Meet Cindy Sutherland

Our New Operations Manager at Protea Valley Church

As our church family continues to grow and serve in new and exciting ways, we’ve recognised the need for a dedicated team player to help us steward the work God is doing at Protea Valley Church. That’s why we’re so delighted to introduce you to the newest member of our crew—Cindy Sutherland—who joins us as our Operations Manager.

This new role isn’t just about keeping things running smoothly (though that’s certainly part of it). It’s about strengthening the foundation of PVC so that our ministries can thrive and our people can flourish. As a senior leadership position, the Operations Manager plays a key role in helping our ministry teams operate more effectively, supporting the elders, and enabling the everyday rhythms of church life to run with clarity, care, and purpose.  And we couldn’t have found a better person to walk into this space than Cindy.

From budgets to Bible verses

Cindy brings with her a rich background in finance, logistics, and IT. These fields have helped shape her love for systems, spreadsheets, and surprisingly (or not), budgeting.  “I enjoy budgeting,” she confesses with a smile. “Sort of as a hobby.”

But more than just her professional skills, Cindy’s heart for God and people is what really stood out. When her Community Group leader shared the position with her group, something sparked.  “I saw the post and it spoke to me,” she says. “Admin, finance and putting systems in place to scale the good works at PVC is something that excited me.”

She had her hesitations, “I had some slight concerns about the unknown aspects of working for a church... I’d heard that church politics was quite different!” However, after prayer and reflection, she sensed a clear calling from God.  “I felt led to this,” Cindy shares. “To be a ‘safe place’ for my team, and to better enable the team to serve the ministries.”

Mugs, Music, and Moments of Grace

Cindy describes herself as a tea drinker (peppermint, please!), a devoted mom (her daughter is the absolute love of her life), and someone who finds joy in the quiet, everyday moments, like relaxing with a good TV show after a long day. Her favourite worship song at the moment? “Temple” by Brandon Lake. And if she could have dinner with any biblical figure (besides Jesus), she’d choose Leah.  “She knew she was largely unwanted… I think it would be wonderful to understand from her how her perspective changed over time.”

She’s also deeply moved by a message from Brennan Manning that she came across on YouTube.  “It’s simple yet challenging. I highly recommend watching it,” she says of ‘Did You Believe That I Loved You?’

A heart to serve and a vision to build

When asked what excites her most about this role, Cindy doesn’t miss a beat.  “Putting systems in place to improve the day-to-day for the team,” she says, “to enable them to be more creative in their tasks and ultimately help ministries and volunteers.”

She’s eager to get to know our ministry leaders, learn about their impact, and better understand how we can steward our resources with purpose. She continues, “I would like to better understand the church finances, to see if there are ways to use that more effectively overall. I also hope to spend time with ministry leaders to understand the extent of the impact of PVC,  as a whole,  and in the different ministry areas, on the community.”

When she speaks about what church family means to her, you can hear the warmth and intentionality in her voice. “Church family may not be the family that I was born into, but it’s a chosen family… These are the people who try to embody Jesus to the world, and support each other in that.”

From Cindy to you

As she begins this new chapter, Cindy shares this heartfelt message with our church family:  “Please be kind and patient with me as I grow in this role: I will do my best, and I’m here to help.”

We’ve asked Cindy how we can support her through prayer, and this was her request:  “Please pray that I lead in the way that God wants me to,” she asks, “and that I have the courage to make the necessary decisions, to do what He’s ultimately calling me to, in this season.”

If you see Cindy around the Hub or in the office, don’t hesitate to say hi or to invite her for a cup of peppermint tea.

Welcome, Cindy. We’re so grateful to have you on this journey with us.