From Mechanic to Migrant Trainer

David Shekede is not one to shy away from a challenge. Vocational Bible College has tasked him with recruiting 10 students so that he can begin working as a Migrant Trainer in 2025. Instead of 10, however, David has set his own challenge: he wants to find 20 students.

“By God's grace, I will, because I've got some connections within my community and other migrant communities as well,” David explains. “So I'll be visiting them and talking to them about VBC, because I know there's a lot of people who need to do theological training, but they cannot afford to leave their jobs and do it full-time.”

David knows this scenario well, because he’s lived it. 

Originally from Zimbabwe, David had the privilege of growing up in a Christian home. His father was a bishop and a church planter, and David gave his life to Christ at age 12. After finishing high school and getting married, David started his apprenticeship as a mechanic. He had worked in the industry for about a decade and had even started his own business before the declining economy prompted David and his family to migrate to Australia.

That was in 2001. The family quickly settled into Yagoona & Condell Park Anglican

Church For All Nations, and it wasn’t long before David began his journey in theological training. Over the next 10 years — all while working full-time as a mechanic, training apprentices in that space — David completed a Bachelor of Theology. Then over the following 10 years he continued studying, until last year when he graduated with a Masters of Theological Studies at Morling College.

It was around the begining of 2024 when David met with (VBC Principal) Andrew Beddoe, and he told Andrew he wished he could have done his training through VBC. He found the academic standard of the other Bible colleges to be quite high, and because he is a migrant, he never had the option to study full-time, because he needed to support his family while studying.

“When we talked about VBC I said to Andrew, ‘Where were you all this time?!’” David laughs. “And Andrew said, ‘It’s not too late. You can help other people who are in the position you were, because this is meant to help people who want to do theology, but they don't have the money and the time to go to the big colleges.’”

Following an official interview with the VBC Board, David has been formally offered a role as Migrant Trainer. From the beginning of October, he will begin working on growing enrolments for next year. His background as a technical trainer makes him a perfect fit for the position. Not only does he have qualifications in the theology space, but he also has a degree in adult education and training.

David’s confidence in recruiting students doesn’t come from his own ability, however. He trusts that God is sovereign through it all.

“I'm not saying it's going to be easy to recruit that many students, but it's simple if you put it in God's hands,” David explains. “If God wants it to happen, it will happen.”

David is really looking forward to meeting the new students and hearing their stories of how they've been waiting for an opportunity to be able to study the Word of God without the pressure of going to a highly academic college or the pressure to raise a lot of money.

He’s also looking forward to seeing how God uses these students in the future — firstly in their own local churches, and then potentially to plant new churches down the track.

“There's a very big shortage of Bible-trained migrant ministers who can be relevant in terms of culture and background or even the way of worship, so this will help,” David says.

When he meets with potential new students, David plans to simply share his own story.

“Most people like to hear stories,” he explains. “So if I tell them my story, what happened to me — the struggle I had to go through until I finished, then I can tell them that VBC is the solution, because you don't have to take 10 years to do it. And you don't have to spend a lot of money like I did — and if you like, you can even end up being ordained.”

Please pray for David as he has many conversations over the next few months. We are looking forward to seeing how the Lord uses him in this role, for His glory!