These six pastoral ministry graduates from Australian Lutheran College come from a wide variety of backgrounds and are stepping out in faith to begin their first assignments in 2018.

Darryl Shoesmith
Age: 60
Family: Wife Shirley and three adult married children and four grandchildren
Home congregation: Good Shepherd, Toowoomba Qld
Assigned to: Christchurch NZ

Who were the most influential people in your life growing up? Grandparents and older adult friends

Who are the most influential people now? Shirley and close friends

What did you do before you went to Australian Lutheran College (ALC)? Retired after selling firearms retail business, undertook various property renovations, travelled

Joseph Graham
Age: 24
Home congregation: St John’s, Bundaberg Qld
Assigned to: Dubbo–Gilgandra NSW

Who were the most influential people in your life growing up? My dad, Pastor Greg Graham

Who are the most influential people now? Family and friends

What did you do before you went to ALC? I worked in a bakery for one year out of school, and coached rowing for Bundaberg State High School’s club (Qld). The following year I studied chemistry, philosophy and Japanese at the University of Queensland in Brisbane.

Roelof Buitendag
Age: 37
Family: Wife Bec, children Jax and Ellie
Home congregation: Mount Gravatt Qld
Assigned to: Ipswich Lutheran Parish Qld

Who were the most influential people in your life growing up? My parents and grandmother, an older kid who made Jesus look awesome, and my youth pastor Stephen Parker

Who are the most influential people now? Authors/pastors John Piper, Tim Keller and Francis Chan; Pastor Fraser Pearce (my vicarage supervisor) and (LCA Church Planting Mentor and Mission Facilitator) Dean Eaton

What did you do before you went to ALC? Studied psychology and exercise science, then worked as a sleep scientist

Tim Castle-Schmidt
Age: 46
Family: Wife Fiona and daughter Miranda
Home congregation: Morphett Vale SA
Assigned to: SA/NT District

Who were the most influential people in your life growing up? My family, although others contributed, especially my church family at St Stephen’s, Adelaide

Who are the most influential people for you now? Fiona, of course, has a high degree of influence, but I really don’t feel beholden to anyone.

What did you do before you went to ALC? After university, I taught in Lutheran schools in Queensland, WA and SA. While studying I had various jobs, including running the old Adelaide pie carts, fruit picking and taxi driving.

Matthew Huckel
Age: 42
Family: Wife Sal and children Benjamin, Jonah, Zachary, Tabitha, Philippa and Grace
Assigned to: Pasadena SA

Who were the most influential people in your life growing up? My parents helped in the development of my faith; close friends helped grow my faith; globetrotters gave me courage to travel – without them I would not have met Sal

Who are the most influential people now? My wife and family. Being a father and husband has taught me about the care of God’s people. My vicarage supervisor Pastor Adrian Kitson and ALC lecturers have opened up many treasures in Lutheran theology.

What did you do before you went to ALC? I worked as a clinical music therapist in mental health, aged care, and other fields in England and Australia.

Peter Heintze
Family: Wife Dr Sharon Gierus and children Baxter and Ella
Home congregation: Holy Cross, Murray Bridge SA
Assigned to: Coonalpyn SA

Who were the most influential people in your life growing up? My parents, Dennis and Lois Heintze, who constantly encouraged me in the faith

Who are the most influential people now? My wife Sharon, my brother-in-law Pastor Steve Hibbard, and my wife’s grandmother Myrtle Heidenreich

What did you do before you went to ALC? I was a farmer for 20 years, growing wheat, breeding merino sheep, and involved in egg production. I then worked as a groundsman and tutor at a school on an Aboriginal community and as a sample processor for a mining company, both in the Northern Territory. I also worked for the government in weed eradication and water compliance, while running my own cleaning business in South Australia.

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