The North New South Wales Conference (NNSW) Adventist Aviation Association (AAA) celebrated 60 years of reaching remote communities through aviation in the South Pacific with a special program at Avondale Memorial church in Cooranbong, New South Wales, Australia, on November 1 and 2, 2024.

Members of the ministry, including former and current pilots, missionaries, and supporters, gathered for the event. It included a special worship service, a potluck lunch, a performance by the Avondale Brass Band, and a program reflecting on the history of Adventist Aviation.

Jonathon Hunt-Mason, South Queensland Conference (SQC) AAA president, presented an overview of the aviation ministry’s work in Queensland. South Pacific Division President Glenn Townend presented the main message, sharing his personal experiences with Adventist Aviation Services (AAS) in Papua New Guinea (PNG) and reflecting on the power of aviation to reach isolated communities.

NNSW AAA President John Kosmeier explained the significance of the anniversary, “This milestone is significant because we can look back and see what God wanted, and it was done. And today we have churches raised up as a result of AAA.”

He noted key locations where AAA has an advanced ministry in NNSW, including Brewarrina, Moree, Narrabri, Coonabarabran, Coonamble, and Bourke.

For Keith and Danuta Stockwell, who planted the Brewarrina church, the work of AAA was essential for the growth of the outback-based church plant. “AAA was a huge help and support to us out west. They were like the ‘Golden Gate Bridge’ between the west and the coast,” said Danuta Stockwell.

Keith Stockwell explained that AAA offered support, from transporting church members from the coast who assisted with Sabbath programs to transporting food to feed the community attending church. “That was a big relief for us because being a church plant and being limited with Adventists out there to be able to help with a church plant, that became very vital for the ministry in the west.”

“We do this for the work of God,” said Kosmeier. “And that is the real purpose of Adventist Aviation: to go into isolated areas, where we win souls for Christ and connect them to His family, getting ready for Jesus to come.”

The original article was published on the South Pacific Division news site, Adventist Record.