Frontier Services announces its new National Director
Dave Parker's extensive executive experience and heart for the gospel make him an outstanding fit for the strategy and future of Frontier Services
April 17, 2026
The Board of Frontier Services has announced the appointment of Mr Dave Parker as its new National Director, marking an important moment of renewal and growth for Australia’s oldest bush charity.
Mr Parker brings significant executive experience in managing a diverse and complex portfolio of responsibilities. He joins Frontier Services from Scripture Union Australia, where he held a broad portfolio spanning public advocacy, donor relations, fundraising, marketing and communications, as well as coordinating chaplaincy services and supporting volunteers. In that role, he led geographically dispersed teams through major organisational and cultural change.
The Board described Mr Parker as an “outstanding fit” for the organisation’s future, expressing confidence in his ability to help expand key areas of ministry. These include new Bush Chaplaincy placements, strengthening First Peoples’ Chaplaincy, and growing volunteer engagement through Outback Links. Across isolated stations and farms, small outback towns, and communities recovering from drought, fire and flood, Frontier Services continues to offer practical assistance, pastoral care and spiritual support.
“I am excited and honoured to be joining the Frontier Services team ... alongside our supporters, volunteers and ministry partners we will continue to innovate and strengthen our services to provide much needed practical, pastoral and spiritual support to rural and remote communities.”
Subscribe to our newsletter
If you want to get the latest news from the Uniting Church in Australia then subscribe to our weekly newsletter delivered to your inbox.
Mr Parker expressed his delight at being appointed to the role. “I am excited and honoured to be joining the Frontier Services team, and to lead the organisation whose profound legacy continues to support those in the furthest corners of our nation,” he said. “Alongside our supporters, volunteers and ministry partners we will continue to innovate and strengthen our services to provide much needed practical, pastoral and spiritual support to rural and remote communities.”
“I look forward to leading this incredible organisation into its next chapter of impact and heartfelt service,” he added.
Assembly General Secretary Andrew Johnson welcomed the appointment, noting the significance of the moment for the organisation. “The Frontier Services Board and the Assembly Standing Committee are thrilled to welcome Dave to this national leadership role,” he said. “Frontier Services has over a century of standing with people in the Bush. Dave’s appointment will continue the strategic leadership of Rob Floyd and bring fresh energy and inspiration to our ministry and mission in remote Australia.”
The appointment comes at a time of opportunity for Frontier Services, as it seeks new and innovative ways to serve rural and remote communities across the life of the Uniting Church – offering compassionate care, working for justice, and nurturing the spirit.
Mr Parker will commence in late May 2026, with a handover period alongside interim National Director Rev Lindsay Cullen through to the end of the month.
More news from the Assembly
Australian Catholic Bishops Conference
Reflections from the Australian Catholic Bishops Conference By Paul WallbankAhead of the Week of Prayer for Christian Unity, President Rev. Charissa Suli joined Heads of Churches and Christian leaders from across Australia for an Ecumenical Prayer Service hosted by the Australian Catholic Bishops Conference in Sydney last week. Held by the Bishops’ Commission for Christian Unity and Inter-religious Dialogue at the Mary MacKillop Memorial…
Standing for Justice
Standing for JusticeThe Uniting Church’s Submission to the Racism InquiryBy Michael ZewdieOn 8 May 2026, the Uniting Aboriginal and Islander Christian Congress (UAICC) and the Uniting Church in Australia made a joint submission to the Joint Standing Committee on Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Affairs, which is conducting an inquiry into racism, hatred and violence…
A Weekend of Welcome: The Assembly Pride Circle Gathers for the First Time
By Rev Greer HudsonResponding to both our commitment to being a loving, safe and inclusive Church and the long history of struggle and marginalization of LGBTIQA+ members within the UCA, and guided by resolutions from the 15th,16th and 17th Assemblies, the Assembly Standing Committee resolved to form an Assembly Circle of Interest for LGBTIQA+ members and…
For the Love of Our Neighbours: The UCA's Call to End Fossil Fuels
By UCA minister Rev. Meredith WilliamsThe Uniting Church in Australia has always understood that faith without action is incomplete. Our Assembly Strategy 2026–31 calls us to use our voice and our actions to confront injustice — not just within our own borders, but across the world. Nowhere is that prophetic call more urgent than in…
Breaking Every Yoke: A Reflection from AEYA 2026
Breaking Every Yoke: A Reflection from AEYA 2026By UCA Assembly, Amelia Lavaki and Christian ConolIn May 2026, four young leaders from the Uniting Church in Australia travelled to Chiang Mai, Thailand, to take part in the Fifth Asian Ecumenical Youth Assembly (AEYA 2026) — a gathering of young Christians from across Asia united…
A Reflection on the Life of Rev Professor Dr Jione Havea
By President Rev Charissa SuliAll the Scriptures for this week have resonated with us differently today. As the Uniting Church in Australia, we mourn the passing of Jione Havea—a husband, father, brother, colleague, mentor, theologian, and faithful servant of the Church. There’s something about this moment that feels both heavy and sacred.In Acts, we hear of…
Meet Paul Wallbank
By Michael ZewdieThe Assembly of the Uniting Church in Australia is pleased to welcome Mr Paul Wallbank as its incoming National Manager, Media and Communications — a significant appointment as the church continues to deepen its public witness and strengthen how it tells its story to the nation. Paul joins the Assembly from a career that…