Pastor Steve Goods is looking forward to leading a team doing great things for God in his new role as president of the Seventh-day Adventist Church in Western Australia.
The appointment was announced at the WA constituency meeting, held this past weekend. He replaces Pastor Terry Johnson, who was recently appointed president of the General Sydney Conference.
Also announced was the appointment of young WA lawyer Lesleigh Bower to the role of Conference secretary while Peter Dose continues in his role as CFO. Pastor Sid Griffith who previously held the secretary role, is moving to take up a position as chaplain at the Sydney Adventist Hospital.
“Peter is a great CFO who is not only extremely competent, he also has a heart for mission, and Lesleigh is a young person who is dedicated to helping the Church get on board with good governance and mission to the underprivileged,” Pastor Goods said. “We are looking forward to working together.”
President of the Seventh-day Adventist Church in Australia, Pastor Jorge Munoz, said Pastor Goods is an experienced minister who brings a wide range of skills and qualities to the role.
“Steve is committed to growing the Church and he is quite enthusiastic about the prospect of what God will do in Western Australia,” Pastor Munoz said. “We invite all our members to keep Steve and his wife Lee in your prayers as they move into the new role.
“Lesleigh is a young dynamic person who is very committed to the mission of the Church. She is passionate about seeing transformational changes in our Church that will impact growth.
“We are excited about the possibilities for the Church in the west and look forward to hear what God will do in that state. The team is keen to continue the vision of planting new missional presence right through the state.”
Pastor Goods has ministered in WA since 1997, most recently as Ministerial secretary. He and Lee have three adult children.
Taking on the role of Conference president, he said, “it feels like it is a conspiracy of God’s leading and they are the only conspiracies worth looking into, because God’s conspiracies are worth getting on board with.
“While this is not a position I feel comfortable with, I believe I said yes because it is about team work. Together under the leadership of God we can do great thing for Him.
“Team is about recognising that our office staff, pastors, teachers, Adventist care people and above all our volunteers all can do incredible things together. [pullquote]
“I believe in the New Testament radical teaching of the priesthood of all believers. Each believer ordained by the Holy Spirt can be trusted to serve in our Church. Great teams are made up of people of great character and if we are followers of Jesus and open to the Holy Spirit we can develop as a team that trusts.
“Team work needs to be built on generosity. Our God has given us the greatest gifts of heaven—His Son Jesus Christ and the personal presence of the Holy Spirit. Out of God’s grace and generosity we need to be kind and compassionate to each other. A generous team conquers a world of suspicion and selfishness.
“Team work comes from sacrifice. Jesus calls us to His world of taking up the cross and denying ourselves to serve others. It is time to get out of our comfort zone and get ready to change our world.
“Mission has always been hard and we are all called to be missionaries. Our population in Western Australia is concentrated in the city of Perth—2.1 million of the 2.6 million and we are struggling to make any headway. Mission needs to happen in our city of Perth, but also every farm and town around this vast state. This mission can only be successful if we love Jesus and love people.”
