New path for corporate high-flyer

Natasha Percy | 1 June 2007

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Steve answers 5 questions about being a Christian and taking on his new role.

How did you become a Christian?

At the end of high school, I was invited to Teen Ranch by a high school friend, where I first heard the gospel. I then started attending Cronulla Uniting Church. I was really convicted by the gospel from that first time but it took me 18 months to make the decision to become a Christian.

How are you involved at Caringbah?

I’ve just become a parish councillor this year, I’m on the service-leading roster for evening church and I lead a Bible study.

You’ve come from a distinguished career in the corporate world. What was it like to be a Christian in that scene?

I’ve never found any conflict in terms of my Christian values. Most of the people I’ve worked with know that I am a Christian and from time to time I’ve had opportunities to talk about my faith.

What are your impressions of SDS?

I’ve been really impressed by what Rodney Dredge and the team have achieved - it strikes me as an organisation that has really grown and developed in recent years. It’s already providing a great support to the Diocesan Mission so my aim is to build on the very strong foundations that have already been laid.

How has your corporate background prepared you for this role?

I’ve had relevant experience in banking and funds management and a lot of the legal, accounting and finance issues that the Secretariat is dealing with. I’ve had a lot of experience in leadership and working with teams. Another area is customer service, as SDS has an important role in supporting parishes.

The Diocesan Mission and biblical truth are two factors that have led one of Australia’s top bankers to leave his high-profile corporate job to become the new CEO of the Sydney Diocesan Secretariat (SDS) and the Glebe Administration Board (GAB).

But for Steve McKerihan, giving up a $1.8 million salary with St George Bank, a company he had worked with for over 20 years, was easier than leaving the Uniting Church three years ago over its stance on homosexuality.

Steve and his family were part of a group within Cronulla Uniting Church who shared concerns that the Church’s position was compromising biblical truth. The minister’s resignation prompted Steve and his wife Margaret to leave.

“It was a difficult decision for me personally because we had attended that church for a long time, and that particular parish had always faithfully presented and taught the gospel,” he recalls.

Steve says the Sydney Diocese’s clear stance on these issues, and a number of close friends who are Sydney Anglicans, led him and Margaret to St Philip’s, Caringbah in 2004.

“It seemed to me that the Sydney Diocese had a very clear Bible-based approach and seemed to be moving forward in a very positive manner,” he says. “We found Caringbah to be a very welcoming church with strong teaching, so we settled in quite quickly.”

Another attraction has been the Diocesan Mission, which he says has motivated him in ministry, and will now be a strong focus in his career.

“I’m inspired by the Mission’s very positive evangelistic and growth focus, so it would be my hope and prayer that I can contribute to that with the rest of the team.”

While Steve was happy in his position as Chief Financial Officer of St George Bank, he says a career in the church had been a possibility for some time.

“I’d had a general notion that perhaps God wanted me to pursue some form of Christian work later on in my career, so when I saw the advertisement in Southern Cross late last year, I felt a strong conviction to see if the role was appropriate for me.”

The move has involved a substantial pay cut from his previous salary. But Steve says forsaking such a large income is far from a sacrifice.

“My situation doesn’t compare with those who’ve made decisions right from the start of their careers to sacrificially pursue full-time Christian work,” he says.

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