PrintABOUT MIKE & BEV ROBINSON
Mike (who is now 77 years young!) has been married to Bev for 50 years (as of July, 2014) and they are the proud parents of 3 adult children and five delightful grand daughters...but don't get Mike & Bev talking about them if you want to get home in time for dinner!! Bev is a Registered Nurse, a role she has enjoyed for the 30 years leading up to her retirement back in 2006.
Mike graduated from Tahlee Bible College in 1962 and subsequently studied at the NSW Baptist Theological College from 1968 to 1971. Mike and Bev have served Baptist Churches in Dapto, Bathurst, Manifold Heights (in Victoria), The Entrance and then a second ministry season at Bathurst.
Towards the end of 2000, Mike was diagnosed with Parkinson's Disease. Yet, just when they were wondering if this meant the end of the ministry as they had known it, the Baptist Church at Dural (in Sydney's north west) invited Mike to join their Pastoral Team as Nurture Pastor. With a sense that such an opportunity was a delightful gift from God at this stage of their lives (especially given the uncertainties of the health scenario), Mike and Bev moved to Dural in June, 2002, to take up that ministry position.
In June, 2004, Mike suffered a heart attack and was hospitalized for 12 days. That completely unexpected event became the focus of many prayers and Mike's recovery has been quite remarkable. However, in March, 2006, because of slowly diminishing levels of physical and emotional energy, Mike felt the need to stand down from his place on the Pastoral Team.
Then, in March, 2013, Bev was diagnosed with Motor Neurone Disease (ALS). Given the prognosis that comes with such a disease, both Mike and Bev are confronted with a journey of immense proportions - the Journey Through The Valley. At one stage, with Mike's health scenario, they both anticipated that Bev would care for Mike in their "old age". Suddenly, that expectation has given way to the realisation that it is more likely that Mike will care for his wife.
[To bring this biography up-to-date, Bev died on 12th April, 2015.]
Today Mike finds great joy and fulfillment in the opportunities he has to mentor younger pastors and to write for his website, 'Barnabas Network'. A few years back, Mike sensed the Lord God whisper into his spirit words that sounded like this: "I don't want anything I have taught you to die with you. Pass it on to others".
So through mentoring and writing, Mike is seeking to honour that directive.
