Luke’s journey to accreditation hasn’t been straightforward. Growing up in the traveller community, he turned to Christ twenty-four years ago as a teenager. But he was living with his parents at the time, who weren’t supportive of him becoming a Christian, and it caused a lot of chaos in the home. “It was hard to follow Christ at that stage of my life,” reflects Luke, “once I got married and wasn’t under the influence of my parents, it became easier and I was able to get baptised.”
Luke knew he hadn’t been following God properly, and when his son was born, he felt a strong call on his heart towards ministry. He became involved in church ministry in the Illawarra but found himself in an unhealthy church context and stepped aside after being hurt by the church elders.
Luke and his family moved to Melbourne, and he studied a Diploma of Ministry at Alphacrucis University College. After completing his Diploma, Luke was looking for a different institution to continue his study. He enrolled at Ridley College, also in Melbourne, but when he moved back to Wollongong, it was too difficult to keep studying there.
“I looked at the accreditation system in the Baptist system and felt called to this more traditional, Bible-based ministry,” explains Luke. He began studying a Bachelor of Ministry at Morling College in 2018.
Being back on the South Coast, Luke didn’t have a church to go to, but he knew that he was called to pastoral ministry. He approached the local Baptist church, Woonona Baptist, and soon became an intern there. He became responsible for some of the preaching ministry, the prayer ministry, and many general day-to-day ministry tasks.
Luke’s life became very full, as he juggled running his own roofing business, his growing family, now with three kids, study, and ministry. “For people with kids, finding the balance is extremely difficult, but it’s got to be found. I’ve learnt not to sacrifice them to the ministry, but to bring them along with me and do ministry together. My kids drag me to church every week. They love being in the House of the Lord.”
During his studies at Morling, Luke began the process to become an Accredited Pastor. “It wasn’t easy, but I just kept taking the next step,” explains Luke, “at the end of the accreditation application process, I was knocked back at the final stage where you’re interviewed by three panels. Looking back, I can see I wasn’t ready, but it was devastating at the time. But the panels left the door open for me to return and gave me a list of things to work on before coming back. It took a couple of years, but I persevered. At times, I’ve felt like I could just give up, but I know in my heart there is a call from God, and I chose to ‘remove the option to quit’. Regardless of what’s happening and how hard it is, I will get through it.”
On Saturday, 09 May 2026, at The Gathering incorporating the 158th Annual Assembly, Luke’s name will be put forward to the Assembly to be added to the list of Accredited Ministers, on the recommendation of the Affirmation Oversight Team.
Luke currently serves as the associate pastor in Woonona Baptist Church, fulfilling his call to the ministry of the Word while still running his roofing business. Looking forward, Luke feels called to church planting. He wants to use his God-given talents to reach those that share his cultural background.
“I have a focus on the traveller community as it’s the culture I grew up in and am part of,” explains Luke. “I believe there is a real need for strong, biblically grounded leadership within it. At present, I’d be the only qualified pastor in that culture. There’s a provisional pastor from another denomination, but I would love to give these people another option with some solid, orthodox, Bible-based Christianity that helps them to know God and His Word, find freedom, discover their purpose, and make a difference in the world.”
“It’s been a huge challenge to get to this stage of my life and ministry,” reflects Luke, “it’s really been by the grace of God I’ve made it through it all. They don’t let you cut any corners, and the standard is very high in the accreditation process.”
Luke’s advice to those considering ministry is to follow the unique call God has placed on their heart. “Ministry is rewarding beyond anything you could imagine,” says Luke, “money can’t buy the feeling of God smiling down on you when you’ve done what He wants you to do and has called you to do.”
