The North New South Wales Conference (NNSW) Adventist Aviation Association (AAA) celebrated 60 years of reaching remote communities through aviation in the South Pacific with a special program at Avondale Memorial church in Cooranbong (NSW) on November 1 and 2.
Former and current ministry members, including pilots, missionaries and supporters, attended the event, which opened with a Friday evening vespers. On Sabbath, the event featured a special morning service, a potluck lunch, a performance by the Avondale Brass Band, an afternoon program looking back at the history of Adventist Aviation and an evening gathering.
Speaking at the Sabbath school program, Pastor Jonathon Hunt-Mason, South Queensland Conference (SQC) AAA president, presented an overview of the aviation ministry’s work in Queensland. South Pacific Division President Pastor Glenn Townend presented the main message, sharing his personal experiences with Adventist Aviation Services (AAS) in PNG and reflecting on the power of aviation to reach isolated communities.
NNSW AAA president Pastor John Kosmeier explained the significance of the anniversary, “This milestone is significant because we can look back and see what God wanted, and it was done. And today we have churches raised up as a result of AAA.”
He noted key locations where AAA has advanced ministry in NNSW, including Brewarrina, Moree, Narrabri, Coonabarabran, Coonamble and Bourke.
For Pastors Keith and Danuta Stockwell, who planted the Brewarrina church, the work of AAA was essential for the growth of the outback-based church plant. “AAA was a huge help and support to us out west. They were like the ‘Golden Gate Bridge’ between the west and the coast,” said Pastor Danuta.
Pastor Keith explained that AAA offered support, from transporting church members from the coast who assisted with Sabbath programs to transporting food to feed the community attending church. “That was a big relief for us because being a church plant and being limited with Adventists out there to be able to help with a church plant, that became very vital for the ministry in the west.”
“We do this for the work of God,” said Pastor Kosmeier. “And that is the real purpose of Adventist Aviation: to go into isolated areas, where we win souls for Christ and connect them to His family, getting ready for Jesus to come.”
