Pastor Mike and Karen Collum.
Praise the Lord, O my soul; all my inmost being ... Don't forget all His benefits ... He forgives all my sins ... He redeems my life ... And crowns me with love and compassion. He satisfies my desires with good things." Psalm 103:1-5.
"The greatest thing about trusting in God is getting to know Him personally, and growing to understand His real attitudes toward us.
I have many favourite scriptures, but the Psalms are the most intimate record of a personal friendship with God".
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Personal Profile.
Pr Mike was born in Birmingham, Alabama, USA and lived in Birmingham until grade 5 when he moved to Orlando, Florida. He grew up in the church and attended Adventist schools. He went away to an Adventist boarding school in Year 10 in North Carolina called Mt Pisgah Academy, and it was there that Mike experienced the power of Jesus’ love like never before and gave his heart to the Lord.
Mike finished high school and felt called to ministry, so he attended Southern College (now Southern Adventist University) in Tennessee. He became discouraged along the way and spent the next few years in a variety of jobs, before deciding to go back and complete his schooling. Mike made the decision to head west across the United States and attend Loma Linda University La Sierra Campus (now La Sierra University), where he completed a Bachelor of Science in 1991.
In 1993 while working at a summer camp Mike heard about an opportunity to go to Launceston, Tasmania as a volunteer youth pastor. After finding out where in the world Tasmania was, he decided to have a year of adventure and head “Down Under”. Mike arrived in Tassie in March 1994, fully intending to return to the USA at the end of the year. God, however, had other plans! He has been in Australia ever since and in June 2003 became an Australian citizen.
In November 1996, Mike and Karen got married and have spent the last 7 years ministering and teaching in Tasmania and Victoria. They started in Devonport, Tasmania, before moving to Victoria where Mike was the Associate Youth Director for the Victorian Conference and Pastor of Glenhuntly Church. From there, Mike ministered at Lilydale church in the role of Associate Pastor, before spending the last 2 years in Horsham as Pastor of the Ararat and Horsham churches.
Mike and Karen are delighted to be in Queensland and are looking forward to working with the church members of Park Ridge and Beaudesert as they reach out and make a difference in their local communities. Mike’s personal mission is to reach people for Jesus Christ, and to train and equip them to be His disciples.
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