Last year, Indigenous Ministries Australia (IMA) had the privilege of taking a church group from Perth on a discovery road-trip to Norseman and the surrounding Great Western Woodlands in Western Australia’s Goldfields region. This trip required much planning, including a consideration of weather and road conditions for thetrip and the type of resources necessary to ensure a safe and enjoyable time while we were on country.

Preparing for future ministry and leadership is no different. We need to consider the path before us, travel with others, and acquire the necessary knowledge, skills and experiences to effectively navigate through the bumps and detours that lie ahead.

The IMA Pathways Program seeks to provide emerging Indigenous Christian leaders with a safe pathway to grow in their Christian discipleship and to prepare them for future ministry. It has been designed to develop their leadership through culturally appropriate ministry training and mentoring opportunities. Each student will work with the program facilitators and Indigenous mentors to ensure they have access to the most appropriate programs and learning experiences, tailored to their unique ministry context and interests and developed in consultation with their local church or ministry accountability partner.

According to Brendon Garlett, a Noongar man and Indigenous Pastoral Outreach Worker, “The IMA Pathways Program is a good set-up for me and our mob as it’s designed to give support for us to access the right kind of training. I’ve got a big family, lots of community expectation and commitments as well as the reality of issues that our mob face daily. Any help and support for me to do more training is needed and that’s what the Pathways Program wants to do.”

To find out how you can support this program or be a future participant of the training go to GMP’s pathways program page.

For more information: Colin Battersby - colinb@gmp.org.au (Western Australia) or Nick Wight - nick@gmp.org.au (Central and Eastern Australia).