Celebrating the induction of new pastors in regional Victoria

With the ease of restrictions in Victoria, celebrations were at hand with the induction of new senior pastors Rob Tanner from New Life Baptist Church, Ross Barnes from Koondrook/Barham Baptist Church and Paul Pallot at Warrnambool Baptist Church. Check them out below!

 
Rob and Sue Tanner from New Life Baptist Church

This was a very exciting day in the life of New Life Baptist Church where Rob and Sue Tanner were officially welcomed and Rob was Inducted as the new Senior Pastor. It was great sharing in the service with the Moderator Phil Trebilcock. It was a great day of celebration and joy held at a Reception centre in Echuca. It’s a day of new beginnings.

Ross Barnes with wife Susan at Koondrook/Barham Baptist Church

It was a joy to participate in the Induction Service of Ross Barnes who commenced a new season of ministry with his wife Susan at Koondrook/Barham Baptist Church yesterday. This is an exciting new season building on the great work of the previous Pastor Bernard Blummel. Paul Downie who is doing an Interim Ministry at Kerang preached at this service and the service was well attended by people from other churches and friends.

Paul Pallot at Warrnambool Baptist Church

An exciting day at Warrnambool Baptist Church with the Induction of  Rev Paul Pallot. It was a joy to officially induct Paul after 12 months of him being their during COVID lockdowns and restrictions. Rev Nicholas Tuohy spoke, Senior Pastor at Kew Baptist, where Paul had been in  ministry prior to taking up his position at Warrnambool.  A group of local Pastors were able to attend, along with the Moderator Geoff Emonson. A day long awaited for became a blessed reality.

Beginning a pastoral ministry during lockdown with Pastor Sally Agostino

In the middle of lockdown in July of last year, Sally Agostino was appointed as Senior Pastor at Southern Cross Community Church. Despite not being able to meet in person with her congregation, regional pastors or anyone at the BUV Support Hub, Sally was still able to engage and participate in a number of initiatives that we provided online, which allowed her to meet with other pastors and leaders.

Some of these online events included Nourish, Next Steps, Tuesday Chats and our Marriage Celebrant Training. Tuesday Chats was particularly helpful for Sally, who joined this small group of pastors who met every Tuesday afternoon to discuss up-to-the-minute issues that arose within their churches. This was also a chance for the group to encourage and support each other. Sally credits this time as vital and essential time for not just her but for each of the attending pastors who were all going through the same experiences and challenges together.

“When the second lockdown coincided with my role starting at Southern, it became a strange way to begin pastoral ministry. But thanks to the BUV Support Hub, I was able to connect with experienced pastors in a way I never would have been able to in a normal year. My first six months became a unique and pretty wonderful training ground, where I could glean wisdom from those who had been pastoring for many years. I feel so privileged to have had that start.”