pastors of the Sunday 5pm congregation, and staff team leader of the Mission Support Group.
"I want us to increasingly become a church with a mission heart for God's world that is supporting and praying for people on the mission field," she says.
"The Mission Support Group seeks to help the church support our missionaries and raise up future ones from within the church."
Reflections on Credo
Credo staff campus director Paul Winch says he will miss Caroline's influence but understands her move.
"Over the last few years Caroline has wanted to focus her energies on one major community and ministry," Paul says.
"For me personally, it is difficult to know how best to say goodbye to a dear colleague of ten years, and I will miss her terribly. Caroline's "fingerprints' are all over Credo."
Caroline started work with Credo in 1997 after completing studies at Moore College and being invited by Paul Winch to assist in ministry to students at UTS.
In 1999 when the previous UTS Anglican chaplain finished, the then St Barnabas rector, Bishop Rob Forsyth invited Caroline to take over as chaplain.
"The main way I have had influence as chaplain is as a Credo staff worker. I spent 95 per cent of my time at UTS with Credo," she says.
Caroline's key areas of leadership were in running the small group leader program, faculty group leadership, and staff training.
"The thing I love most about student ministry is seeing so many people grow in maturity over the years, becoming leaders then going to serve as leaders in their churches," she says.
"It's a privilege to have seen God work in so many people's lives. There are a few girls in particular who started uni as baby Christians or non-Christians and now they have grown so much and are involved in faculty leadership and small group leading."
Caroline has been part of a growing staff team during her ten years at Credo.
"When I started it was just Paul and myself. This year we had a staff team of seven. We also put in place a senior student program where students extend the last year of their degree over two years to fit in more ministry with Credo. A number of the trainee staffworkers began as senior students."
Caroline says university ministry is very strategic because students are the future leaders of society.
"I think it's exciting to see these students raised up as solid Christians so they can take the gospel wherever they go," she says.
The National Training Event in December will be Caroline's last official engagement with Credo at UTS.
Current Moore College student Mike Paget who completes his studies at the end of this year will replace Ms Evenden as the UTS Anglican chaplain.
