Phil Lamb has quit as the Christian Democrats’ state director to take up a top posting with the National Party of Australia's NSW branch.
Mr Lamb, an active member of Warriewood Anglican Church, became the Nationals’ state director for NSW on February 18 after four years with the Christian Democratic Party.
"It's a privilege and a great responsibility to oversee the choosing of candidates and their suitability to become members of parliament," he says.
"I'm praying for great wisdom as we oversee this process, as it says in James 5 that if anyone lacks wisdom he should ask God who will give it abundantly."
Mr Lamb, who has lived and worked in country areas such as Nowra, Queanbeyan, Goulburn and Wagga, says he will bring a Christian voice to the party that is already being heard in its NSW leader, Andrew Stoner, who Mr Lamb says is "a fine committed Christian man".
"It's my view that my contribution to the party with my faith in Christ will be welcomed by the Nationals, but I'm also very aware that we're serving God in a very secular society but with a Christian worldview," he says.
The new position is a big step up in responsibilities for Mr Lamb, as the National Party has 18 members of State Parliament and seven Federal members, compared to the Christian Democratic Party's two State Upper House representatives.
"In light of the current pressure from the Federal Liberal Party to merge with the Nationals, I come to the party with a unique skill-set to address the amalgamation issue and to make the National Party even more relevant to regional, remote, rural and coastal communities," he says.
Reflections on a previous post
Mr Lamb admits there are strong similarities between the Nationals and the Christian Democrats, especially where policy is concerned.
"The values of the National Party are closest to the CDP and in fact, the CDP preferenced the Nationals in every country seat. So there was an existing synergy which meant a strategic alliance was already in place," he says.
During Mr Lamb's tenure with the Christian Democrats, the party experienced the best result at a State election in 20 years, which saw its leader, the Rev Fred Nile reelected to the NSW Upper House for another eight-year term in March last year.
In March's election, Mr Nile's preferential vote rose by 46 per cent, and his primary votes escalated by over 30 per cent.
"There were a lot of good things going, but it was the right time to move on," he says.
CDP needs new image
While he says he "didn't leave the party out of discontent", he indicates frustrations within the party contributed to the move and says the future of the CDP could be in trouble without a change of image.
"My assessment is that if the Christian Democrats don't learn the lesson of being relevant quickly, within 10 years, there will be no Christian Democratic Party," he says.
"Young people are seeing the CDP as being too radical and out of touch with issues affecting Christian young people.
"The support base, although strong enough to elect Reverend Nile last March is ageing and without radical surgery, the party is going to lose many of its members in due to ageing."
