You might know Merran, or someone just like her.
Merran has sat in the pews of NSW Baptist churches since she was a child. Growing up at Clemton Park Baptist Church, Merran was a part of their Girls Brigade and Youth Group. She currently worships and serves at Parramatta Baptist Church, helping the church keep ticking along with her contributions to morning tea and the prayer roster.
Merran has been a Christian her whole life and began to really own that decision as her own when she was thirteen. Merran looks for ways in her life and work to serve God, seeking to live out her life verse, Proverbs 3:5-6:
Trust in the Lord with all your heart
and lean not on your own understanding;
in all your ways acknowledge him,
and he will make your paths straight.
When Merran finished high school, people from her church shared their good experiences of teaching or studying at Bedford College. In 1980, Merran enrolled at Bedford and after graduating put her newly developed shorthand and typewriting skills to the test when she began to work there as a Shorthand Teacher.
“When I first started working at Bedford it was part of my service to God,” explains Merran, “the motto at the time translated to ‘We work for God’, and that really resonated with me. My mum used to say that how you carry yourself might be the only Bible some people read – the only cover they see is your outer shell.”
And today, Merran has been serving, loving and investing in students had Bedford for over 40 years. Reflecting on her time at Bedford, Merran can see how she has influence hundreds of young lives in a positive Christian way “just by being me”.
Bedford is unique in their approach to walking with students. “We know our students personally,” explains Merran, “you’re not a number here, you’re a person and you count. You mean a lot to us.” For many students, particularly international students, Beford becomes a sort of family.
It’s this unique approach to education that drew Merran to work at Bedford 40 years ago and is why she’s still serving students there today.
Reflecting on the many changes over the time she has been at Bedford, Merran can see that all of the changes were part of “always moving forward and improving – training our students to be the best they can be.”
“What has stayed the same is Bedford’s underlying purpose – to train our students in a caring Christian environment,” reflects Merran, “so they are skilled and well-prepared to take their place as valued members of the community.”
Merran has been at Bedford for 40 years because she loves what she does. “I love training young people with skills to enable them to take their place in the workplace and to be able to contribute to their community,” explains Merran, “seeing them grow over a year and mature in so many areas of their lives.”
Reflecting on Bedford’s new motto of “Transforming Lives”, Merran sees it as encapsulating Bedford’s belief in the potential of each and every one of their students. These days, her job involves providing personalised, one-on-one support to students. Merran helps students with what is relevant to them, supporting them to succeed in study and life, and ultimately to enjoy their journey wherever it may take them.
When students ask Merran for advice she tells them to, “find that sweet spot in life where you’re comfortable. Where you’ve got a job you like and good balance. Find that spot where you’re happy – where you wake up in the morning wanting to go to work”.
When her husband shared during their church’s open-mic time about Merran’s 40 years at Bedford College, Merran was flooded with people sharing their experiences of Bedford. One mother with primary school aged children came up and thanked Merran for teaching her. Another thanked her for teaching her daughter. One lady shared about her time studying at Bedford in 1954.
Bedford has become a big part of Merran’s life and story, and part of how she acknowledges and serves God in her daily life. May our churches be full of people who serve quietly, building the Kingdom of God by investing in one life at a time.
