AS THE rain pelted down and the winds roared, Pastor David Mugridge had only the thoughts of the community on his mind and how best to serve his community in need.
Thanks to members of his Presbyterian Church, who donated a generator after the tornado, the senior pastor was able to open his church doors to the community in its time of need.
“We are in a great location, easily visible on Main Street, so we always knew this would be a good place for refuge,” he said.
“It’s been a place of shelter and allowed people to connect. Some haven’t showered in days and don’t have any family or friends and just needed a cup of coffee and to chat to someone.
“For those without a generator it has been a helpful hub.
“Some people have come in with no food, so we’ve sent them home with a bag of groceries.”
But he stressed it was a team effort.
David and his wife, Miriam, along with three children, moved to the mountain from a short stint at the Gold Coast six years ago when the church was looking for an assistant pastor. Prior to that they were in Sydney.
David jokes the mountain was such a great place to raise a family they have since had three more children.
“At the time the church and community had fewer young families around and we were interested in reaching them. Being a young family ourselves we attracted young families,” he explained.
The congregation has almost doubled since David took on the role and new families have moved to the mountain.
David grew up in Nairobi where his parents were missionaries and always knew he’d follow in their footsteps.
After initially working as a primary school teacher, at 24 he began a Masters of Divinity.
“My passion is to walk with people in every season of life, from celebrating a new birth to sitting down with a family and planning the funeral of a loved one,” he shared.
“It is a privilege to be able to do that.
“What’s good about the job is its people. What’s hard about the job is its people.
“The messiness of lives is hard, but it’s what is joyful about my work.
“I could be doing a funeral one day, a wedding the next, visiting Roslyn Lodge and doing marriage counselling.”
With his six children ranging in age from two years old to ten years old there isn’t a great deal of spare time, but in the time that is left he likes to use it to exercise and read.
Cricket was his passion before fatherhood took over and he had to give it up.
“It was hard, but I was happy to give it up for the sake of spending time with my kids,” David smiled.
“Once the kids started school Saturday was the only day I had with them.”
And he credits Miriam with keeping the family running smoothly.
Being able to support people after the cyclone he said was simply a chance for his family to love others as God has loved them.
