An Interview with Lynton and Philippa Brocklehurst
Written by Kathryn Taylor
For sixty years, Lynton and Philippa Brocklehurst have been followers of Jesus. The Navigators have been instrumental in their growth, equipping them with the tools for Bible study, scripture memory, and the significance of a daily quiet time. Their commitment to understanding and walking with God is truly inspiring.
They’ve been on Navigators staff for fifty of those sixty years—that’s Lynton’s entire adult working life. Asked if they would do it again, Lynton said, “In a heartbeat. It’s been a wonderful adventure.” The Navigators’ emphasis on a wholehearted and fully committed approach to faithful living initially drew Lynton. “I love the idea of giving myself fully to the Lordship of Christ, of having a sense of purpose, and of contributing to others’ lives.” For Philippa, Navigators conferences played a significant part in her growing faith. “I particularly remember attending a conference at Craighead School during wintertime. It was 1975. I was twenty-two, and Jim Chew was the speaker. For me, the takeaway message was a promise I claimed for my future. I wrote in my Bible beside Isaiah 58 9-12: I want to do this for the rest of my life.”
In his final year of a master’s in chemistry at University of Canterbury (UC), Lynton felt a strong calling to invest in the lives of students. He wanted to help guide their faith during such a pivotal time in their lives. He led a team of four highly committed men. “They were heady times,” he says, “and required hard work and discipline. I absolutely loved it. We laid such great Biblical foundations and helped students to establish spiritual disciplines that God has used over the years.”
After working with students at UC, The Navigators asked Lynton to help establish a start-up ministry at Adelaide University, where he worked alongside pastor Ray Ewers. At UC, Lynton says Warren Mason grounded him in the methodology of evangelism and discipleship. Ray Ewers introduced him to a more relational style of community and taught him how to communicate Biblical truth.
On his return to New Zealand, Lynton and Philippa got engaged before he went to Dunedin to assume leadership of the Otago University ministry from Roger and Wanaka Clibborn. A year later, Philippa and Lynton were married, and she joined him in Dunedin.
Dunedin was a thriving ministry. At one stage, they had eighty people involved in Bible study. Lynton was passionate about having lots of people around them. “We dined together, lived together, yarned together, and offered a lot of hospitality.” Their flat was right in the middle of the university district and the flatting community. This location made it easy to connect with people. Friends called their house ‘Brocks Castle’.
At the end of three years, Lynton and Philippa returned to Christchurch to take over the City Leader’s role. This role involved heading a ministry of around one hundred people: a mix of nurses, workers, Kiwi students, and Asian students. It was full on, they admit, especially with three young adults living in their home, and Philippa becoming pregnant with their son Jeremy after five years of trying.
The ministry was successful, and a lot of good things were happening. But Lynton didn’t realise that he was running beyond capacity until he collapsed like a pricked balloon. “I was burnt out and had to learn that becoming Christlike involved change from the inside out, which was something I hadn’t addressed until that point.” It was a tough time, but it led him on a journey of seeing the gospel address his deep inner needs, and that completely changed the way he operated in his ministry. He said, “Along with the initial recruiting to the vision of The Navigators, I see this change of perspective was the most significant thing that happened in my life and ministry.” He also said that all the verses he memorised in his zealous early years as a disciple laid a foundation that the Holy Spirit used to help him to trust God in the tough times, and to persevere.
Philippa also faced a struggle with depression. She admitted that her previous approach to ministry was task-oriented, and she found it difficult to relax around people. Every encounter had to be purposeful. Otherwise, she considered it a waste of her time. “Entering into a period of depression was life-changing. I learned the value of sharing both the negative and positive things that were going on in my life. I was more real and honest. I listened to people, and I didn’t justify whether the time was productive or unproductive.” Nowadays, Philippa’s favourite thing to do is to hang out with friends, go out for coffee, and talk. In this relaxed environment, she says people open up and start talking about deeper stuff, share what’s really going on in their lives, and talk about their longings and desires, highlighting the value of authentic relationships in her new ministry approach.
“The Navigators have shifted from teaching the methodology of discipleship to giving more priority to the inner life aspect of discipleship,” Lynton said. “We live in a secular, modern post-Christian culture and have to find new ways to communicate the gospel and disciple people.” He believes that The Navigators have risen to the challenges this cultural shift brings and continually learn ways to live and disciple among those who have yet to believe in Jesus. Both Lynton and Philippa believe students need support after they graduate, support that carries on into their relationships, work, marriage, and the rest of life. “The Navigators are well-positioned to develop lifetime labourers, individuals who are committed to a lifelong journey of faith and ministry, who live beyond the campuses.”
Most recently, Lynton has taken a guiding role with The Navigator’s Settlers mission, a ministry that works and ministers alongside prisoners and addicts. “God called me to the Settlers ministry,” Lynton explains. “We help people to find and follow Jesus, and to establish friendships in a community where they feel they belong. In many ways, it’s like a university ministry, but stripped of all the methodology. What’s left is the Bible, loving relationships, involvement with one another, and helping people experience God in a personal community context.”
Philippa’s circle of influence and contribution is intertwined with her musical training and teaching background. She has deliberately chosen to continue teaching music at her local community and prioritises relationships within that context. “I enjoy having coffee with the parents of the children I teach. And I continue to relate to past students who are at uni or have graduated.”
Where to now? “Our time in ministry has not ended. It’s a lifestyle,” Philippa said. “We’re not exiting from the Navigator movement, we’re only coming off Navigator staff.”
“I will never stop planting seeds,” Lynton emphasised. “I am hopelessly captured by the vision of sharing the gospel and helping people become followers of Jesus, and they in turn helping others.” He said that they fully expect all the seeds they have planted over the decades to have a ripple effect in the community through relational networks. “I am very excited by that and have no doubt that it will continue to happen.”