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Nick’s 10,000-mile journey to Morpeth

Nick Edwards was training for the priesthood in the Church of England when God called him and his family to go the extra mile – or, more accurately, 10,000 miles – to serve in the Anglican Diocese of Newcastle.

Raised in Gippsland, he studied theology at Trinity College, Melbourne, before travelling to sing with cathedral choirs in England.

Nick later trained and worked as a counsellor, cognitive behaviour therapist, and EMDR (Eye Movement Desensitisation and Reprocessing) practitioner, deepening his understanding of us all being made in the image of God and what it can cost to love one’s neighbour.

After spending decades in England, Nick says Anglican Bishop of Newcastle Dr Peter Stuart and the COVID-19 pandemic played key roles in his journey back to Australia.

“I’ve lived in England for 30 years, embracing the culture and people,” he says. “As St Augustine puts it: ‘Our hearts are restless ‘til they find rest in God’, so at times I felt unsettled, waiting, and hoping, for a clear direction.

“My English Diocese encouraged me to look beyond its boundaries for my first parish and, at the same time, the pandemic kept us from seeing our Australian families.

“This encouraged us to tentatively knock on Bishop Peter’s door, wondering if God had Newcastle in mind for us.

“We were right to seek that path.”

Nick was ordained Deacon by Bishop Humphrey Southern, at the request of Bishop Peter, in May.

He will soon travel to Australia with his wife Eleanor and their six-year-old daughter Henrietta (Etta) before being ordained Priest on 26 August in St Peter’s East Maitland. Nick then begins his new adventure as Priest in Charge of St James Church Morpeth the following day.

He sees his future ministry revolving around prayer and parties, helping to keep Christ and St James Church at the centre of the local community.

“In Morpeth, I hope to know and celebrate each member of the parish as a gift from God,” he says.

“I look forward to walking with them through the changes and chances of this fleeting world, being attentive to the presence and calling of God among us.

“I hope we will shine a light on the wider community, throwing open the doors of the church to welcome everyone and declaring the riches that faith in our God provides through acts of hospitality, fellowship, and beautiful liturgies.”

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