“Studying at Trinity just made a lot of sense”: Bek’s reflections on Trinity

For Bek Wilson, studying at Trinity just made a lot of sense. Encouraged by others at her church, Vic Park Presbyterian, who had undertaken the one year graduate diploma course, Bek was ready to take a break from her work as an occupational therapist and delve into theological study. 

Raised in a Christian family, Bek is thankful that her parents taught her the gospel. “It was by the time I was in late primary school that I realised just believing in God and Jesus and that they were real didn’t actually make me a Christian. I had to follow Christ and take that seriously. So I did, and I’ve been growing in him ever since,” she shared. 

As she grew up, Bek was involved in various ministries within her church including serving at kids church and youth group. She continued to serve in ministry while studying and working in occupational therapy, before also getting a job part-time as her church’s admin assistant. It was while she was working at church that Bek grew an interest in studying the Bible and understanding more of it on a theological level.

“Quite a few people at my church had studied at Trinity. A few of them did the one year graduate diploma, which is what I ended up enrolling in, and were just really positive about doing that one year of study,” Bek explains. 

“They were so enthusiastic about how it would equip them to serve better at church and feel more confident leading small groups and other ministries,” she continued. 

Studying at Trinity

Bek found her time studying at Trinity extremely helpful in growing her faith and understanding the Bible.

“It was what I was needing at the time. I was able to commit a chunk of time to really diving into God’s Word and understanding it better. There was a great concern for God’s Word still being applied to our hearts which was evident in the lectures and also the assignments we were given,” she shared.

“There seemed to be a genuine concern that we learn how to apply God’s Word well first to ourselves, and then the people around us,” Bek continued.

Moving into university ministry 

While she was still studying at Trinity, Bek was encouraged to consider a ministry job working on a university campus in ministry as there was a shortage of female staff workers across Perth. Bek knew a few people who had been involved in university ministry so she made sure to talk to them about their experiences. 

“I chatted with a bunch of different people at Trinity and also a few people at my church who are staff workers at different unis and I started thinking about it. Then the uni closest to me, which is where I studied my undergraduate degree, was one of the ones needing a female staff worker,” she explained. 

Bek decided that she wanted to give it a go, and accepted the role at Curtin University. 

“I meet with a lot of young women one to one to read the Bible. I am constantly applying what I learnt at Trinity. A lot of the year I did at Trinity was focused on getting that Bible overview. I’m now helping the women I meet with see how what we’re reading fits in with the whole Bible story. My study at Trinity has helped me feel more equipped to address some of their questions or at least know where to look if we’re working through answers,” she shared. 

Encouraging others to study at Trinity 

Bek was greatly encouraged by her time studying at Trinity and feels that others would also benefit. 

“It’s really useful and it’s not just for people who are considering working in paid ministry. I’ve known so many people who’ve studied there and are using what they’ve learned to serve faithfully in the church and in their communities while they go about their secular jobs. I can see the usefulness of their studies in how they minister. It’s just really useful,” she concluded.