St George’s Anglican Church has welcomed their new joint ministry team of husband and wife Ron and Crystal Spindler.
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Reverends Ron and Crystal were commissioned as Rector and Vicar of the Anglican Parish of Parkes by Bishop Ian Palmer.
Both priests in the Anglican Church, the couple have served on the Gold Coast and in the Dioceses of the Riverina and Brisbane.
Church army trained, they have worked in Broken Hill with the Bush Church Aid Society.
The Reverends have also worked in the parishes of Barellan, Weethalle, Ariah Park/Ardlethan and most recently the parish of St Bartholomew in Toowoomba.
Representatives of the Parish of Bartholomew were present to officially recommended them to Bishop Ian during the commissioning service.
The Parkes Parish Appointment board accepted their appointments and asked Bishop Ian to licence them to hold the positions of Rector and Vicar in the Parish.
Reverend Brian Schmalkuche preached the sermon and the couple were welcomed to the area by Churchwarden John Unger and Pastor Andrew Taggart (secretary of the Parkes Ministers Association) on behalf of the other churches in town.
Canon Brett Watterson (Regional Ministry Coordinator) welcomed them to the dioceses and Mayor Ken Keith welcomed them to the shire.
Bishop Palmer also included the village of Cumnock into the Spindlers’s responsibilities.
The couple said their history is with the outback.
“We feel like this is our calling – to rural areas,” Crystal said.
“Our gifting is in this field, we relate well to people on the land.”
Ron said they have received a wonderful reception from the people of Parkes.
“People have been great,” he said.
“They have been so warm and welcoming, including our parishioners in Peak Hill and Cumnock.”
Ron and Crystal have made a long-term commitment to Parkes
“You can’t grow something in a year or two,” they said.
“We left our kids and grand kids in Toowoomba to come down here.
“That’s how strongly we feel God wants us to be here.”
Ron and Crystal have been married for 38 years and have two daughters Brooke and Karina, a foster son Christopher, and eight wonderful grandchildren.
Ron grew up on the south coast of NSW, while Crystal’s family migrated from England when she was three-years-old.
Crystal has been a nurse for 40 years and has nursed everywhere the couple have ministered.
The couples son-in-law, Crystal’s brother-in-law and sister are all ordained clergy.
