On 29 January 2026, I was commissioned and installed as the new Minister of St Augustine’s Anglican Church, Unley. At the conclusion of the installation service, I shared the following message of thanks and encouragement to the church as we begin this new chapter together in ministry. I am pleased to share these words here for those who were unable to attend the service, and as a reminder of the vision and prayer that will guide our life together as a parish.
Thank you, Mayor Michael Hewitson, and thank you Liz Scarce, for your very kind and generous words. Thank you, Bishop Sophie; fellow clergy from the Anglican Diocese; and fellow clergy, friends and colleagues from other churches. And thank you, members of the St Augustine's Church family for being here tonight, and for supporting this deeply significant moment in my life and ministry through your presence, your prayers and your goodwill.
This is indeed a very special occasion for me as a minister of Christ and of his Church. It is a great joy to be commissioned and installed this evening as the new priest of this wonderful parish.
My family and I have come from New Zealand, and it still feels a little unreal that we are now here in Unley, because only a week ago we were still living in Blenheim, at the top of the South Island of New Zealand. My children, Angela and Nathan, were both born in New Zealand. But I myself am originally from the Philippines, and Guan comes from mainland China. So tonight, you are receiving not only a new parish priest, but a very international family – proof that the church truly is international and multi-ethnic, in the best sense of the word.
I have been in full-time parish ministry for over fifteen years, and it has been my great joy to serve churches in New Zealand, South Korea and the Philippines. Alongside parish ministry, I have also had the privilege of teaching at two theological seminaries. My academic background is in biblical studies, with a particular focus on the New Testament, and I have published a number of academic books. I share this not to impress, but simply to introduce myself and my journey to you.
I am both humbled and genuinely excited to be joining St Augustine's Church as your minister. I am very much looking forward to my first Sunday with you on 1 February. I look forward to getting to know you, to sharing life together, to studying God's Word together, to praying together, to encouraging one another, and – by God's grace – to reaching out together to the wider community with the gospel of Christ.
If we understand the deeply spiritual nature of ministry, and if we recognise that it deals with matters of eternal significance for people's lives and souls, then it will not surprise you that, alongside joy and excitement, I also feel a sense of inadequacy. Not a crippling inadequacy, but a healthy one: the kind that reminds me that I cannot do this on my own. I need God's strength and wisdom. And I need the prayerful support, encouragement and partnership of this parish family, as well as the prayers of our friends from other churches.
Let us work and pray together for the cause of the gospel of Christ. Let us foster unity, cooperation and a shared sense of purpose. Let us move forward together in the same direction, seeking to grow a strong and faithful church. Let us be committed to preaching and teaching the Word of God, resisting sin and evil, and living lives that commend Christ. And let us invite others – by our words and our witness – to come and see, and to discover for themselves the joy of being a child of God.
I would like to conclude by recalling two central passages of Scripture. The first one is often called the Great Commandment, from Matthew 22:
"Teacher, which is the greatest commandment in the Law?" Jesus replied, "'Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.' This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: 'Love your neighbour as yourself.' All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments." (vv. 36–40)
And the second is the Great Commission, from Matthew 28:
"Then Jesus came to them and said, 'All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Therefore, go and make disciples of all nations, baptising them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age." (vv. 18–20)
May these words shape our life together as a parish.
Thank you again for being here tonight. Your presence means more than I can say.
