14 S P R I NG AP P E AL MOOR E M AT T E R S S P R I NG 2 0 2 0
Our lives are in God’s hands – Please Pray Trevor Cairney / Head of Foundation
T
he theme of this edition of Moore Matters is ‘Building for the future’ and it was chosen almost as a defiant and confident response to the challenge that Covid-19 has posed for the world, including the College! While our personal plans and those of many institutions and governments have been disrupted, we know that ultimately God is in control and so we can have confidence. Our lives are still in God’s hands, and we can gain assurance and confidence in these challenging times from his word. As I wrote this piece, I was reminded of the promises of God in Isaiah 41:10. So do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand. We have a God who tells us not to fear or be anxious for he is always with us. What’s more, Isaiah 41:10 reminds us that God will strengthen, help and uphold us with his right hand! The work of Moore College will continue, so we won’t allow our future simply to be defined by the challenging events of the last six or so months. The faculty, students and staff of the College continue to pray and seek guidance from God’s word and have found much comfort and assurance during this time. As I write this final piece for the magazine, it’s mid-August and the pandemic is still in the world and continues to pose a serious threat. When we first planned this Spring edition back in June, we were in the first wave of Covid-19 and the College had been
largely moved off-site, with staff working from home and lectures conducted online. Thankfully, we are now returning to a new form of ‘normal’ for an unknown period of time. While our students will have all returned by the end of August (except some from overseas), there are still significant restrictions on community life as we conform to health guidelines. There are also varied financial pressures on the College, even with the generous help of our loyal donors and various federal and State government programs. We will continue on in spite of the challenges, just as we have for the last 164 years. Please pray for our nation and its political leaders that they might continue to lead wisely! Of course, the College is not new to global threats. We have continued operating through a number of wars, conflicts and challenges. These have included two world wars, the Great Depression, global pandemics like the Spanish Flu in 1918-1919 and now Covid-19. While such major worldwide events inevitably have an impact, they have never stopped the Gospel of Christ being proclaimed! Nor, have they stopped the training and equipping of men and women committed to a lifetime of ministry. We have been disrupted and to some extent challenged, but our ministry has not been thwarted. I hope that the other articles you have read in this edition attest to the fact that the work of teaching, supporting, mentoring and ministering to our students has not ceased. Please pray for our faculty, staff and students. We need also to acknowledge that many of our partner organisations have been challenged by the pandemic in Australia and overseas. Many of our students have left behind the families and churches where they first heard about Jesus and came to faith. It has been particularly difficult for our overseas students both to get here, and also to be separated from their support networks in their home countries. The work of discipling, equipping and training our current students began with other organisations. Anglican churches and a number of other denominational churches first taught them. As well, varied Christian organisations have been involved in equipping, maturing, training, teaching
