Church Background
Born with the name Schubert, I was almost destined to be in the Lutheran church. We lived on a farm close to Wodonga (Albury-Wodonga – twin cities on the Victoria-New South Wales border) and I spent my first 20 years in the Lutheran Church – going through Christening, Sunday School, Confirmation, leading the Youth Group, and becoming state president of the NSW Lutheran Youth Fellowship.
When I was about twenty, I responded to an advert in the local paper for a Gospel Tent Meeting with Cliff and Helen Beard in a park in Albury. A group of five of us Lutherans went along, and all responded to the altar call, and all got filled with the Holy Spirit and spoke in tongues.
Three of us continued on in that new fellowship, but two had to renounce their experience, under family pressure, or risk ex-communication from the Lutheran Church.
Since that time, over 30+ years, I have been a member of the following Charismatic/Pentecostal churches:-
Twin City Christian Centre – Albury. Neil & Joy Milne/Graeme & Moya Enright. (CRC)
River Road Convention Centre – Mildura. Robin & Glenys Taylor/Brian & Jacqui Conlon. (Indep.)
Abundant Life Family Church – Reservoir. Bill & Nola Waterman. (ICFM)
Church Of The Rock – St Kilda. Dave & Rosanna Palmer. (AOG)
(brief 6mth stay at CCC – Camberwell. Peter McHugh)
Reach Out Christian Centre – Warranwood. Angelo & Robbie Cettolin/David & Josie Freer. (Indep.)
(brief 6mth stay at City Life – Wantirna. Mark Connor)
Hills Christian Life Church – Ferntree Gully. Steve & Jenny Mazey. (AOG)
Living Word Christian Fellowship – Chirnside Park. Peter & Pauline Dart/Ashley Schubert (Indep.)
Over the last few years I have been a part of several House Churches in the Outer Eastern Suburbs of Melbourne as an elder and a teacher.
Music Background
Being the last of six children in a musical family, it was always expected that I would have some musical ability. While overheard singing in my cot at 18mths old, I was quickly “discovered” and started my career singing solo – live – on a Saturday Morning Radio Show at 2AY – Albury, at the tender age of 22 months.
So began the next 10-12 years, also with my 18 month older brother Chris, singing solos and duets at almost every talent quest, charity event, concert, eisteddfod, etc in a 60 mile radius – as well as lessons for singing, tap-dancing, elocution, drums, piano, plus recording numerous records (78's, 33's & 45 rpm) and later multiple TV appearances. I also sang in a studio choir, played drums in a 30-piece concert band from age 10, and played drums and percussion in the Albury Symphony Orchestra during my early teenage years.
At around 17 years old I joined a Cabaret/Pub band playing drums for several years. I taught myself acoustic guitar in my early teens, and had been playing guitar and leading songs in Lutheran Youth meetings at regional and state levels – which made the transition to leading “choruses” in a Pentecostal Church very easy.
From that time on, all my musical abilities went into Christian Music. Several 'trios' were formed and we were able to be support acts for international Gospel artists coming to Albury. After shifting to Mildura, I had a brief period playing drums and singing on a floating restaurant, but most of the activity was being in, or forming groups/teams from various churches over the years, that had a lot of local success and ministry.
Another later highlight was a 10-day music ministry trip to Malaysia/Singapore, playing drums for Dave and Rosanna Palmer. (Church of the Rock – St Kilda)
I have written several dozen songs over the years – some of the later ones appearing on this website.