Connections Archive

Devotional: Thoughts on our new pastor


23 March 2010

Dr Bruce Manners
Senior minister
Avondale College Seventh-day Adventist Church

I first met Mark Craig when we were searching for a new associate minister in late 2004. In case you haven't heard, Mark became an ordained minister during the worship service this past Saturday (March 20). You can now officially call him Pastor Craig. His dad, Pastor Adrian Craig, preached the ordination message. His brother, Pastor Bevan Craig, first suggested I talk to Mark.

When I met him, Mark was an optometrist while volunteering significant amounts of time in ministry at Fox Valley Seventh-day Adventist Community Church in Wahroonga. He was doing his master's in youth ministry, and had married Sally just a few months earlier.

I still remember visiting them. I sensed I'd been God-led. The more they shared of their vision and passion for ministry, the more convinced I became.

Sally may not have had the same profile as Mark, but her ministry at church is significant. The tributes to her leadership that came from some of the younger women during the service were well deserved.

At the ordination, I thanked the president of the Adventist Church in northern New South Wales, Pastor John Lang, for his instrumental role in bringing Mark and Sally to our church. Mark's situation placed him outside a fairly strict policy for ministerial appointment. John successfully argued our case for them.

Mark has a Spirit-led wisdom about him. He's a down-to-earth spiritual leader and recognised as such by those to whom he ministers. He's an asset to our church. His oversight of Regeneration has been important. He's worked well with the leaders as they've guided it from a dream (when we had about six young adults attending Sabbath school) to one of the most dynamic ministries for 16-25-year-olds anywhere (and struggling to fit everyone into the Education Hall when students are on campus).

I should add Mark has attitude. We saw that on Saturday when he finished his mini-sermon with, "My name's Mark Craig, and I love Jesus!"

That's Mark.


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