Steve and Helen's family background
Brought up in a Christian family in the south eastern Australian State of Victoria with five siblings, Steve experienced the call of God on his life at an early age. His father worked as a builder and in his spare time preached, evangelised and ran Sunday School classes in country towns around them. Steve often accompanied him, along with other members of the family. In his late teens he completed Fitting and Turning and Master Welding apprenticeships. In his spare time he led the youth in his home church and was popular in his home region as an anointed singer and guitarist. In his early 20's, Steve enrolled in the the national Bible College of the Assemblies of God in Australia, located in New South Wales. It was there that he met his future wife, Helen.
Helen was brought up in Papua New Guinea, the second of four children. Her parents were aviation missionaries and from her earliest years she experienced and absorbed life in a very different culture. Her teenage years were spent at boarding school and nursing training in Australia's north eastern State of Queensland. Throughout her teens, she played the piano or organ at church and was involved in street evangelism and outreach to drug addicts. Working as a missionary with people in need was the only future she could imagine, and so she enrolled in the same Bible College as Steve in 1976.
Steve & Helen have four children: Cathy, Jonathan, Matthew and Serah. Cathy is married to Andrew. Their young family is very active in various aspects of leadership and service in their church. Jonathan is married to Abigail. Their young family is based in Salamander Bay, where Jon manages the ministries of Liberty for the Nations in Vanuatu. Matthew is very active in leadership and service in his local church in Melbourne, Victoria. Serah, adopted as a baby from Vanuatu, loves church and growing up surrounded by her friends.
