The urgency of sharing real hope: Mal’s story

After being sent to a Christian school by his non-Christian family to be taught ‘good morals and values’, Mal found himself captivated by the gospel message that his teachers shared. He became a Christian during primary school and started attending church in his hometown of Geraldton.

It was the encouragement of Christian community around Mal and a pivotal point in his nursing career that led him to consider ministry and now study at Trinity.

“I worked as a nurse in the small country town of Southern Cross at a nursing run hospital. In addition to the hospital, we had a number of permanent aged care residents that we would look after. 

“One of them in particular was a lovely older lady who had aggressive cancer on her neck. I cared for her for a couple of months while she was slowly passing away. I interacted with her family and got to know them well. I also went to the funeral. 

“This experience really struck me because even if I was the best nurse in the world, I couldn’t stop her or anyone else from dying. It was during this that God and others around me started urging me to consider training for ministry.

“I thought, how good would it be to tell people about someone who has done something about death. To tell people about the hope that they can have in Jesus and the life he offers, starting now and going on into eternity.”

With this in mind, Mal decided to undertake a Ministry Training Strategy (MTS) apprenticeship at Curtin University to give ministry a go. He loved it and wanted more. This soon led him to Trinity.

“It [theological study] is the responsible thing to do, to train and equip yourself before you jump into ministry. It is a huge responsibility that needs to be taken seriously. I chose Trinity because of the qualities I saw in the graduates who have ministered to me over the years. They love Jesus. They love God’s Word. They’re laser focused on the gospel. And so those are the people that I want to imitate as they imitate Christ; to paraphrase Paul’s words in 1 Corinthians 11:1.

“One of the things that further helped me make the decision to study at Trinity was that in doing so, I get to be side by side with others who are also going to be doing ministry in WA. I really value that I can form those connections and relationships during college as we all prepare for ministry in WA.”

Mal is currently serving as a Student Minister at Campus Bible Church who meet weekly at Curtin University.

When reflecting on his time so far at Trinity, Mal says, “There’s so much to love! Time in God’s Word in community, seeing people live out their faith, diving deep into biblical theology, systematic theology, church history, and more. I love learning about our great God and how he has been at work in the lives of ordinary people for the last 2,000 years.”

Mal really appreciates that his lecturers are constantly encouraging him and his peers to create time and space to reflect on the content that they are learning and thank God for it. He says, “They are constantly helping us to apply it, and let it really impact and change our hearts. Sometimes in the midst of study, assignments, and exams, this can be challenging to do. So the constant reminder from lecturers is enormously helpful.”

As Mal looks towards future ministry plans he shares, “Nursing was a really rewarding job. It was a wonderful way to serve and care for people, particularly as care was often provided when they are at their most vulnerable. But ministry, telling people about Jesus, is dealing with people’s eternal vulnerability. I’m really excited to see how God might use me in the years to come.”

To those considering study at Trinity, Mal says, “Take the opportunity to get to know God and his Word more, so that you can love him and others more. I think it’s good for every Christian to spend time being trained in how to handle God’s Word well and appropriately, and then apply that to their lives and the lives of others. Whether you’re thinking of pursuing full-time ministry, or looking to be equipped as a layperson, Trinity will be the best place for you.”