God 'sentences' Lloyd to life of service
After 22 years serving in the Attorney Generals department, Lloyd Stanimirovic has taken on a new role at the Tamworth family store. (Photo by Shairon Paterson)
After more than 22 years serving in the Attorney General’s Department, including 12 years at Tamworth Courthouse, the justice system had been Lloyd Stanimirovic’s life. Then he and his wife, Sally, both Salvationists, separately perceived a call from God to full-time ministry in social justice.
"When I was much younger, I felt God wanted me to go into ministry, which I ignored ... then last year I went to the men's camp and felt God speaking to me ..."
Late last year, Lloyd Stanimirovic left his much-loved court career to take over management of The Salvation Army Tamworth Family Store and warehouse. He says the new role is already allowing him to fulfil his heart for social justice and connect at a deeper level with those in need.
“There are so many wonderful opportunities to talk with people, build rapport and even pray with people,” Lloyd says. “Sometimes that connection was difficult at court, because the conversation was often fairly limited about, say, why someone needed an AVO [apprehended violence order].”
Lloyd began his career as a clerical officer when he was in his late teens. While on the job, he studied law.
In his role as Tamworth Court registrar, Lloyd co-ordinated staff and building operations. He also held quasi-judicial powers, which saw him presiding over bail courts, considering applications for search warrants and regularly serving as local coroner.
Although he thrived in the job, Lloyd says it was heartbreaking seeing children and young people in court.
“It was a great challenge, particularly in bail court,” he says. “Seeing young people who are just 18 or 19 and determining whether they should be held in custody and taken to an adult correctional centre.
“I would sit in the car park praying each morning for God’s wisdom and his strength to be shown in what I was doing and the people I was dealing with, whether in the courtroom or at the counter.” A Salvation Army soldier since 2002, Lloyd often referred people to services such as Salvation Army Recovery Services or the Hope Centre in Tamworth. He says it was heartening to see some people who had been repeat offenders, turn their lives around.
A series of events, including his home burning down, had led to Lloyd falling away from his faith for a time, but together with Sally, in early 2013, he renewed his soldiership vows.
After attending a Salvation Army women’s conference early last year, Sally felt a call towards ministry. Around the same time, Lloyd sensed a push in the same direction.
“When I was much younger, I felt God wanted me to go into ministry, which I ignored," he says. "Then last year, I went to the [Salvation Army] men’s camp and felt God speaking to me and giving me the same call.”
When the job at the Family Store and warehouse came up, Sally jokingly told Lloyd that she had found his new job. Lloyd, however, believed that God was showing him the future.
“I said to Sally, ‘I am not sure that it [the job] is a joke. I think that this is God’,” Lloyd says. The couple have five children between them. The youngest is three and the oldest 18 and attending university. With a mortgage and Lloyd currently the family’s sole breadwinner, he admits taking a significant drop in pay worried him. It meant that he had to pray and truly surrender to God’s provision.
Lloyd hopes that his court experiences, especially the empathy and understanding he developed as coroner, will now equip him to relate to and help others.
“As Christians we should naturally show compassion and care to other people, because we are just so fortunate to have Jesus and know what he has done for us.”
This article first appeared in the April edition of Pipeline.
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