29 December 1951- 20 September 2014
Rev. Lynette Anne Collins was born in Balmain on the 29th December 1951. She committed to following the way of Jesus at the age of 15 and felt a call to ministry. She entered into the formation process of becoming a Methodist Deaconess (2 years younger than the usual admission and without prior qualifications) at 19 years of age. Lynthtrained at Central Methodist Mission in Sydney, and Wagga Methodist Church. On the 19 October 1975 she was ordained as a Methodist Deaconess (with an Ordination Certificate) at the age of 23. Lyn remained in Wagga from 1975-77, taking a leave of absence to complete her Bachelor of Arts in 1980.
Lyn served as Deacon to the Sutherland Uniting Church Parish from 1981-1983. At which point she was encouraged to follow her calling to Ministry of the Word. In 1984, Lyn commenced study at the United Theological College in Enfield, graduating in 1987 with a Bachelor of Theology.
She then ministered at Engadine, in the Helensburgh Parish until 1992.
In 1993, Lyn felt called to Hobart Tasmania, where she ministered to the East Derwent Parish. The Port Arthur Massacre occurred in Lyn’s parish. Lyn responded by joining with her ecumenical colleagues from the Catholic and Anglican churches supporting each other and their community with prayerful care.
Lyn returned to NSW in 1998 to minister to the six congregations within the Grahamstown Parish. She also served as President of Raymond Terrace Rotary Club. In 2005 Lyn’s energies and capacity to minister were depleted and she took a leave of absence until December 2011 when she formally retired from ministry. During and after this time she worked as a Teachers’ aide in a local Primary School and then as Admin Assistant at Jesmond Park Uniting Church.
Lyn’s approach to worship, congregational service and community engagement was invitational. She was good at helping people at the edges of the church feel welcomed and at ease. Her trademark style was to fling herself wholeheartedly at each new venture. Lyn spent all that she was and most of what she had in ministries of some form.
Lyn was diagnosed with breast cancer in 2011 and with secondaries in 2014. Lyn handled her illness with dignity and honest rage. Lyn died on the 30th September 2015, aged 63. We give thanks to God for the fullness of this woman’s life and faith.