Across the movement, MTS apprenticeships are helping people discover that vocational ministry isn’t just for the confident up-front types—it’s for all kinds of people with God-given gifts and limits.
The apprenticeships of James and Amelia Murphy at Southern Cross Presbyterian Church in Lismore show us exactly this. With a willingness to be trained, vulnerable, and supported by their church community, they are helping many in their midst come to grow in their knowledge and love of Jesus.
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When Amelia Murphy began her MTS apprenticeship in 2024 at Southern Cross Presbyterian Church in Lismore, she was eager to be trained, stretched, and mentored, through hands-on ministry, close discipleship, and structured theological study.
At the same time, her husband James embarked on a different, but no less significant, pathway. While not enrolled as an official MTS apprentice, he started a church-facilitated “lite” apprenticeship. This flexible yet intentional training has allowed James to explore his ministry gifts and capacity thoughtfully and sustainably, considerate of his ongoing journey with a significant spinal cord injury.
Together, Amelia and James are discovering what ministry looks like for them as a couple. Their experiences overlap, complement, and challenge one another as they serve side by side in their local church. They are learning to steward their gifts, embrace their limitations, and remain prayerful as they discern what long-term ministry involvement could look like.
Their story is a powerful reminder that ministry training is not a one-size-fits-all, and that God equips people in varied ways, meeting them where they are and shaping them for the work he calls them to.
Shaped by God’s faithfulness in the midst of suffering
James and Amelia have been married nearly eight years, and from the beginning, their journey with Jesus has been deeply shaped by both trauma and grace. “We both grew up in Christian families,” Amelia reflects, “but have both had a lot of trauma that’s been pretty integral in shaping our faith.”
Rather than turning inward, that experience has propelled them toward people, especially young adults, who are walking through their own joys and pain. “We enjoy walking alongside people… sharing the journeys of life,” Amelia says. “That’s our passion.”
Before MTS, Amelia spent ten years as a preschool teacher. James worked in labouring and truck driving before a devastating accident at age 21 changed the course of their lives. His injury forced a long season of physical rehabilitation, disconnection from community, and painful questions about identity and purpose.
Yet what could have unravelled them, instead deepened their trust in God. Amelia puts it simply, “God is so present in suffering… without God, it would just be hopeless.”
Through it all, Scripture has been their anchor. James points to John 6:67-69 that has carried them through seasons of doubt: “Jesus asked, ‘Will you leave?’ and the disciples said, ‘Lord, who else is there?’ I think that’s us. We had to decide if we believed it was true… and everything in our life shows that he’s real and working.”
Growing into ministry, one step at a time
Serving has always been part of their church culture. “As teenagers… we were encouraged to serve in kids and youth,” Amelia explains. After the accident, however, everything stopped. Living in Sydney for a season for recovery, cut off from their church family and unable to serve, they felt “super disconnected.”
Returning home brought healing, but also uncertainty. “We didn’t feel very connected without serving,” Amelia says. Slowly, God stirred something new, “We just started having little conversations… like I think we should be more in this community and serving God’s children.”
Their first attempt, preschool kids church, was tough. James recalls, “I didn’t feel like I was used very well in that space… physically I wasn’t able to properly craft or do positive things with them.” But youth ministry was different. It matched their gifts and allowed for deep relational discipleship. “The youth grew up with me in the chair,” James explains. “They’re not weird about it.” Many had prayed for him when he was injured, forming a surprising sense of connection.
The challenge to serve the kingdom
The turning point came when Amelia attended her church’s young adults camp. The speaker’s challenge hit hard, ‘What are you doing for the kingdom?’
“I came back saying to James, ‘What do you think of this? What are we doing for God’s kingdom?’” she remembers. That conviction simmered until their minister, Stu, returned from long service leave. “He is fully on board with the MTS train,” Amelia laughs. “He’s very passionate about training and equipping rising leaders.”
When she tentatively mentioned doing an MTS apprenticeship, Stew was ecstatic. “I think he nearly fell out of his chair,” she jokes.
What followed were long, honest conversations about ministry, finances, and limits. “We prayed a lot,” Amelia says. “We said no, we’re not doing it… and then yes, we’re doing it… multiple times.”
James felt both nervous and drawn in. “I needed something to use my brain,” he says. “I was in the comfort zone not pushing anything. So it was a way to challenge me… and it’s worth it. That’s what we’re called to do as Christians, spread his Word.”
In the end, the opportunity to do ministry training in a vocational setting came out on top. Amelia reflects, “I felt like I was really just working to pay the bills in my teaching job, but my real passion was serving Jesus.”
Training within their God-given limits
The Murphys explored doing a shared apprenticeship, each working part-time, but it wasn’t workable with Amelia’s desire to study, the physical needs of James, and the financial considerations. Amelia ended up stepping into the formal apprenticeship while James pursued a “lite version,” continuing ministry involvement within his capacity.
During her MTS apprenticeship, Amelia has been trained in leading Bible studies, discipling young women, teaching preschool kids church, coordinating Sunday ministries, and learning the practical rhythms of pastoral care and event planning. As a Scholarship Apprentice, she also balances hands-on ministry with formal theological study—building a strong biblical foundation to pair with the skills she’s developing in her local church.
Having completed an Undergraduate Certificate in Ministry before her apprenticeship, Amelia undertook some finishing units through Brisbane School of Theology and has begun Christian Mentoring at Sydney Missionary & Bible College. She says, “It [theological study] helps us to do ministry better, so it is a real privilege to learn.”
James continues serving in youth and mentoring while navigating the physical realities of his spinal cord injury. Rather than seeing limitation as disqualification, they together have learned to see God’s strength through weakness. “We always felt apprehensive,” Amelia admits. “But God has shown up again and again. We just have to follow the path he puts in front of us.”
Supported and encouraged
A major encouragement in their apprenticeship has been the power of a supportive church. Stew and Susan, their minister and his wife, have been steady companions and trainers, “They’ve encouraged us in life and ministry… pushing us out of our comfort zone all the time,” Amelia says.
Their church has, over many years, embraced a training culture too. “We’ve had a lot of MTS apprentices before”, Amelia reflects, “They have been mostly men with strong up-front gifting. We were like… that’s not us.” But Stew helped them see that MTS isn’t a personality mould, it’s about character, conviction, and a willingness to be trained.
And in that, they fit beautifully.
As they keep serving, learning, and giving ministry a go together, Amelia and James are discovering that God uses ordinary faithfulness in extraordinary ways—shaping them, strengthening their marriage, and blessing the people around them.
With a baby on the way next year, they ask for your prayers as they prepare to enter a new season of ministry, trusting that God will sustain them as their family grows.