A Trust Services Update

Anytime is a good time to make a will and ensure your family's future is secure.

When was the last time you considered having a Will prepared?

The Trust Services Department seems to be a largely unknown and often forgotten ministry of the Seventh-day Adventist Church. Yet it has been providing an important complimentary service for church members, their families, and friends in Australia since at least the 1960s. I know this because over the past two and half years I’ve been undertaking an audit of files and documents we hold and have found one dating from 1962!

While we are not front and centre of minds like Youth Ministry or ADRA, we have been tirelessly working away behind the scenes often supporting the various ministries of our church. 

When I began in this role in September 2021, the Victorian Conference Trust Services Director cared for not only the Victorian Conference but also Tasmania, South New South Wales and South Australian Conferences…almost half the country. The benefit of being one of the larger Conferences of our church is our ability to share resources and to these smaller conferences where we can. In early-2022 the South Australian Conference appointed their own Trust Services Director which freed up some time and filing space within our own offices. 

Even though the area serviced has decreased, the additional time has enabled us to start an audit process that continues to this day. During this process we have found documents and wills held for people who have fallen asleep in Jesus as recently as last year, to those who passed away more than 30 years ago.

As we continue to offer the opportunity for our greater-church family to have Wills prepared in a compassionate and professional manner (at no cost to you) we kindly ask for your assistance. To ensure our records are kept up-to-date and to further enhance our services, please contact us when your loved ones have passed away. This enables any documents and wills to be returned to the family and in so doing, honouring your loved one’s wishes.

If you believe we may be holding documents from a relative that has passed away some time ago (even over five or ten years) please don’t hesitate to contact us. Alternatively, if you need help preparing a valid Will, please contact Trust Services for a confidential appointment.