From the General Secretary & CFO

From the General Secretary

Greetings and happy new year (can you still say that is April?) to you and your family! As churches start worshipping back in person, I am sure I will get to see more of you face to face. Personally, I have missed worshipping in church. How about you?

Let me bring you some highlights and challenges that have happened over year end and into 2021.

A FEW HIGHLIGHTS

• In 2021, we were going to run a city wide Ignite again but due to an uncertain future given Covid and for budget constraints, we have declined to run it this year. Also, we want the focus to be the local church given we have not worshipped together face to face for close to a year.

• There has been, at the request of some local churches, to have a name change. Dundas Croatian Church will be known as Dundas SDA Church. Pendle Hill Polish Church will be known as Pendle Hill SDA Church. This is to enable them to reach out into their immediately community a lot more intentionally.

• A new software package to store membership data, facilitate transfers and church office positions is being rolled out. This package, called Adventist Church Membership System (ACMS), is replacing Membership Online. Church clerks will receive specific training in the coming months.

FROM SCHOOLS LTD

• There are 2882 Kindy to Year 12 students in our Adventist Schools for 2021.

• Schools enrolments for 2021 is 2882 students with a large majority being non-Adventist.

FROM AGED CARE LTD

• Our Aged Care facilities have been protected by God’s hand and have been Covid free. Every precaution is being taken to keep Covid out of our facilities. We praise God that our residents and staff are safe.

• Kings Langley Aged Care facilities and Independent Living Units (ILU)’s have been completed and looking very nice. There is a number of outdoor areas for residents to enjoy.

Cheonneth Strickland, General Secretary

From the Chief Financial Officer

This is my final Intrasyd as CFO, and as I write, I feel great sadness but am also thankful. It's been an honour and privilege to serve.

Seven years ago, I left the public Higher Education sector for church employment. Back then, I couldn't have imagined the amazing work and wonderful people ahead. God truly blessed me.

Now, the South Pacific Division has called me. So in leaving, I acknowledge and thank Pastors Terry Johnson

and Cheonneth Strickland, and previous officers Pastors Michael Worker and Adrian Raethel with whom I served. The finance teams of the Conference, Schools and Aged Care include the most professional people I’ve met, and I especially recognize Mrs Maxine Su, my able Assistant CFO.

Then there are the Departmental directors and staff, the embodiment of dedication. Beyond them are your local church treasurers, faithfully doing their work, often with little affirmation. Our church pastors, working individually, are all passionate about God and dedicated in service to His family. Finally, I acknowledge you, the Greater Sydney Conference members, many of whom I’ve met as I’ve visited your church.

But Jesus is Alpha and Omega, and so most of all I thank Him for this season in my life, one with the best of and most challenging of times; He has proven time and time again that “all things work together for good, to them that love Him” (Romans 8:28).

Eva Ing, Chief Financial Officer