Founders
John was a man with a heart after God. John’s original plan
was to study law, thinking it might lead to a career in politics, as he wanted to see the world become a better place. Yet one day, while praying and seeking direction for his life, John saw Jesus in a vision coming towards him, wearing a white robe and sandals, holding out a shepherd’s crook, saying, “This is what you will be in my hands”.
At that moment, little did John know how this encounter would change his life and ministry. In the next 25 years, John would attend theological seminary and ultimately receive his Doctor of Ministry Degree, marry Alaine who was his best friend, partner, and co- worker in the work of the ministry and they would start a family, being blessed with 2 children, Toby and Holly.
Their humble, divinely appointed beginning, would see them pastor a small Presbyterian church in Iowa, USA. They would never have imagined, that one day they would leave the security of the small country church in USA, after receiving a call to take up a pastorship within the Uniting Church in Perth, Western Australia.
Whatever John and Alaine put their hand to, the favour of God was on them. Authority is given by God and when a man or woman is called by God, God sets them apart and equips them for His purposes and His Glory. Jesus greatly blessed the path before them and their local Uniting Church grew. However, the enemy did all that he could to oppose them, ultimately resulting in a church split.
What the enemy plans for evil, God uses for good, and a new pioneer work was birthed out of the split, called Churchlands. John would never have imagined that this new beginning, birthed in such a challenging way, would become a lamp set on a lamp stand, enabling the wondrous works of the Lord to be seen.
Life was birthed from death and Churchlands would eventually become one of the largest churches within the Uniting Church in Australia. God was glorifying His name through His humble bondservant, giving John favour and influence not only in his church which was growing exponentially, but through anointed influence with leaders and many other denominations within the state, nation and internationally across the world.
The first 25 years of John and Alaines’ ministry shaped them, and forged within them a deeper heart and hunger to see the Lord glorified in and through the lives of others. John always said that one who desires to lead, must first learn to follow, to serve. A true leader in God’s Kingdom is a bondservant who reflects the character of Christ. Character is largely developed in the desertlike seasons of despair. Little did John and Alaine know, that such an experience of despair would come.
A decision was made, supported by the Churchlands congregation, to leave the denomination of the Uniting Church. John was delighted to be appointed as the point man for the establishment of Vineyard Churches in Australia, by the founder of the Vineyard Movement of Churches, John Wimber. A devastating and painful time lay ahead for John and Alaine after John Wimber’s death.
John shares in his book, The treasure in the Field that he and Alaine were broken and deeply wounded by their removal as leaders of Vineyard, following the sad death of John Wimber. Yet again, what the enemy planned for evil, God used for good. Through the brokenness and surrendered lives of John and Alaine, God birthed a new work, the Southern Cross Association of Churches. Since its inception in 1999, Southern Cross has grown to include 200 ministries across 11 countries both in the church and the marketplace.
Through John & Alaines’ faithful devotion to all they were called to, Southern Cross has become a vibrant, innovative, network of christian ministries with a heart and a goal to see God’s Kingdom established in every sphere of society across the Southern Hemisphere.
Director & National Nominating Authority
If you ask me who I am, I would simply say that I’m the Lords fool, His Bondservant, Lidia’s husband, John & Alaines son & the servant of all. I’m humbled to be able to continue the mission and vision given to my spiritual parents John & Alaine 25 years ago.
For those who don’t know me, All that I do, and all that I am is but by the grace of God. I am his bondservant, set apart in these last days for His good pleasure so that the work of His Spirit and the work of His Word be made manifest in His Church. Today I have a clear understanding of whom I am in Christ and a clear understanding of the mission and vision that grips my heart but this was not originally so.
For some reason the Lord chose me in these days to manifest His purposes and glory, He chose me not because of intellect, strength or wisdom but because He takes the foolish things of the world to confound the wisdom of the wise. Why does he do this? So that no man would glory in His presence.
Jesus Christ on March 17th 1996 saved me and then within a short time I was baptised in His Holy Spirit and our Lord himself appeared to me in a vision setting me free from the works of the enemy and then gave me a vision of what He’s going to do in these last days.
Yet, I didn’t fully understand that in His foreknowledge and wisdom He would take me on a journey through His church and would use the school of life to teach me and train me in all things, so that the Word of God by the Spirit of God would become more than just words on a page and more than just accumulated knowledge. They became life giving truth, words with power to set the captive free, hope for a hurting heart, healing for a struggling mind and for a broken body. His word is alive and real and I through His mercy have been made alive and equipped by and through His Spirit.
Dear friends, there is a fire in my bones and a vision in my heart that compels me to walk forward and see His church brought back to the biblical moorings of scripture. To see the walls that seperate His house removed and to see the bride of Christ prepared so that it would be presented to the bridegroom on that great and wonderful day without spot and blemish.
I believe our Lord desires to establish again a new testament configured church which we call an apostolically configured church. This has been revealed to us in the book of Acts and further reinforced by Paul through his epistles as a wise master builder.
The scriptures reveal to us that a biblical new testament church is made up of a healthy community united in the cause of Christ. A community that isedified and equipped in the words, works and ways of God. This is the community that the Lord adds too, as He sees fit and it becomes the community of believers that sees others raised up and sent out into the work of the Lord for their lives and for His glory.
Therefore, Let us be wise master builders, faithfully teaching the principles and precepts of the Kingdom of Heaven, making disciples of all nations, equipping the saints for the work of the ministry, raising up ambassadors to the King and the Kingdom, influencing and infiltrating the spheres around us, in the church and in the marketplace.
Together in His Kingdom,
David Kranjec
© Southern Cross Association of Churches