11th January, 2005

SALLY HOLT

Tim Edwards is trying to give up coffee, but the cravings have kicked in. Sitting in a café, he’s trying not to think about a full-cream latte with two sugars, and how nicely - at the end of busy week - it would go down. A serious addiction? “Not sure,” he muses, “but at six to eight cups a day, I was a bit worried.”

As the senior pastor of a 450-strong church in the Victorian city of Geelong, ‘doing coffee’ is almost part of the job description: meetings, pastoral visits, desk-work, late nights, more meetings. With cheerful resignation, he says he’s happy to make the switch to tea.

PICTURE: Tony Kerrigan. Making switches, whether it’s a beverage, location or career, is something Edwards seems adept at. After all, it was only 10 years ago that he was performing in front of the footlights with the Victoria State Opera. Now on weekends, he’s behind the microphone in a rambling school gymnasium that’s home to the growing Bayside Christian Church in Geelong. No footlights or fancy costumes, and the music’s more ‘praise and worship’ than Puccini.

Making switches, whether it’s a beverage, location or career, is something Edwards seems adept at. After all, it was only 10 years ago that he was performing in front of the footlights with the Victoria State Opera. Now on weekends, he’s behind the microphone in a rambling school gymnasium that’s home to the growing Bayside Christian Church in Geelong. No footlights or fancy costumes, and the music’s more ‘praise and worship’ than Puccini.

Chat with the gently-spoken Edwards for long enough, and it’s easy to forget he’s only in his mid-thirties: he has a CV that’s bursting with diversity.

The second son of a doctor and former teacher, he is enormously grateful for his “fantastic upbringing”. His father continues to work as a GP in a Geelong, and both his parents have deep commitment to their Christian faith.

“My parents demonstrated to us the love, values and beliefs that have given us a firm foundation…my dad is the man I admire most in the world. He is generous, loving, kind, and full of the absolute peace of God.”

Educated at Geelong College, with its prestigious reputation and ivy-clad cloisters, Edwards enjoyed the school’s academic, sporting and social opportunities. Appointed head of school in his final year, it was a position he thoroughly enjoyed.

“I was somewhat of a ‘non-traditional’ head of school, studying literature, French, music and theatre rather than maths and sciences…but I learnt much more than was offered by the textbooks in that year ”, he says. He says his “two loves” – sport and theatre – were nurtured at the school. Interestingly, it’s also where he met his true love.

His wife Nicki, who shares the role of senior pastor at Bayside Christian Church, landed in the same English literature class as the 17 year-old Edwards. Love at first sight? “No, not really,” he grins. “She didn’t like me much back then!”

Married now for over 12 years, Nicki Edwards’ opinion has obviously changed. Sharing four young children, the devoted couple work closely in partnership on Bayside’s growing pastoral team. Planting the church almost four years ago, Edwards says it would have been an almost-impossible task without the woman he describes as “amazing”.

When Edwards completed his schooling he opted for a ‘gap year’ in the UK, accepting a position as boarding house tutor at The Kings School, Ely, near Cambridge. It was the adventure - and opportunity - of a lifetime. During term he taught classes and coached sport - in holidays he travelled. Despite being abducted and stranded in Morocco, he describes the travelling as “awesome”, managing to add 17 countries to his passport.

At the school however, he was offered an equally ‘awesome’ opportunity when a retired and notable member of the English National Opera happened to hear him sing. Promptly, he was offered further training at Cambridge University, and when he returned to Australia Edwards had set his goals: to be an opera singer and marry his then-girlfriend Nicki.

In the two years before their marriage, Edwards first felt a ‘calling’ into the ministry. Attending an apostolic church in Geelong, he sought his senior pastor’s advice.

“He agreed there was a call of God on my life and that I should begin to prepare for it… in the meantime…I should simply get on with my life.”

Edwards continued vocal training at the Victorian College of the Arts, picking up work in theatre restaurants and television. Soon after, he was accepted into the Victoria State Opera (VSO).

The ensuing years were hectic and heady. In addition to singing with the VSO, Edwards co-founded a successful regional theatre (presenting seven major productions in three years), was invited onto the Trust of the Geelong Performing Arts Centre (GPAC), and took out an Australia Day Council award. And somewhere in-between, there was marriage and babies.

In mid 1995, with the considerations of a young family, he decided to take up the offered position of managing a newly-created youth arts project in Geelong. With the city still in economic doldrums, and almost 30 per cent of the youth population unemployed, local government and organisations were pushing for change.

Handed the keys to the disused city law courts and police station, Edwards got to work on ‘The Courthouse Project’. Four years later, with over $1 million raised, the neglected buildings had become Australia’s largest youth arts venue housing recording studios, a café, theatre, and free medical service. It left an indelible impression.

“I’ll never forget my time there - it was an incredible thrill to work with such a committed group of young people who were so determined to see their dream turned into a reality.” Edwards’ only frustration was that legally, he couldn’t address their spiritual needs.

In 1998, he was abroad again, travelling to Canada and the USA on an ambassadorial exchange program with Rotary International. On his return to Geelong, and with The Courthouse Project running successfully, he and Nicki decided it was “time for something different”.

Within a few months, they’d relocated to Bathurst, New South Wales, where he was installed as inaugural general manager of the city’s newest project – a large entertainment centre. Two years later, with the project successfully completed, Edwards was then invited to be assistant pastor with their church, the Bathurst Christian Life Centre.

A year later, settled into a new home and with a fourth baby due, God clearly told them to “to go home”. After much prayer, deliberation and meditation the young family sold up, returned to Geelong, and under the umbrella of the Assemblies Of God, planted the Bayside Christian. Growing from nine to 450 in less than four years, and with a pastoral team of seven, he says it has been a huge learning curve: “The church is growing and so are we.”

Edwards is a strong advocate of connecting church with community. In addition to helping establish an interdenominational Geelong Pastors’ Network, he’s forging strong links at a civic and community level.

“For too long the church has put up the walls and said ‘if you change and come to us, all will be well’. It’s now time to say this is who we are, we won’t compromise God’s Word…but we will be real and open, loving and accessible, forgiving and non-judgmental.”

Does he miss opera? “Yes, sometimes - because I love to sing, but right now that has been put aside to hear what God wants us to do,” he smiles.

While Tim Edwards has managed to cram more into his 33 years than most, he’s still brimming with ideas. And with his background, that just may mean a church with an art gallery, theatre or café: his enthusiasm and energy appears boundless. If only giving up coffee was that easy.