Working to serve

“It

Judy Adamson

Everyone knows that there are busy diocesan offices in the city, right? Well, not exactly. We might know that the Archbishop has an office in town – and that makes sense – but for most of us everything else that goes on behind the scenes is a mystery.

John Lau, the new chief financial officer for Sydney Diocesan Services, has 30 years’ experience and has worked across the globe for multinational organisations, However, when he began as CFO a few months ago, he was surprised by how much he didn’t know.

“It’s a very complex organisation with a lot of moving parts,” he says. “There’s a busy, hard-working ‘engine’ in the background, lots to be learnt, lots to do and lots to contribute to... and before I joined [SDS] I was oblivious to the efforts of people in the background to ensure that things did operate in a smooth way.”

About 120 people support the Diocese in roles as diverse as IT, finance, law, property management, HR, governance and administration.

Mr Lau is sharing his own experiences because the Diocese thought it was time to let Sydney Anglicans know more about the work it does, so people in the pews whose skills fit into one of the roles it offers can consider serving God in this way – now or in the future.

A brief video has been shared with parishes so congregations can see the offices, the people and the opportunities for service.

The head of HR, Vikki Napier, says that as she has spoken to members of staff about their stories, “I found that many had made a conscious decision to leave corporate positions to come and do ministry and support ministry, because of their love for Jesus and their love for the mission of the Diocese”.

This made her think about all the “highly experienced, capable congregation members that God has already provided in our broader community”, and she was keen to prompt them to think about using their gifts and skills for God’s mission in Sydney.

Ms Napier also notes that, while some like Mr Lau come to SDS with decades of experience behind them, others join at the very beginning of their careers.

“We’re getting a lot of younger people coming in who are so keen and want to serve,” she says. “My assistant is young and has got a role in HR that she’s just nailing, but it’s a role that she probably wouldn’t have had the opportunity to do in the secular workforce.”

Another young staff member is Naomie Nguyen, who began working as a paralegal in the Office of Safe Ministry in 2019 while she was a student. Now that she’s finished her law degree, she has moved over to SDS Legal Services.

“It’s a real privilege to be able to serve God and his people and Sydney in this particular way... I can’t believe that I get this opportunity and I’m really grateful for it,” she says.

Miss Nguyen, who attends St James’, Croydon, loves the chance to work with other Christians, and to know that each Monday she will be able to pray with her colleagues about the week to come.

“There’s a real gospel humility about the way that we work,” she says. “[One week] the CEO came late to the prayer meeting and because there weren’t enough chairs, he stood up. The Archbishop comes and hangs out with us in the breakout room. This is different to other workplaces, and I think it’s because of the shared faith that we have.”

Mr Lau says that before he saw the CFO advertisement, he “had no idea such opportunities existed” and – despite all his experience and skills – had been wondering if he should just retire early and play golf.

“Why I think working at SDS is a wonderful thing is that it changes the perspective and purpose for why I work,” he says. “When I’m now working for ministry and ultimately in service of my Christian faith and God, that’s a different thing to just turning up and earning a salary. It’s a very different motivator.” SC

Those willing to consider using their skills for SDS and the Diocese in the future can click on the QR code and provide a few details. If a role comes up that might suit them, the organisation can make contact.