Sydney Diocese's Indigenous ministry is continuing to move forward with the recent appointment of Michael Duckett as pastor of Minto Indigenous Church.
The former Shellharbour City Baptist Church member has been a part of the Wollongong Region Indigenous Committee for the past five years and has been passionate about ministry since the age of 20.
Mr Duckett has spent the past nine years at the Department of Community Services as a senior Aboriginal caseworker.
"I believe I was able to share the love of the Lord with all people I worked with. I was privileged to lead the annual state-wide DOCS Aboriginal staff conference in prayer over the last four years," he says.
However, as Mr Duckett and his wife Mary were talking and praying last year they felt God calling them back into full time ministry.
"We ran into Pastor Jim Lawrence who mentioned we should pray about pastoring the Minto church," he says.
Prior to his time at DOCS Mr Duckett spent five years in theological study at various institutions and a year at La Perouse Aboriginal Evangelical Fellowship church as associate pastor under senior pastor Mark Naden.
Sydney Anglican Indigenous Peoples' Ministry Committee (SAIPMC) member the Rev David Woodbridge says Mr Duckett is "a stand out among his peers" in indigenous ministry having had the opportunity to be theologically trained.
"He has a desire to teach and has proven interpersonal skills which have stood him in good stead in the responsible position that he has had for the last nine years with DOCS."
Mr Duckett led his first service as pastor on February 10. The Minto Indigenous Fellowship meets in an old Baptist building in Minto at 3pm on Sundays and is attended by anywhere between 10 to 30 people. The Wollongong region and SAIPMC fund Mr Duckett's position.
Mr Duckett says ministry to Australia's indigenous people in Australia requires specific attention.
"Each Indigenous community in Australia is different so the challenge is to learn about the community you're working and how to engage them in a respectful manner in accordance with their ways," he says.
"Work needs to be funded appropriately for the long term because trust takes time to develop."
Mr Duckett hopes sharing the gospel with indigenous people will lead to reconciliation at all levels.
"My hope is that in Australia we will experience a revival among the Indigenous people as we become reconciled to God, and then we can educate the rest of Australia about reconciliation with God that leads to reconciliation with man," he says.
Bishop of Wollongong Al Stewart is thrilled to have Mr Duckett on board.
"He has a great love for the Lord Jesus and people from all backgrounds. We expect and hope that God will do great things through Michael and Mary over the coming years at Minto."
