Rob Duncason, pastor of the Darwin congregation and convener of the Presbyterian Inland Mission committee read Hebrews 12:15-24 and led the house in prayer, petitioning God that the deliberations and decisions of the Assembly would be demonstrations of Gospel commitment and the unity of the Holy Spirit.
David Jones introduced Rev. Arlindo Marcal, moderator of the Evangelical Presbyterian Church of Timor Leste.
Rev. Marcal spoke of the warmth with which he had been received in Darwin, Western Australia and South Australia before his arrival here in Sydney. 
He brought the greetings of the Evangelical Presbyterian Church of Timor Leste (EPC-TL).
The following are my impressions of the key points of Rev. Marcal’s address to the house: existing infrastructure had been destroyed in the time period leading up independence and much of it has yet to be replaced. By all measurable indicators the standard of living in East Timor is precariously low and the country is dependant upon foreign aid. There is a huge disparity between standards of living, costs of living and amenities in Dili and the rest of the country.
Subsistence living does not hold out much prospect for the society of East Timor to advance. The protestant presence in (Roman Catholic dominated) East Timor is small, and congregations are not well served with ministry. In the formation of the EPC-TL emphasis has been given to Bible teaching and personal spiritual growth. Though very small, and with limited resources, the EPC-TL is determined to see Christ preached in East Timor.
Support received thus far has facilitated training for pastors, scholarships for young people, literature and transport for ministry. Aspirations for future support would be to enable pastors to secure a viable standard of living and for buildings and places of worship to be brought up to a reasonable standard.
Robert Benn led the house in prayer for the cause of the Gospel in East Timor.
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