Stan Job – A Pioneer Pastor
Theres a verse in the Bible that says “Boast not thyself of tomorrow; for thou knowest not what a day may bring forth.
Let another man praise thee, and not thine own mouth; a stranger, and not thine own lips.” Proverbs 27:1-2
In this generation of what I call “Celebrity Worship” it is not surprising that even in church circles we seem to get caught up in the adulation or hero-worship of certain charismatic individuals.
The sad part is that sometimes our leaders who are supposed to epitomise servanthood (that of a shepherd) start to believe the rhetoric.
The temptation is as the Bible says ‘they think more highly of themselves than they ought”.
Sometimes we old-timers are tempted to look in the mirror and see someone who has “been around the block a few times”.
I have noticed the older you get the more confidence you develop to readily speak your mind.
You’re less and less intimidated by life because you’ve just about seen it all.
The danger with that is, when popular people look in the mirror, they’re tempted to see someone who has ‘arrived’ and people seem to treat them as if they’re someone special.
In this Saturday Evening Post, I want to tell you about an old man who has ‘been there and done that’ and yet remained honest, humble, true to his calling and in God’s eyes a faithful servant.
You wouldn’t classify him as a ‘world beater’, or someone who is incredibly talented.
Certainly not a ‘Celebrity’!
Like most of us he was just an ordinary Australian bloke who gave his life to serve Jesus.
We ought to respect our elders and learn from those who have gone before us, and so I want to tell you about someone whom you know very little about.
His name is Pastor Stan Job.
I visited him sometime back with my brother Andrew and was immediately struck by his demeanour.
A quietly spoken 91 year old who was delighted to see me yet selfconscious at the same time.
Pastor Stan Job was born on the 31st March 1928 on a property near Peak Hill NSW.
He was one of 9 children and at the age of 19 was born again.
He can tell you the day he was saved.
On the 7 June 1947 he surrendered his life to the Lord and was filled with the Holy Spirit during a Tent Crusade conducted by the Sturgeons in Parkes NSW.
It wasn’t long before Stan started to feel a strong desire to serve the Lord and believed God had called him to the ministry.
It was 1949!
He enrolled in the first Assemblies of God Bible College in Australia which was located in Melbourne, to prepare himself for ministry.
He married Shirley just prior to going to college and both completed 3 years and then accepted a call to pastor the Church in Forbes.
The Assembly was so small they couldn’t even support a pastor.
That didn’t deter Stan from the responsibility, instead he supported his ministry by working in the local hardware store.
Stan laboured hard and long and the Assembly was consolidated and blessed because of his dedication and sacrifice.
After 4 years, the Job’s sensed God was moving them on and accepted a call to Gilgandra.
Again, Stan worked in a hardware store to supplement his income and during his time in Gilgandra built a Church Manse which provided a home for future pastors.
Believing his time was finished in Gilgandra, Stan and Shirley moved in 1960 to pastor the Church in Glen Innes.
During the Job’s ministry in Glen Innes a Church building was built and Stan helped release several young men and women into the ministry.
Following 4 years in Glen Innes the Job’s traveled north to Queensland and pastored a little country church in the Darling Downs at Goombungee for a short period.
They then ministered in the ACT in Canberra for 5 years, before moving to Victoria and pastored the Dandenong church for 4 years.
It is difficult to explain the sacrifices required in the vocation of a pastor and his family, other than to say it requires a selfless lifestyle and a great deal of personal sacrifice.
Imagine the toll this must have extracted from their children!
But then again one cannot underestimate the grace of God given to a family serving in such circumstances.
I know I was brought up in a missionaries family and moved from house to house and country to country and by God’s grace learned to accept it as part of life.
In fact I think I am richer for the experience!
For Stan & Shirley it was back to New South Wales where they cared for the churches in Dubbo for 4 years, Orange for 5 years and Cowra for 2 years.
In 1985, Stan and Shirley moved to Toowoomba to be near their adult children and was involved in pastoral care ministry at Victory Christian Church.
Shirley passed away a few years ago and Stan now lives in Magnolia Nursing Home at Coomera on the Gold Coast.
Stan and Shirley devoted their whole lives to serving the Lord Jesus Christ and never sought fame or fortune.
Their ministry was marked by a deep commitment to prayer and encouraging and building the Body of Christ.
Pastor Stan Job and his wife Shirley (who died 28/2/2016) have served in the Assemblies of God in Australia now known as the Australian Christian Churches since 1952.
They are a model of selfless commitment to the cause of Christ in this country and unsung heroes of the faith.
Their whole lives were spent in ministry to the body of Christ and building up the local Church.
Listed below are the towns & churches where they served.
Ministry.
Forbes 1952
Gilgandra 1956
Glenn Innes 1960
Goombungee 1964
Canberra 1965
Dandenong 1970
Dubbo 1974
Orange 1978
Cowra 1983
I caught up with Stan a couple of years ago and chatted with him in the nursing home where he now resides.
Pastors are usually never short for words but this humble servant of the Lord was very reluctant to talk about himself or his passed achievements.
Take a listen to what he had to say in this short video.
We honour this Godly couple and thank them for their years of service.
December 1st, 2018 at 7:21 AM
Grand and faithful couple!
December 2nd, 2018 at 4:20 PM
Jeanette Donald
Posted on Facebook “Such a Beautiful Couple , Stan n Shirley shared the same church as us here on the Gold Coast . We loved our conversations with them both . He is now in the Same Age Home as is another of my Special Friends from Highway Church , Where Stan n Shirley attented with Simon n myself.”
December 2nd, 2018 at 4:22 PM
DavidLillian Moulton
Posted on Facebook “He was my parents in laws pastor at Dandenong Victoria. They thought very highly of that couple. God bless them. Lillian.”
December 7th, 2018 at 8:00 PM
Julianne Leong
Posted on Facebook “Stan is a true legend who has served God with everything he has. We have had the absolute pleasure of doing life with Stan and Shirl for the past 13 years. Thank you for honoring this man.”
January 9th, 2019 at 6:04 PM
Shared this report with Stan today. He is getting more frail but still able to comprehend and relate. Stan was greatly blessed with your article Fred. Thank you for honouring him.