The Australian National Council has announced that Grant Chick, who is currently living in South Africa with his family, has accepted an offer of employment as an elder with the United Church of God–Australia. Grant and Kim Chick and their three sons are scheduled to arrive in Australia in January and will be located in the northern state of Queensland, where Mr. Chick will work with senior pastor Bill Bradford.

Mr. and Mrs. Chick are graduates of Ambassador College and have been heavily involved in serving the South African churches since they graduated in 1990. Mr. Chick is originally from New Zealand, while Mrs. Chick is South African. They were married in South Africa in September of 1990. His ordination as an elder took place last Feast of Trumpets in South Africa.

The opportunity to serve in Australia came about as a result of André van Belkum raising the matter with Australian National Council Chairman Bill Eddington at the 2007 General Conference of Elders in Cincinnati, explaining that he had been working with the Chicks in the hope that they would be able to accept greater responsibility in South Africa, but did not have the resources to employ him.

Further discussions with Mr. van Belkum and Jim Franks, operation manager for Ministerial Services, as to the immediate need for additional elders in Australia opened the way for the appointment to be made.

When Mr. Chick takes up his employment, Australia will have five salaried elders serving 20 congregations spread throughout the continent, supported by 11 nonsalaried elders.