• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Skip to footer

Finke River Mission

Est 1877

  • Home
  • About Us
    • History
  • Activities
  • Stories
  • Media
    • Videos
  • Is God calling you?
    • Testimonials
    • Employment
  • Contact Us
  • Donate Now

In memoriam Pastor Philip Wilyuka

7 February 2020

by Pastor Robert Borgas

Pastor Philip Wilyuka was born on 29 March 1957 at Maryvale Station NT to Paulus Wilyuka and Aldis Wari. After his mother died in 1964, he was cared for by his mother’s sisters Mavis and Dora (both deceased).

Baptised by Pastor FW Albrecht on 13 April 1957 at Maryvale, Philip attended primary school at Maryvale and secondary school at Kormilda College, Darwin. He also boarded at St Phillip’s College while attending Anzac High School in Alice Springs.

Philip’s father was ordained as a pastor in 1971 but was serving as an evangelist for many years before that. Because of his father’s influence, Philip also became interested in church work from a young age. Following in his father’s footsteps he attended his first Finke River Mission bush course at Ipolera in the late 1970s. He assisted his father in translating the first Pitjantjatjara version of Luther’s Small Catechism (printed in 1982) and also the Pitjantjatjara hymnbook (Nyiri Inmatjara), which was first printed in 1995. However, in the 1990s he took a break from church work, spending more time with his family and community responsibilities.

Philip was a master communicator, fluent in at least five languages including Yankuntjatjara, Pitjantjatjara, Eastern and Western Arrernte and English. His natural ability at language and his strong involvement in traditional cultural activities meant that he was often the obvious person chosen to organise and manage major activities in his community and beyond.

Philip was coach and manager of the Titjikala Hawks football team for many years, organising and managing football carnivals at Titjikala and other places in Central Australia.

Philip was also a good singer and guitar player who organised and participated in countless gospel singalongs and concerts in his community and others throughout central Australia. Along with his service and leadership of the Titjikala town council (now part of the MacDonald Shire), Philip’s organisation and involvement in these public events have helped keep Titjikala united and strong over the past 50 years.

The year 2007 was a time of massive change in Central Australia because of the federal government intervention and the Northern Territory replacement of local government community councils with the current much larger and more centralised regional shires. Because of these political changes and also the death of the resident evangelist at Titjikala at the time (Johnny Briscoe), Philip felt called by God, his family, and his church to take on more responsibility in his local church. 

After completing the requirements for ordination, Phillip was examined by Dr Peter Lockwood of Australian Lutheran College (ALC) at the Hart’s Range FRM Bush Course in May 2008. He was ordained on 15 September 2008 at Titjikala by the president of the LCA, Pastor Mike Semmler. Philip served his local church and assisted in many other congregations in Central Australia for the next 11 years until his death in 2020.

Philip always said that the most challenging thing about being a pastor and a community leader was the immense pressure that is placed on people in these important roles. It’s no wonder then that his favourite Bible verse was Matthew 11:28, ‘Come unto me, all you that labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest’.

God give Philip eternal rest with those family and friends who have predeceased him in heaven.

Philip is predeceased by his wife Marcia Alice and his brother Haines. He will be lovingly remembered by his sons Darren and Roger, and his sister’s Joan, Annette, and Lisa, and his brother Andrew.

Pastor Rob Borgas is a former FRM Support Worker, now serving the Angaston Parish in South Australia.

« Learning Alyawarr – just give it a go!
German guest experiences ministry in the outback »

Primary Sidebar

Categories

  • Alice Springs
  • Alyawarr
  • Ampilatwatja
  • Anmatjere
  • Anniversaries & Celebrations
  • Areyonga
  • Art & Music
  • Asante Sana
  • Children & Youth
  • Communities
  • Docker River
  • Engawala
  • Haasts Bluff
  • Hermannsburg
  • Imanpa
  • Kintore
  • Kiwirrkurra
  • Kwala Kwala
  • Lilla
  • Mt Liebig
  • Mutitjulu
  • Napperby
  • Papunya
  • Partnerships
  • Pastors & Staff
  • Pintupi-Luritja
  • Six Mile
  • Stirling
  • Tara
  • Ti Tree
  • Titjikala
  • Training
  • Uncategorised
  • Uncategorized
  • Volunteers & Supporters
  • Women
  • Yirara College

Archives

  • January 2023
  • December 2022
  • November 2022
  • October 2022
  • June 2022
  • May 2022
  • April 2022
  • March 2022
  • December 2021
  • November 2021
  • October 2021
  • July 2021
  • June 2021
  • May 2021
  • April 2021
  • February 2021
  • January 2021
  • December 2020
  • November 2020
  • October 2020
  • September 2020
  • August 2020
  • June 2020
  • May 2020
  • April 2020
  • March 2020
  • February 2020
  • November 2019
  • October 2019
  • September 2019
  • August 2019
  • June 2019
  • May 2019
  • April 2019
  • February 2019
  • January 2019
  • December 2018
  • November 2018
  • September 2018
  • August 2018
  • July 2018
  • June 2018
  • May 2018
  • April 2018
  • December 2017
  • November 2017
  • September 2017
  • August 2017
  • July 2017
  • June 2017
  • May 2017
  • April 2017
  • March 2017
  • February 2017
  • January 2017
  • December 2016
  • November 2016
  • October 2016
  • August 2016
  • July 2016
  • June 2016
  • May 2016
  • March 2016
  • November 2015
  • October 2015
  • September 2015
  • August 2015
  • July 2015
  • June 2015
  • December 2014
  • July 2014
  • June 2014
  • December 2013
  • June 2013
  • June 2012
  • December 2011
  • June 2011

© 2020 Finke River Mission. All Rights Reserved.

  • Home
  • About Us
  • Activities
  • Stories
  • Media
  • Get Involved
    • Is God calling you?
      • Testimonials
  • Contact Us

Footer

Contact Info

  • 51a Gap Road, The Gap NT 0870, Australia
  • (08) 8952 4666
  • admin@finkerivermission.org.au

Warning: This website contains images of people who have died.

Copyright © 2023 — Finke River Mission • All rights reserved.