Pete Sorrenson
It is quite fitting that “Pete Sorrenson” is an anagram of “No Nose Trees P.R.” because Pete certainly has no public relations with nose trees ... start again.
Pete's story begins in Camden. But the part we're interested in began in 1993 when Pete moved to Wollongong and started a Bachelor of Mechanical Engineering as a BHP cadet. In Camden he'd been to church and knew about God but he says his lifestyle didn't match what he knew. “I was happy for Jesus to be my Saviour but not my Lord. Now I know he can't save me without being my Lord.”
After returning from exchange in the US of A, he says he was simply confronted by the magnitude of his own sinfulness—he knew that he needed to repent and that he needed God to save him. His assistant minister at Fairy Meadow Anglican Church met and prayed with him and Pete's journey into Christian maturity began.
Since then he's become Dr. Pete, having completed his PhD, and is about to complete his years of ministry training with us at Wollongong. So when did he start to think about ministry? “The day Richard (Chin) told me to do it” is his first answer. “I'd always thought it was important for my friends to know God”, but it was at his first Club 5 conference that he started thinking seriously about the option of full-time ministry. “Richard needed a lift home which I'm sure was much less coincidental than it seemed at the time.” Coincidental or not, Rich's encouragement was effective!
“When I started MTS I wasn't convinced it was for me” but there were good opportunities to share the gospel and to read the Bible with students so he kept at it and has now made the decision to continue in ministry and start studying at Moore College next year. What changed? “It takes time to get used to being in a full-time people job.” Constantly meeting new people is stressful, always being the one trying to get people talking at Bible studies; it's an emotionally draining job and it wasn't until this year that Pete felt he knew what he was doing and not everything was scary. “You invest a lot in people emotionally and it's easy to become disappointed with yourself and others ... It's hard work but it's a great way to spend your time.”
The students he's met with—some for three years or more—are what he's loved and will miss, as well as the “excellent” staff team and the Bible teaching. “It seems silly to say I'll miss the Bible teaching when I'm going to college, but I will.” And it's not silly at all to say that we'll miss the Pete. Party on.
Pray for Pete and Erica as they expect their first child to arrive in the next couple of weeks. Pete's nervous—mostly because of what Erica will have to go through—but he's looking forward to what comes out.
Thank God for Pete's investment in us—his time, love and godly leadership.
Pray that his time at college will be useful in equipping him for a life of serving God's church.
Ben Beilharz
<< Miriam Chan | Return to the Index | For Christ's Sake >>