Part of the ‘Leadership at Large’ series.
Sarah Kuswadi: Can you tell us a bit about yourself and what brought you to your current role(s)?
Stephanie Judd: I am an ordained Anglican minister and serve on the leadership team at City on a Hill Melbourne. I came on staff seven years ago, initially taking on the role of Women’s Ministry Director. Since then, my role has expanded, and I now serve as the Director of Ministry.
I also exercise a teaching ministry in various settings across Australia, preaching at conferences and events for women, and writing Christian articles. My ministry calling is to serve as a visionary word leader among the people of God, helping women and men to see and encounter the beauty, truth, and relevance of Jesus for their lives and mobilise them for action in the kingdom of God.
What does leadership look like in your current role(s)?
I am inspired by the vision of the parable of the sower, in particular, the image of a person who hears the word, understands it, and then allows it to take root in their heart and bear fruit in their life, producing a great harvest for the kingdom of God. I strive to bear fruit for Jesus in my own life and to be used by God in the lives of others.
In my role as Director of Ministry this looks like overseeing several of our staff, seeking to support and empower them in their ministry to be increasingly fruitful. I also play a strategic role for our church. In recent months this has looked like mapping out our discipleship pathway, building our leadership pipeline, and building a course for new believers. When it comes to my writing and speaking ministries, I seek to help people not only to understand and value the word, but translate this understanding into practical, courageous, and joyful obedience in their everyday life.
What has God been teaching you about leadership?
When I first started in leadership at my church, I felt that I needed to accept every opportunity to make the greatest impact I could for Jesus. Over the years, God has been teaching me the freedom and strength of being clear on what my gifts are. He has taught me to position myself where I offer greatest value to God’s mission and not position myself where others will contribute with equal or greater strength. For example, when it comes to leadership, I am a big picture kind of gal. I am a visionary and a strategist. So I need to be around ops people who know how to take lofty ideas and actually make them useful.
Can you tell us about a recent change to the way you lead?
Recently, I was working on a strategic project. I had worked closely with my lead pastor and after several months work I felt the vision was strong. I was ready and eager to hand it over to others to implement. But my lead pastor advised me to consult with a few others on the team first. Initially I felt frustrated, but I did the consultation. Whilst the project took longer than I had hoped, the result was far stronger because of it. The insights of the team were invaluable.
Some leaders are naturally collaborative in their leadership style, drawing comprehensively on the input of others before making decisions. My natural mode is more directive. I am decisive and can move quickly. But there are times when I should adjust my natural mode. I’m thankful for those who help me see when this is required.
Who are leaders that you find inspiring (besides Jesus) and why?
The leaders who have inspired me most over the years would be leaders that very few people have heard of. I think of Betty Biffin, an elderly woman who was in her nineties when I knew her. In the final years of life, Betty would have a bus load of ‘old people’ from a nearby nursing home over to her house for scones and tea twice a year. She was full of joy in the Lord, constantly providing words of encouragement and proclaiming the goodness of God. I hope to serve with the same sacrifice and joy that she did right to the end.
I think of my first Bible study leader, who turned up faithfully each week to open the Bible with a rowdy bunch of teenage girls, who was the first to clearly explain the gospel to me, and who demonstrated what it looked like to be woman who is devoted to the Lord.
I am inspired by an amazing team of men and women that I work with at church. I am immensely thankful for the humble, courageous, and sacrificial leadership of my good friend and boss Guy Mason who leads our church with dependence on God, with enduring passion, and with confidence in the gospel. And I am inspired by the men and women on our team and the many volunteers in our church who serve faithfully and sacrificially in so many unseen ways for the good of the church and the glory of Jesus. I’m inspired by the witness their service is to the grace of God in their lives.
Is there a Bible verse that you often come back to for encouragement?
In 2 Corinthians 6:1–2 the apostle Paul writes to the Corinthian church:
As God’s co-workers we urge you not to receive God’s grace in vain. For he says,
“In the time of my favour I heard you,
and in the day of salvation I helped you.”
I tell you, now is the time of God’s favour, now is the day of salvation.
These verses propelled me into ministry. Seventeen years later, when I am inclined to forget why I do what I do, or when the challenges of ministry are weighty, these are truths I return to. One day Jesus will return. One day all who are in Christ will be raised together with him and be ushered into everlasting life. All who are not in Christ will, on that day, be condemned to everlasting destruction. Now is the time of God’s favour. One day this time will come to completion. But right now, there is work to be done. If the business of God in these last days is salvation, then it must continue to be my business too.
