Among the dusty mining towns and pearl divers of Australia's far-flung North West coastline, there is a bishop waiting for the phone to ring.
David Mulready is praying that when it does, on the other end will be an enthusiastic Christian telling him they want to move to one of his remote townships for the sake of the gospel.
This first Christmas at the Mulready residence in Geraldton will be a time of thankfulness to God and prayer for more ministry workers to be raised up to serve God.
Bishop Mulready was previously the rector of St John's Cathedral in Parramatta and entered the episcopate in January this year after Bishop Tony Nichols retired. Northwest Australia has evangelical roots and a strong relationship with Sydney Diocese.
The Bishop has advertised for church planters who are needed in the townships of South Hedland and Wickham. While there is a salary for South Hedland, none is available for Wickham, one of a number of struggling parishes in the region. A partly self-funded pastor is also needed for the parish of Paraburdoo.
Clergy or theologically trained laymen are needed to teach the Bible in these townships, but the Bishop is also hoping couples or single people will relocate with their jobs to help churches with their ministry.
And willing Sydney Anglicans are key to the growth.
Several Sydney ministers are lined up for next year, including former missionary the Rev Alan McMahon. "He's been a wonderful provision, a 72-year-old single man. He's happy to stay on," Bishop Mulready said.
Also blessing the work are ex-Sydney CMS missionaries Stephen and Marion Gabbott, who have moved from ministry at Christ Church, Bangkok to the parish of Broome.
Two other locums have ministered in the Diocese this year, including the Rev Mark Eaton, rector of St Paul’s, Oatley. "He offered to come at his own expense with his frequent flyer points and his own parish paid the stipend for the month, in addition to giving us $5000 for use within the Diocese," Bishop Mulready explains.
"It's not a big parish. They underwrote his stipend, they weren't his holidays, he worked hard and then the parish gave us $5000 to help us in ministry."
The rector of St Philip’s, Turramurra South, the Rev Max Boys with his wife Rose, filled in for three Sundays after Mr Eaton left, again supported by their parish.
"That's a great sharing partnership," Bishop Mulready said. "God happened to have tapped a few people on the shoulder."
Two lay couples " one from Sydney and another from Melbourne " have relocated with their jobs and moved to Kununurra and Karratha with the aim of working alongside their new churches.
"They've been two very significant positions," the Bishop said. "These couples have sold their homes and moved to two of our parishes to find work for the deliberate reason of being able to exercise a ministry in that church. It would be wonderful if more people would relocate to live in our towns and have a Christian ministry."
He said the Diocese is grateful to Sydney Anglicans for their prayers, interest and financial support of his ministry. "It makes such a difference."
Contact Bishop David Mulready at david@anglicandnwa.org or
phone: 08 9921 7277 (o) or 08 9921 4653 (h)
