Rev. Bill Crews
Rev. William David Crews was born in England in 1944 and educated in Australia. He studied Electrical Engineering at the University of NSW under a scholarship provided by AWA and then until 1971 worked with AWA in microelectronic research studying the properties of silicon. During this time he built Australias first machine to grow ultra pure single crystal silicon.
In late 1969 he first visited the Wayside Chapel in Sydney's red-light district of Kings Cross and under the guidance of his mentor, Rev. Ted Noffs, he became involved in voluntary programmes; visiting the elderly, sick and shut-ins of the Woolloomooloo and Kings Cross area.
By 1971 he had decided to quit engineering and work full time at the Wayside Chapel. Bill was a member of the team that created the first 24-hour Crisis Centre in Australia. By 1972 he was Director of the Crisis Centre and directed all the social work programmes of the Wayside Chapel until 1983. During that time he established the first programme in Australia to reunite adoptees and birth parents (Reunion Register), and the first programme to assist parents who were at risk of abusing their children (Child Abuse Prevention Service). He also established the first modern youth refuge in Australia.
During 1973 he was made a member of the New South Wales Drug and Alcohol Authority and was intimately involved in establishing drug rehabilitation, education and prevention programmes throughout New South Wales.
In 1978 he and the Rev. Ted Noffs created the first Life Education Centre. Life Education Centres now operate in Australia, Hong Kong, Thailand, New Zealand, England and the USA.
In 1983 Bill left the Wayside Chapel to study Theology at the Uniting Church's United Theological College where he graduated in 1986. In that same year he was ordained as minister of the Ashfield Uniting Church in Sydney's inner-west. At Ashfield he created the Exodus Foundation to assist homeless men, and the youths who would sleep on the church pews at night.
In 1989 Rev. Crews opened the now famous Loaves & Fishes soup-kitchen with the generous assistance of friend and millionaire entrepreneur John Singleton.
Today the Exodus Foundation is one of Sydney's most important front-line charities. The flagship Loaves & Fishes Free Restaurant serves up to 400 meals to the needy every day. The Foundation also operates a nationwide network of early-intervention literacy Tutorial Centres to teach disadvantaged children. It runs free dental and medical clinics, and provides support services including social workers, counselling, and food parcel assistance.
In 1992 Rev. Crews was awarded The Rotary Foundation International Award "Paul Harris Fellow". In that same year he was also voted Father of the Year, and Humanitarian of the Year.
Rev. Crews was awarded the Australian Centenary Medal in 1993 in recognition of his contribution to Australian society.
In February 1998 Rev. Crews was included in the National Trust's 100 "National Living Treasures" list.
On Australia Day in 1999 he was awarded an Order of Australia (AM) for his services to the disadvantaged and his work with homeless youth.
As part of the Sydney 2000 Olympics, Bill ran a leg of the Olympic Torch Relay and the Paralympic Torch Relay. He also distributed hundreds of donated tickets to those who would otherwise not have had the financial means to partake in the Olympic experience.
Rev. Bill Crews's achievements demonstrate his capacity to lead and positively influence the community in a myriad of tangible ways.
In 2001 Bill was named Ashfield Citizen of the Year for his contribution to the local community. He received the William R. Tresise Fellowship Award from the Australian Lions Foundation in June 2001 - the highest honour the Foundation bestows for humanitarian services. In 2001 Rev. Crews also received an Alumni Award from the University of New South Wales.
Bill actively supports multi-faith dialogue and understanding between cultures. He meets regularly with the Dalai Lama and supports the "Free Tibet" movement in Australia. Rev. Crews is a Patron of Australians For Just Refugee Programmes, and Chairman of Fair Go Australia - an anti-racism project sponsored by the NSW Government.
Since August 2002 Rev. Crews has broadcast his 'Sunday Night Crews' programme on Sydney's leading radio station 2GB-873AM. The programme has consistently been among the highest rating Sunday night radio shows in the nation, with an audience share of 19.5%* and 100,000 listeners.
For two years from 2002 Bill was chairman and chief patron of the Australian Government's National Literacy and Numeracy Week - an initiative that promotes strong literacy and numeracy skills amongst young people.
In 2006 Bill was awarded the "Ernst & Young Social Entrepreneur of the Year" award in recognition of his world-class leadership and innovation in social programmes.
In 2007 Rev. Crews was named as one of Australia's 100 most influential people by the prestigious "Bulletin & Newsweek" magazine.
Bill Crews lives in Sydney and has four children.
