Benalla Presbyterian Church recently welcomed visitors from across the north-east during a special weekend of teaching, encouragement and worship.
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On Saturday, August 22 about 70 women, representing 12 churches, gathered for Women’s Ministries Victoria’s 2026 ‘On the Road’ conference.
Women attended from Presbyterian and other churches across the region to explore the conference theme, ‘One Another’, and consider how Christian faith shapes the way people love and care for each other.
Keynote speaker Nat Short gave two talks on Jesus’ command to love one another.
The program also included three practical workshops:
- Wangaratta lawyer Deb Fisher spoke on forgiveness
- Bec Walz from Grace Presbyterian Church in Wodonga spoke about encouragement, and
- Benalla’s Sarah McDonald led a workshop on humility
Mrs McDonald said it was encouraging to see women from different churches and towns learning together.
“The Christian faith is not meant to be lived alone and the Bible’s ‘one another’ commands show us how deeply our relationships matter,” she said.
“It was wonderful to see women from across the north-east thinking practically about what it means to love, forgive and encourage one another, and to serve others with humility.
“We hope everyone returned to their own churches encouraged and better equipped to care for the people around them.”
Benalla Presbyterian Church previously hosted WMV’s ‘On the Road’ conferences in 2019 and 2022.
These conferences are designed to make biblical teaching and training more accessible to women in rural and regional Victoria.
On the morning of August 23 the congregation welcomed the Rev Rod Waterhouse, moderator of the Presbyterian Church of Victoria, to preach at its Sunday service.
Mr Waterhouse preached from John 6:25-40 on ‘The Jesus I Always Knew’.
Benalla Presbyterian Church minister Stephen McDonald said the moderator’s visit was a significant occasion for the congregation.
“Having the moderator with us was a special privilege for our church,” Mr McDonald said.
“Rod represents Presbyterians across Victoria, but he also came to us as a pastor and preacher.
“We appreciated his teaching and the opportunity to spend time with him and his wife Sandra.
“It was also encouraging to welcome visitors from Benalla and the surrounding district for the occasion.”
In the Presbyterian Church, the moderator does not govern the denomination or its local churches, and usually also serves as the pastor of a congregation.
The moderator is chosen for a one-year term to chair the Church’s General Assembly, represent the Presbyterian Church of Victoria on official occasions and visit congregations throughout the state.
Before training for the ministry Mr Waterhouse worked as a property valuer in Tasmania.
He went on to pastor congregations in Hobart, Geelong, Mount Gambier and Ararat and is currently the minister of Scots’ Presbyterian Church in Portland.
Its building dates from about 1849 and is believed to be the oldest surviving Presbyterian church building in Victoria.
Mr Waterhouse also comes from a family with a long involvement in christian ministry and missionary service.
One of his ancestors, the Rev John Waterhouse, was appointed general superintendent of the Wesleyan Missions in Australia and Polynesia in 1838.
Based in Hobart, John Waterhouse oversaw Methodist missionary work across a region stretching from NSW to Fiji.
Several of his sons also served as missionaries and ministers in Australia and the Pacific.
That missionary interest has continued in Rod Waterhouse’s own ministry.
Until becoming moderator, he served as secretary of the Australian Presbyterian World Mission Committee.
He and his wife Sandra also plan to visit Presbyterian churches in Japan and South Korea during his moderatorial term.
Mr Waterhouse said visiting local churches had been one of the highlights of his year as Moderator.
“I have greatly enjoyed visiting churches across the north-east, including Broadford, Tatura, Shepparton, Yarrawonga, Wangaratta, Myrtleford, Wodonga and now Benalla,” he said.
He will also preach at Yea Presbyterian Church on Sunday, August 30.
“Each congregation is different, but wherever I have gone I have been encouraged by people faithfully gathering to worship Jesus Christ and serve their local communities. It was a joy to meet the people of Benalla and share God’s Word with them,” Mr Waterhouse said.
The Rev Stephen McDonald, minister of Benalla Presbyterian Church, serves as one of the moderator’s chaplains, providing advice and support during the General Assembly and throughout the moderatorial term.
The previous visit to Benalla by a Presbyterian Moderator was in 2021, when the Rev John Stasse of South Yarra preached at the church.