An Indigenous Christian elder from the North Coast of New South Wales has been gifted a brand new car. The Canberra Declaration as part of Australian Heart Ministries raised funds to buy the four-wheel-drive Toyota Prado for 77-year-old Bundjalung elder Peter Walker.
Declaration co-founder Warwick Marsh said Pastor Walker is widely regarded as the foremost Indigenous Christian leader in the nation today. He has travelled to nearly every corner of the country, ministering to his people for over 40 years, serving at Redfern Indigenous Church in Sydney and as a prison chaplain.
A grateful Pastor Walker said: “I’m just overwhelmed. I can’t put into words how I feel right now. I never would have thought this would happen to me. I am just so thankful for this gift. I want to personally thank Canberra Declaration for this gift that’s been given, and I thank you all sincerely. I even have my favourite Bible verse, 2 Chronicles 7:14, printed on the back of the rear spare tyre shell of the vehicle.”
It reads: If my people, who are called by my name, will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and I will forgive their sin and will heal their land.
Warwick Marsh and Peter Walker have worked closely together for many years with Mr. Marsh declaring: “Peter is an elder worthy of double honour. I have had the pleasure of working closely with him for over three decades. we served together on the Praise Corroboree. which was a 72-hour cross-cultural gathering to glorify God at Parliament House in Canberra, from 1996–1998.”
In 2015 Pastor Walker led a delegation of Indigenous Elders to Parliament House to present the Uluru Bark Petition to parliamentarians in support of the sacred value of marriage between a man and a woman within Indigenous culture. During the National Day of Prayer & Fasting in 2020 he prayed with, and for, Governor-General David Hurley in front of Parliament House.
Mr. Marsh recalled “Many years ago in 2001 Pastor Walker was gifted an earlier model 4WD for his busy ministry. He was very thankful for this providential gift. Just over three years ago, with almost half a million kilometres and 19 years of faithful service, his ministry vehicle gave up the ghost. Peter has been borrowing his daughter Estelle’s car for the last three years. This has been less than ideal, but Estelle is very gracious.” He gave a special thanks to Illawarra Toyota for giving a generous discount.
The Canberra Declaration has also provided cars to other Indigenous Christian leaders and maintained their vehicles. Mr. Marsh said: “Thankfully, over the last three years, with the help of our faithful donors at the Canberra Declaration, we have been able to give three second-hand cars away to Indigenous ministers. Recently we also saw five other Indigenous Christian leaders get their cars back on the road by paying for repairs, tyres or even fuel. Another Indigenous elder got a full set of new tyres on his 4WD.”
Photo: Canberra Declaration
