A new minister for Flynn Memorial Church

LETTER TO THE EDITOR

 
Sir – Dr Steve Bevis (pictured) will be commissioned as Minister for Flynn Memorial church in Alice Springs in a special service on Sunday February 15 at 4pm.
 
Care for marginalised people is a hallmark of Steve’s work and life. He brings to his new role a work history strongly focused on the poor. In his 12 years with TEAR Australia, an aid and development agency, he worked with churches to develop their awareness of social justice issues, especially global poverty.
 
This led him to a special interest in how churches work with marginal communities. Steve’s PhD was in the area of the church’s response to poverty and injustice in Kenya.
 
He has walked the talk. Over ten years in the Blue Mountains area of NSW, Steve’s home was the centre of a community meal that became a core expression of community life together, providing for slowly unfolding conversations over many years, and also acting as a healing and supportive place for those who were lonely or who lived with mental illness.
 
More recently he has worked with students as chaplain at the University of Newcastle with a special interest in Indigenous students at Wollotuka Institute, the largest and oldest tertiary institute for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders on the east coast. He comes to Alice Springs with a strong priority to develop understanding and relationships with Indigenous people.
 
His work in Alice will build on all these experiences. His approach to congregational ministry and wider work in the community is based on principles of community development, adult education and networking, building on the social and human capital of the church.
 
Steve is also a talented singer, guitarist and song-writer.
 
He is accompanied by partner Miriam Bevis and their youngest child, Shona. Miriam has complementary skills in social work, academic research and education.
 
Barbara Deutschmann
Uniting Church, Alice Springs