ABOUT LSCA

ABOUT US

WHO WE ARE

WE ARE LIFE SAVING CHAPLAINCY AUSTRALIA

Our Chaplaincy, founded by Terry Legg in 1995, aims to serve all life savers in Australia and is unique in the world: Surf Life Saving Australia was the first sports governing body to endorse Chaplaincy at the 1998 Australian Surf Life Saving Championships, by the then SLSA President, Alan Whelpton AO. Endorsement

By doing so it created a model that is today enjoyed by a large number of sporting organizations across the nation from Australian Football League to the Australian Institute of Sport and including sports such as racing, rugby league, basketball, horse racing, cricket and tennis.

Life Saving Chaplaincy Australia operates in association with Sports Chaplaincy Australia (SCA) as a Major Umbrella Sports Committee. We have a National Operations Board Charter and we are authorized by lifesaving bodies to provide chaplaincy to life saving clubs

The Life Saving Chaplaincy Australia National Operations Board was formed at the beginning of 2011 with its inaugural meeting taking place on Friday 8th April 2011.

The board consisted of 6 founding members: (pictured below)

From left: Mr. Terry Legg, Cr Margaret Grummitt, Mrs. Lynda Woods, Mr. Greg Allum OAM, Dr Rex Campbell (Acting Chair) and Rev Cam Butler

See what people are saying here
Watch a video on Life Saving Chaplaincy

HISTORY

1990’s

Life Saving Chaplaincy was founded by Terry Legg in 1995 with the aim of serving all life savers in Australia. Surf Life Saving Australia (SLSA) was the first governing body to endorse Chaplaincy at the 1998 Australian Surf Life Saving Championships by SLSA’s President, Alan Whelpton AO.

Legg created a model which is also shared by a large number of sporting organisations across the nation from AFL to the Australian Institute of Sport, racing, rugby league, basketball, horse racing, cricket and tennis to name a few.

2010-11

Throughout 2010 President of Campus Crusade for Christ Australia (CCCA) Rex Campbell worked with Terry Legg and Gary Speckman (Athletes in Action) to form the LSCA National Operations Board with the inaugural meeting taking place on Friday 8th April 2011 on the Gold Coast Queensland.

LSCA was also assisted by the team at Sports Chaplaincy Australia (SCA) in the formation of the ministry. Helping to frame accreditation, training and network support as it looked to grow its operations.

2011

In late 2011 (Oct 1) NRL Titans Chaplain and former Kings Associate Pastor Russell Harmon was appointed to the role of National Leader of LSCA. Taking over the national role faithfully served by Terry Legg for 17 years.

Russ began engaging with and training established Chaplains and intentionally set out to respond to the need for more Chaplains in clubs. Working closely with national sports chaplaincy networks and Life Saving bodies to appoint chaplains and key senior coordinators.

2016

At the start of 2016 a new and exciting phase for Russ Harmon and the LSCA team began.

In mid 2015, due to a strategic change in mission, CCCA began the process of transferring the oversight of LSCA to Sports Chaplaincy Australia.

In early December 2015 the Board of CCCA and SCA jointly agreed to move all operations, staff and council across to SCA on January 1 2016. The move was seen to further strengthen the vision and mission of LSCA and SCA to effectively tap-into the networks and systems of SCA.