An exciting new chapter is opening for the Trinity Network and Bush Church Aid (BCA)! Four and a half years ago, Greg Harris, the National Director of BCA, and I had an exploratory meeting about how BCA and the Trinity Network might be able to partner together to reach more lost people in rural, regional, and remote parts of South Australia.
Many of you will be aware that BCA was founded in 1919 with the purpose of evangelising and supporting gospel ministry outside Australia’s capital cities. It is a ministry with a strong track record of sending men and women to serve in many far-flung places around our nation. The Trinity Network has a long-standing partnership with BCA, and most of our churches already ‘adopt’ BCA staff workers and ministries as part of that partnership.
Over the past four years, BCA and the Trinity Network have been investigating how we could collaborate to plant churches in rural and remote parts of South Australia. To date, the main focus for our Network has been planting in metropolitan Adelaide, but our vision is to start churches so that everyone in our State comes under the sound of the gospel. With BCA’s great experience in rural and remote locations and our shared heart for seeing people come to Christ, it made sense to think about how we might work together.
I am delighted to let you know how, under God, these years of prayer, collaboration and planning are bearing fruit and taking concrete shape! Matt Winter, who is currently an Associate Pastor at Trinity Church Brighton, will be joining the team at Trinity Church Victor Harbor at the start of 2026, with the intention of building a team to plant a new church at Goolwa. Matt is married to Annika and they have three children, Lucy, Eleanor and Sophie. They have been serving at Trinity Church Brighton since 2020.
You may also be aware that it has just been announced that Duncan Andrews, the current Senior Pastor at Trinity Church Victor Harbor, has been appointed as the new Senior Pastor of Trinity Church Mount Barker. This means that Matt Winter will step in as the locum at Victor Harbor until a new Senior Pastor is appointed. When that happens, Matt and Annika will be able to devote their energy to starting the new church at Goolwa. We are so thankful to God that they will be stepping into this pioneering work.
How will this church planting partnership between BCA and the Trinity Network work? BCA will bring their considerable rural expertise, the prayerful support of the Australia-wide BCA family, fellowship with other gospel workers in rural settings, and some financial backing. The new church at Goolwa will be a full member of the Trinity Network, joining our 14 existing churches in gospel mission and fellowship.
Please join us in prayer – for the Winters as they prepare to move to Goolwa and take on this new pioneering role, for Trinity Church Brighton as they send them out, and for encouragement for Trinity Church Victor Harbor as they begin the search for a new Senior Pastor, while planning to send people to launch the new church at Goolwa. Pray also for the important, ongoing work of BCA and give thanks for the privilege of partnering together in this new venture. Above all, thank God for the way He continues to superintend the spread of the gospel across our State.