By Brendan Rees
Reverend Sam Bleby has been appointed the new priest-in-charge of the St John’s Anglican Church in Cranbourne.
The former lawyer turned priest is excited to start his new role after being commissioned on Tuesday 24 September, surrounded by churchgoers and guest Casey mayor Amanda Stapledon.
Mr Bleby and his family moved from South Australia, and have been humbled by the community’s warm welcome.
Originally a lawyer in corporate law working at a big firm in Adelaide called Finlaysons, Mr Bleby turned to working in the ministry mainly in the Grace Anglican Network in the eastern suburbs of Adelaide in various roles.
“Most recently I’ve come from planting a new church within the Grace Anglican Network with a team of people seeking to reach out to and be a blessing to families and new migrants,” he said.
He said he and his family decided to move to Cranbourne as “we’re keen to serve wherever God might call us to be.”
“We prayed and considered we felt it was Cranbourne that God had for us. As a growing area with many young families, there’s lots of opportunities for the church to be a blessing to the community, a place where people might be able to connect for the first time, or reconnect to God.”
He added: “As someone myself with a young family it seemed like a good fit and an exciting place to be.”
When asked what he hopes to achieve in his new role, Mr Bleby said “I’d love to see us as a community be a blessing to the wider community, whether by sharing the good news about Jesus and the difference.”
“He makes to us, or helping out where there are wider physical or social needs, or simply providing a place where people can connect with others and with God.”
