After a 28-year ministry as Chaplain at Brisbane Boys’ College (BBC), Reverend Graham Cole will return to the PMSA school community after Easter as PMSA’s Christian Ministry Advocate.
Announcing the new part-time role, PMSA Chief Executive Officer Sharon Callister said she was thrilled that Rev Cole had accepted the role to lead the PMSA’s Christian mission.
“Rev Cole had a remarkable ministry at BBC and a deep impact on the many lives that he has touched – not only the thousands of young men who have passed through BBC during his time but also his many colleagues,” Ms Callister said.
“We are looking forward to him joining the PMSA Group Office to support, advocate for and encourage the Christian ethos and ministries at each of our PMSA schools,” she said.
Reflecting on his appointment, Rev Cole said he is looking forward to re-joining the PMSA school community which was such a significant part of his life over many years.
“I am looking forward to working with my Chaplain colleagues within the PMSA schools and affirming the importance of the PMSA’s Christian focus within our schools,” Rev Cole said.
“In our world which gives little value to the importance of spiritual foundations, the Christian faith can be so empowering and relevant to the needs of today.
“Schools that have strong Christian foundations give their students wonderful opportunities to discover their identity and find their own purpose in life. With the strong Christian teachings of values such as forgiveness, love, compassion and serving others, young people are given the opportunity to know God,” he said.
Rev Cole believes that the PMSA schools have a unique recipe with several key ingredients.
“Key ingredients in all of our schools include learning and teaching, sporting involvement, music and drama, outdoor education, community service and the school’s spiritual life.
“Some ingredients have vocal advocates while other ingredients seem less demanding and are subtle, more implicit and even assumed. The subtle ‘secret’ ingredient I am referring to is the Christian foundation.
“One of the greatest challenges for a foundation is that you cannot always see it and yet it is vital for the life and wellbeing of our students, staff and parents,” Rev Cole said.
Rev Cole retired from his Chaplaincy role at Brisbane Boys’ College in December 2019 and has enjoyed some time off in retirement as well as serving in an Interim ministry role at Chapel Hill Uniting Church.
ENDS
For more information, please contact:
Caroline Thurlow, Group Executive – Corporate Affairs
E: cthurlow@pmsa-schools.edu.au M: 0414 565 575
The Presbyterian and Methodist Association (PMSA) was established in 1918 and is a joint mission of the Uniting Church in Australia, Queensland Synod and the Presbyterian Church of Queensland. The PMSA owns and governs four of Queensland’s outstanding independent schools – Brisbane Boys’ College, Clayfield College, Somerville House and Sunshine Coast Grammar School.