A tribute to Lynette Wiebusch
We would like to acknowledge the tireless service and lay ministry of Lynette Wiebusch who sadly passed away on the 30 November aged 79.
Lynette completed her studies as a registered nurse in 1962. As well as nursing she was actively involved in ministry in the various congregations where she was a member and serving alongside her husband Pastor Robert. At St John’s Perth WA, St James Norlane Vic, St Paul’s Wellington and St Luke’s Palmerston North NZ she served as either President or Secretary of their Women’s Guilds, Sunday School teacher at the latter three and was even Choir Director at Palmerston North and Mt Barker.
This busy lady was also president of Lutheran Women of NZ for 9 years and vice president for 5 years between 1970-1986.
She was the founding president of the Lutheran Nurses Association of Australia (LNAA) from 1991-2001, and edited the LNAA newsletter IN TOUCH from 1992 to 2018.
In 1991 she introduced concept of parish nursing or pastoral care nursing as it is now known to the LCA. She was the LCA’s first pastoral care nurse and served in this role at St Mark’s Mt Barker from 1996 to 2004 and at St John’s Dernancourt from 2006-2011.
She served as the LCA Pastoral Care Nursing Coordinator until her retirement, and was also a member of the SA District Aged Care Council for a number of years.
In her spare time, she was also vice president of the Lutheran Woman of SA southern metropolitan zone from 1991-1995.
In 1997 she was one of the first three graduates of the Graduate Diploma of Theology (Faith Community Nursing) from Luther Seminary. She also co-wrote the LNAA’s ‘Introduction to Pastoral Care Nursing’ course, and co-presented it twice in SA, Queensland, and Papua New Guinea, and once in Victoria. This course was developed into a Distance Education version which was adopted last year by the Parish Nursing Council of the USA Lutheran Church Missouri Synod as its distance education program. An international version is now available, this year drew its first student – a Lutheran nurse in Singapore.
She was a founding board member of the ecumenical Australian Faith Community Nurses Association 1997-2008 and Chairperson 2004-2008. She was also a founding board member for Lutheran Parish Nurses International, a global network,
Lynette was the first pastoral care nurse to be included on the LCA Roll of Lay Workers on the 7th April 1997 and became an accredited LCA Lay Worker on 25th May 2000. She served on the Board for Lay Ministry as a consultant for pastoral care nursing from 2002 to 2016.
She amassed 20 years of faithful and dedicated service as a Lay Worker of the LCA. During this time she was a tireless and enthusiastic advocate for pastoral care nursing and an inspiration to many.
Earlier this year Lynette was honoured by the LNAA and was named an honorary Life Member on the 12 May – International Nurses Day, which this year is the 200th anniversary of the birth of Florence Nightingale.
