Fiona Minton grew up attending a Salvation Army church with her family. As she reached her teenage years and into her twenties, her relationship with God started to dip in and out. She was working with homeless youth in the inner city of Sydney which was a “pretty dark space” she shares.
Around 1999 at the age of 23, she was having a really difficult time and came to the realisation that she needed God. Fiona reflects, “The world was too dark without Him, there was no hope… I told Him that I needed to know that He was there, and that He was steadfast and that He’s got this world”.
A friend of Fiona’s, Laura-Lee, who also worked with homeless youth, met faithfully with Fiona to read the Bible with her. It was then that Fiona recognised that dipping in and out of her relationship with God wasn’t an option. She says, “It was all or nothing, and I was all in”.
A taste of ministry
Laura-Lee invited Fiona to do an MTS apprenticeship with her through Western Sydney University, and at the same time Fiona’s minister at St Bede’s Anglican Church, Reverend Mark Tough, also asked her to do MTS. She made the decision to do an MTS Apprenticeship in 2001 at her church part-time while she also worked part-time.
Over her two-year apprenticeship, Fiona primarily trained under her minister, Reverend Mark Tough, where they met weekly to review theology together. She also received support and guidance from female mentors and other ministry leaders.
During her apprenticeship, Fiona’s responsibilities were mostly within the youth group that met on Friday nights and Sunday mornings/nights. There she mentored and discipled many of the senior girls, as well as organised young adults and youth camps. She also served in the mum’s playgroup and Bible Study. Reflecting on the time she says, “It was a really good experience and gave me a great taste of ministry”.
Loving God, loving people
The following year after she commenced her apprenticeship, Fiona’s soon to be husband also started MTS. Upon his completion of his apprenticeship, they both decided to pursue further study at Moore College in 2004. Fiona explains, “Even though I’m an introvert, I love people, and I want what’s best for people, and what is best is knowing Jesus. And so, I couldn’t give my life to something more honouring than letting people know about Jesus”.
She continues, “I was working with homeless youth and pregnant teenagers… I have a background of understanding messy places and life is not black and white and there’s a lot of hurt out there… It seemed like a natural progression… I don’t think there was anything more I could do for the world than let people know about Jesus”.
When Fiona and her husband Trent were in their third year of college, they were both invited to work with Reverend Peter Hayward (who they originally met at St Bede’s) at Beverly Hills Kingsgrove Anglican. They both stepped into roles but after having their first child Fiona took a break from the paid ministry role. However, she was asked to continue to be involved with staff meetings and have input. She shares about her time at Kingsgrove Anglican, “It was really lovely to be a female in ministry… and to be valued and supported in what I felt was where I needed to be”.
Being the hands and feet of Jesus to the vulnerable
After three years at Kingsgrove Anglican, Fiona and her husband felt called to move out of Sydney to a diocese where the gospel wasn’t so richly preached. They moved to Alstonville in Northern NSW where Trent took a job at Alstonville Anglican Church. They were there for six years before moving to Alstonville Baptist for Trent to be a minister there.
In 2013, Fiona applied for a part-time chaplaincy role with Baptist Care. Originally someone approached Trent to apply for the role, but he couldn’t work 7.5 days in a week and they agreed that it would be a good role for Fiona as she balanced being at home with younger children and Baptist Care agreed.
Fiona explains, “I applied, got the position basically on the spot and then started the next day.”
Eleven years later she remains a chaplain for a Residential Care Facility, using her passion and giftings to be the hands and feet of Jesus to people in their later years of life.
Her role as chaplain is varied and includes visiting with people to build relationships, read the Bible, praying and offering practical help. She also conducts church services, funerals and staff devotions, as well as singing for patients in the dementia wing. Most recently she also serves as a Pastoral Supervisor with her own practice. She says, “Who would have thought when I was doing MTS, that would have ever happened”.
Fiona has seen many people in their later days renew their faith, as well as people come to know Christ. She says, “It has been really encouraging that my love for Jesus is shown in my love for them”.
She continues, “We sing lots of hymns in the dementia wing, and there is one called “My Father’s World”. It says, ‘That though the wrong seems oft so strong, God is the Ruler yet’. And I think as the world gets crazier… and as I started off with the street kids and the messiness and the darkness there, and now I’m in the memory care unit, this song is still reminding me that actually God is the ruler and in control of all of this… He is trustworthy, He’s faithful”.
When Fiona met Jesus, He gave her the hope that she desperately needed. She has come full circle, sharing this hope with those in vulnerable and hard places. MTS provided her with the foundation of ministry and gave her great experiences that have opened doors in unexpected and wonderful ways.