Finke River Mission is a ministry of the Lutheran Church of Australia. Our mission is to:

live, promote, teach and nurture the proclamation of the gospel among the indigenous people of central Australia according to the Scriptures and the Confessions of the Lutheran Church.

Finke River Mission, together with Alice Springs Lutheran Church, Lutheran Community Care, Yirara College and Living Waters Lutheran School, brings God’s saving gospel to Lutherans in Central Australia. The work is focused on ministry among over 6000 Aboriginal Christians who identify as Lutheran in the southern part of the Northern Territory and extending from the Queensland border to just over the Western Australia border. These Aboriginal Lutherans in more than 40 communities are served by 28 pastors (20 Aboriginal) and dozens of Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal leaders and trainee pastors.

Finke River Mission’s ministry covers the Arrarnta, Pitjantjatjara, Luritja, Alyawarr, Anmatyerr language areas (more about our Language Areas). Ministry leaders (both women and men) often travel long distances to study the Scriptures together and to learn how to lead people of their own language group to know the Lord Jesus Christ. They are supported by non-Indigenous support workers.

With support from Australian Lutheran College, Finke River Mission is responsible for the training of Aboriginal pastors and other leaders who proclaim the good news of salvation to their people in six languages. The Finke River Mission Board coordinates the work of supporting church leaders, as well as providing Bibles, hymns and other worship resources in language, and promoting appropriate literacy programs. Through Yirara College, Finke River Mission provides Christian secondary education to up to 300 Aboriginal boarding students annually from remote Northern Territory, South Australia, Western Australia and Queensland. Additionally, at the request of the local community, Finke River Mission operates a general store and the Old Mission Precinct at Hermannsburg.