Hundreds of Australians were honoured over the weekend, awarded the Order of Australia and recognised for their contribution and service to fellow citizens in our country, and around the world.

Among them were many Christians, and rightfully so, given our desire to walk in the serving footsteps of Jesus. But what always strikes Eternity is the range of service that those Christians are recognised for, and the wonderful example they are to their brothers and sisters in Christ who also seek to be salt and light in their small ways in their own communities.

And so, we’ve sought out just some of those Christians honoured this year in this two-part series, to demonstrate that variety, and inspire our readers onwards.

**PART ONE** Read Part Two here.

Michael Hewitson

Chief Executive Officer, South Australian Anglican Schools System, 1988-2003.

For significant service to education, to the Anglican Church in Australia, and to the community of Unley, SA. 

Michael Hewitson made Christian education available to the northern, working-class suburbs of Adelaide and created the state’s largest school. Trinity College has 3,600 students spread over five schools. The school began in 1984 when a small group of committed families from Gawler began operation with 27 students in the hall at St George’s Anglican Church.

Despite operating a school in a low socio-economic status area, Hewitson was concerned to give as many people as possible a chance to have a Christian/Anglican education.

“He is one of the most daring visionaries I have ever met,” says Phillip Heath headmaster of Barker College in Sydney and national chair of the Association of Heads of Independent Schools of Australia.

“Most of us regard a wait-list as a pragmatic, necessary thing. But Michael refused to commit to having one. How could a Christian school refuse someone an education was his view”.

Heath describes Hewitson as open-minded and open-hearted.

Heath told Eternity that ”I am thrilled for him. He is a fantastic head.”

Michael is the kind of visionary in education that creates the climate to achieve what he imagines. He is not satisfied with dreams. He just goes on and does it.”

— Written by John Sandeman

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David Groves

Baptist minister and former head of Baptist World Aid, NSW

For service to international relations, and to the Baptist Union of Australia.

Reverend David Groves was head of Baptist World Aid for 11 years from 1989 to 2000. Those years proved formative for the organisation, according to Rev Keith Jobberns, national ministries director for Australian Baptist Ministries. Jobberns worked closely with Groves, and saw him take Baptist World Aid to a new level, “encouraging Australian Baptists to be more aware of those in need, and those in poverty around the world.”

Groves, says Jobberns, was a motivating force for local Baptist churches to get more involved in social issues, mobilising them to be active and generous in their concern for the world. He says Groves was involved in all aspects of the Baptist’s mission work in that period, from teaching tradespeople how to build water tanks, to equipping pastors and training them in community development, to leading a national organisation.

“He’s a person with a world mission perspective…” said Jobberns. “He took what Baptist World Aid was, with its limited influence, and laid the groundwork for what is now one of the largest denominational aid agencies in Australia. His vision and energy broke through barriers. He has certainly influenced the Baptist movement, Australia-wide.”

— Written by Kaley Payne

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Alma Joyce Hudson

Translated parts of The Bible into Walmajarri. Volunteer work, St John of God Heritage Centre, Broome. Volunteer, Broome Uniting Church, for many years; Treasurer. WA.

“For significant service to the community through the recording and preservation of Indigenous languages, and to education.”

75-year-old Joyce Hudson has been working since the 1960s with SIL to preserve Indigenous languages. In 1967 she moved to Fitzroy Crossing to translate the Bible into Walmajarri, the language spoken by people who traditionally lived in the Great Sandy Desert to the south of the Kimberley.

She and Eirlys Richards worked as field linguists between 1967-1984, enabling SIL to publish the Walmajarri-English Dictionary, grammar guides, word lists, Bible translations and literacy materials. Alma (known as Joyce) has also studied Kimberley Kriol and is a founding member of Backroom Press, a small publishing house which focuses on publishing books from the Kimberley region.

She recently told News Limited: “I grew up in an era and I grew up in a part of Queensland where I met no Aboriginal people and when I came up here I could see what we had done to the languages and I could see the demise of the languages.”

— Written by Sophie Timothy

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John Jeffries and David Lewis

John, National Director of CBM Australia, VIC:  “For service to the community, particularly to people with a disability.”

David, Strategic Programme Director at CBM, VIC: “For service to people with a disability, particularly through international aid programs.”

John Jeffries has been the National Director of CBM for the last 20 years, and has served with CBM for 30 years. He’s worked to make CBM Australia’s largest NGO focused on helping people with disability who are also in poverty and he was instrumental in lobbying for an Ambassador for Disability-Inclusive Development, appointed last year.

CBM posted a tribute to John and David on Facebook:

“It’s a remarkable achievement, and recognises each gentleman’s services to people with a disability. John and David have both worked tirelessly and with abounding passion for many years ensuring people with a disability, and especially those living in poverty, are heard and their lives are improved.”

— Written by Sophie Timothy