Matt Prater on Faith, Radio, and Overcoming Burnout- History Makers & New Hope Church.
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Matt Prater on Faith, Radio, and Overcoming Burnout – History Makers & New Hope Church
What happens when faith meets the airwaves? Matt Prater, pastor, evangelist, and long-time radio host, has been a voice of encouragement across Australia for decades. From leading New Hope Church in Brisbane to hosting the History Makers Podcast, Matt’s journey is one of resilience, revival, and reaching the lost. But like many in ministry, he’s also walked through burnout, hardship, and personal battles—and through it all, God has been faithful.
In this episode of Sunburnt Souls, Dave Quak sits down with Matt to talk about:
How he went from youth pastor to national radio personality
The struggles of burnout and how God restored him
Balancing ministry, family, and rest without losing yourself
His viral moment questioning Kevin Rudd on live TV
Why reaching the homeless and broken is central to his ministry
Through humour, dad jokes, and powerful testimonies, Matt shares wisdom for those in ministry, leadership, and everyday faith. Whether you’re a pastor, a leader, or simply someone who wants to serve God with passion, this conversation is packed with encouragement, practical advice, and a call to revival in Australia.
Want to hear more from Matt Prater? Subscribe to the Sunburnt Souls podcast and check out the History Makers Podcast for more inspiring conversations.
Keep reading to dive into Matt’s powerful testimony—and discover how you can make history for the Kingdom of God.
Matt, thank you for being on Sunburnt Souls.
Matt Prater: Thanks for having me, mate.
Dave Quak: It's huge being a part of the history already from the start. Because before I even started, I sent you a text that said, "Man, please give me some wisdom." We had coffee, and you've been super helpful for us. Thank you, brother.
Matt Prater: Well, I just love the fact that you've got a whole bunch of interviews under your belt now, and you’re scraping the bottom of the barrel. It’s my turn.
Dave Quak: Nah, I've been chasing you for months. I've wanted this to happen for ages. You're an interesting guy. I’ve got some questions for you that I’ve been wanting to ask for a while. It just never came up, but now I’m in control today.
Matt Prater: Ha, go for it!
Dave Quak: First question: Why are you so good at rapping? Seriously, why?
Matt Prater: That's funny.
Dave Quak: You know what I mean? I saw you rapping in front of a couple of thousand people overseas, and you're good. And even now, you’ve got a Jesus Freak shirt on tonight.
Matt Prater: That's it!
Dave Quak: So, DC Talk influence? What’s with the rap?
DC Talk Reunion Tour
Matt Prater: Alright, well, I used to be cool. I was a youth pastor in Coffs Harbour, and I had a couple of mates who were really into hip-hop and rap. We used to do youth concerts and school gigs. I was the DJ and doing all that kind of stuff. Then I thought, "You know what? I should learn a rap." There were a couple of hip-hop artists at the time—DC Talk and Freedom of Soul. So, I learned some of their raps, and now I’ve developed it to where I can do their raps, and then I rap Amazing Grace—which is easy to rap—and Awesome God. I can even do a rap with four different verses now.
Matt Prater: And you know, people just love a bit of fun because I’m a daggy old white guy. I can’t do hip-hop dancing, but I think it’s a novelty when I rap. If my wife and kids hear me rap one more time, they’ll be like, “Oh, this is so embarrassing.” My kids can’t stand it, but I just love it because it’s fun.
Dave Quak: I won’t make you do it today, because you’ve just run a morning show—you’re a radio DJ as well. How long have you been on the radio?
Matt Prater: Well, I did 3.5 hours today, and I usually do weekend shifts. I’m filling in at the moment, so it’s been a big morning, but good fun. People have been ringing in, singing songs on the radio, and I’ve been cracking my dad jokes. It's been awesome.
Dave Quak: Yeah, your capacity for the unknown, Matt, has always inspired me because there’s nothing less controllable than someone ringing in and singing a song. Why were you doing that this morning? I’ll need you to explain this to me. You have people ring in from all around Australia?
Matt Prater: Yeah, that’s the thing with breakfast radio. It’s like being an air traffic controller—you just have to be ready for anything. You’ve got to think on your feet. The great thing is that Vision Radio is a solid Christian radio station, so most of the people ringing in are strong Christians. But you do get the occasional odd caller, and you just roll with it when it happens.
Dave Quak: I love it, man. Shoutout to Vision. They’ve been really encouraging to Sunburnt Souls since the first interview we did together. Even now, we’re using the studio, so they’re a generous and awesome organisation. I’ve got nothing but love for them.
Matt Prater: Your podcast is on the Vision app as well, right?
Dave Quak: Yeah, it's amazing, mate.
From Youth Pastor to Radio Host: Matt Prater’s Many Roles in Ministry
A lot of people don’t know how to talk about mental health. It’s often swept under the carpet, and there’s a lot of wrong thinking around it. You bringing it to the table is so important. I’m glad you’re doing it.
Dave Quak: I really appreciate that, and I appreciate you coming on today. I’d love to chat about your life in ministry, Matt. How long have you been a pastor altogether?
Matt Prater: I started as a youth pastor at 18, and I did that for ten years. Then I’ve been a senior pastor for 18 years now. So, pretty much my whole grown-up life, I’ve either been a youth pastor or senior pastor.
Dave Quak: That’s a long innings, and you’ve got your finger in a lot of pies. Sometimes I wonder if there’s more than one of you because you're everywhere. It’s random sometimes, but then again, knowing you, it’s not surprising. I remember once I was watching Q&A, and they asked “Does anyone from the audience have a question”? And then Matt Prater stood up, and I wasn’t even expecting it. It was like, “Oh, there’s Matt!” But it wasn’t surprising, because that’s what God seems to do—He puts you in all these crazy places.
Matt Prater: Yeah, that was at the Kevin Rudd one.
Dave Quak: That’s right. That was Kevin Rudd.
Matt Prater: So that was the week before the federal election, and Kevin Rudd had changed his view on same-sex marriage.
Dave Quak: That’s what it was!
Matt Prater: I asked him, “Why did you change your view? Was it just to get a popular vote?” That’s what you said, right?
Dave Quak: Yeah, I remember that.
Matt Prater: Yeah, he lectured me. There’s a close-up of me looking like a deer in the headlights—I was really nervous. I was absolutely terrified. And then I just said, “Look, you know, Jesus said, ‘A man shall leave his mother and father, and the two shall become one flesh.’ If that’s what Jesus’ definition of marriage is, Kevin, why isn’t that your view of marriage?” And he got mad at me. But it went viral.
Matt Prater: It actually got 3.5 million views on YouTube. That video.
Dave Quak: No way. How did you even get into that situation, Matt? In a studio like this?
Matt Prater: Well, I had subscribed to the Q&A email list, and I used to love it. It was amazing back in the day, 15 years ago. I was really into it. Then I got invited to be an audience member, and they asked me to submit a question. So I submitted it, and I think they knew it would be a “gotcha” moment.
Dave Quak: Yeah, it sounds like it!
Matt Prater: Yeah, it was a massive deal. After that week, I was interviewed by pretty much every media outlet in Australia—The Project, ABC, Seven, Nine, newspapers, radio stations. I was doing breakfast at the time at Vision Radio, and the calls went through the roof.
Matt Prater: I think it was like my moment that God chose me to stand up and speak out for my faith. I was called a bigot and a homophobe, and I heard a lot of horrible things from social media and other places. But a lot of Christians said, “Good on you for standing up.” And that week, Kevin Rudd lost his job. He lost the election to Tony Abbott. So I think it was like the nail in the coffin for him because a lot of people changed their votes because of that interview.
Dave Quak: That’s huge, man. And I think that’s the interesting thing—you seem to be positioned where God just has you in the right place. You strike me as someone who says, “Okay, God, I’m here. Where would you like me to go? What would you like me to do?” That’s why you end up in Q&A, rapping in front of thousands of people, on the air, running your social enterprise, New Hope, and everything else.
Matt Prater: Yeah, and I think we’ve just got to say yes to God. As I said, “Here am I, send me,” we just need to be ready wherever the Spirit leads us.
Dave Quak: Yeah, you are a vibrant looking man! I don’t know how you stay so vibrant doing all that you do. Has it always been that way?
Matt Prater: Well, I went through a really tough time early on in ministry. When I was 30, I took over New Hope Church in Brisbane. It started out really well. We were reaching people, winning souls, and doing great things. But then I hit a massive health battle.
Burnout & Breakthrough: Matt Prater’s Struggles & How God Restored Him
I had a huge burnout and hit rock bottom. The church had a big split, and half the church left. Mentally and emotionally, that was really hard for a 33-year-old pastor to handle. Then physically, I developed something called Still’s Disease, which is like rheumatoid arthritis.
Dave Quak: Wow, okay.
Matt Prater: Yeah, I had night sweats so bad, I lost 20 kilos. My joints were swollen and aching, and I was seeing a specialist and getting steroid injections because the pain was so bad. I was on constant pain medication. Mentally, I was just done—I was exhausted and ready to give up. Thank God for my wife, though. She kept the church running and stayed faithfully praying for me. I got through the physical battle, but the mental battle took longer to overcome.
Matt Prater: It was a time where I really grew up from a boy to a man. I call it my Job time or my Valley experience. In that rock-bottom moment, I stopped caring what anyone thought about me. I just wanted to live for God. It was a massive transformation. I’d spent the first three years of being a pastor trying to please people—telling funny jokes, trying to be cool, wanting to be the next big preacher. It was all about me.
Matt Prater: But after that brokenness, I didn’t care what anyone thought. I just wanted to please the Lord. I wanted Him to be first in my life. So, it was the worst thing that happened, but also the best thing that happened.
Dave Quak: Yeah, well, what kind of things were happening during that phase? What was it like burning out? Were you just on the couch? What were your daily rhythms like?
Matt Prater: Yeah, so my wife often tells the story when she preaches that I was just bedridden, in bed the whole time. I had people coming over to pray for me, telling me, "You'll be right, rise up and be healed." You know, all the lovely, encouraging things people say. Some Christians would comfort me and love me, and some would just tell me what the Bible says, like, "Those who wait…" but I just slept all the time. I couldn't run the church. My wife and the elders had to step in and take over.
Matt Prater: My wife even tells a story about how she had enough after a few months of me being bedridden, going in and out of hospital. She sat on the couch one day and said, "God, I'm done. I’ve had enough. I’m leaving." And she felt God ask her, "Who are you married to?" She said, "Matthew, of course." Then God asked again, "Who are you married to?" That’s when you really listen, right? And she realised she was married to the Lord first, and her covenant with me needed to be honoured, so she stayed. Thankfully, she did.
Matt Prater: That time really helped her grow as a leader. A bit of history about our church: for the first three years, my wife hated it. She didn’t like the church at all because it was more of a “put on a show” kind of church. We were previously at a Vineyard church, which was very Spirit-led, with healing, worship, moving in the Spirit. But when we were at this new church, it was all about the show, and it didn’t sit well with her.
Dave Quak: A side note—John Wimber was my favourite hero of the faith.
Matt Prater: Oh, awesome!
Dave Quak: We’ll come back to that another day. That 1985 Signs and Wonders conference thing—man, I could watch that all week.
Matt Prater: Yeah, for sure.
Dave Quak: Keep going, mate.
Matt Prater: So, after the church split, half the congregation left, and after my sickness, we actually started moving in the Holy Spirit. We had longer worship times, prophetic words, healing, miracles—all the things that felt right to us. And that’s when the church started feeling more like our church. You can’t copy someone else’s vision or run their race, or you’ll burn out. You just have to be who you are and do what you're called to do.
Matt Prater: That’s why I say that going through that time was the worst thing that happened, but also the best. After that, my wife enjoyed church, and here we are, 19 years later, with the church still doing well. My wife’s still going strong, I’ve recovered, and I’ve changed a lot in my life since then.
Matt Prater: I had to change my diet, because I was eating junk food all the time and wasn’t exercising. I wasn’t treating my body well. I had to realise that my body is the temple of the Holy Spirit, so I started eating healthy and exercising. I also started making sure I took a proper Sabbath.
Matt Prater: For me, Mondays are my Sabbath. I’m really strict about it. I just chill out on Mondays—avoid phone calls, emails, and just disconnect. My wife and I spend that day together, and it’s a real Sabbath for us. We’ve also learned that we work hard, but we holiday hard as well.
“Then Jesus said to them, “The Sabbath was made to meet the needs of people, and not people to meet the requirements of the Sabbath.”
Dave Quak: Yeah, okay. So that’s your rhythm now, right? You’ve got a lot on your plate, but you balance it out with rest. You mentioned Sabbath—what does that look like for you? When you said that, your face lit up. Tell us about your Mondays. What do you do?
Matt Prater: Yeah, we have kids, so we regularly take them away on holidays. We get away from church and enjoy family time and time with the Lord. I’ve learned to have regular rhythms of rest, too, because you need those boundaries. Otherwise, you’ll be working 24/7, and that’s not sustainable.
Matt Prater:
Yeah, so we drop the kids at school, and then my wife and I will often just go do an Aldi shop to get the groceries ready for the week. We enjoy that. Then we'll usually go out for lunch or have a meal at home. Sometimes we watch a movie, go for a walk, or even swim laps at the local pool. If we’re feeling adventurous, we might drive to the beach. We really just try to chill out. And then, on Monday night, we have a family meal together. We try to eat together regularly, but Monday is our big night.
How Matt Prater Balances Ministry, Family & Rest Without Burning Out
You know, a pastor's life is often busy in the mornings and evenings, so balancing time well is important. There's actually a sermon from Andy Stanley that really helped me with that.
Dave Quak:
Oh yeah, I know that one.
Matt Prater:
Yeah, he talked about when he started his church, he was working 24/7, and his wife had little kids. She said, “Honey, this isn't working.” He asked, “Well, what’s going to work?” and she said, “If you’re home between 4 and 6 p.m. every night to bathe the kids, have dinner, and put them to bed.”
Matt Prater:
I’ve tried to follow that principle too. My daily routine is to take the kids to school, work all day, and then pick them up from school and be home for dinner. If I have a night meeting, I’ll go out after that, but I try to be home around that 4 to 7 p.m. window.
Matt Prater:
You’ve got to make sure your family comes first, right? If you're not prioritising your family, you're basically a hypocrite. You have to be present at home as much as you can.
Dave Quak:
Yeah, it’s such a blessing to be able to negotiate your rhythms like that, at the right times.
Matt Prater:
Yeah, that’s the good thing about being a pastor – you have some flexibility. But it doesn’t always work out. There are times when you have emergencies or crises.
Dave Quak:
Yeah, life’s unpredictable.
Matt Prater:
Exactly. But I’ve trained my staff to understand that my Sabbath day is important, and I try to be with my family during dinner times as much as possible. It’s all about planning ahead, so you’re not caught up in the chaos of busyness.
Matt Prater:
And honestly, it’s not healthy to be constantly busy. I love the way The Message version puts it. Jesus says, “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest.” The Message version talks about “unforced rhythms of grace.”
Dave Quak:
Unforced rhythms of grace... It’s catching on, isn’t it? I think a lot of people are realising it’s not holy to just flog yourself. It’s not a badge of honour to burn out for Jesus.
Matt Prater:
That’s right. I’m so glad people are starting to see that.
Matt Prater:
One of the guys who really impacted me is Pastor Wayne Cordero.
Dave Quak:
Oh, I know Wayne! He’s had a huge impact on a lot of people.
Matt Prater:
Yeah, yeah, he’s my boss. So Wayne founded the New Hope church movement. He used to lead a megachurch in Hawaii with about 15,000 people. He’s now in Eugene, Oregon, with a church of around 2,000.
Matt Prater:
He had a major burnout, though. Years ago, he spoke at the Global Leadership Summit, and that message resonated with a lot of people. He also wrote a book called Deadly to Running.
Dave Quak:
Yeah, I remember that sermon – Dead Leader Running.
Matt Prater:
Exactly. And in the book, he talks about how he was physically and mentally exhausted. But the great thing is, he challenged all the New Hope pastors around the world—there are about 120 churches—to make sure we prioritise rest and avoid burnout.
Matt Prater:
We’re in this for the marathon, not a sprint. He also talks about the ministry fulcrum, like a seesaw. Sometimes you have a busy season—conference, guest preacher, and all that. But when that’s over, you need to tip the fulcrum the other way and lean into your family.
Dave Quak:
That’s good advice.
Matt Prater: You’ve got to make sure you’ve got a regular balance between family and ministry. If it's all ministry, your family’s going to suffer. If it's all family, your ministry will suffer too. There's got to be balance between the two. I’ve always tried to maintain a healthy balance between how much time I spend doing church stuff and family stuff.
Dave Quak: I love that, man. One of my favourite jokes is from that sermon where you talk about hell being on a silent retreat, and then he sneaks out. Do you remember this? He comes back, and his mate asks if he got in trouble, and he says, "They didn’t say."
Matt Prater: That’s a good one!
Dave Quak: It’s such a great sermon. You can still see it online, right? From the later years of running, I think it’s from 2007 or something.
Matt Prater: That actually reminds me of a good joke, so I’ll throw it in.
Dave Quak: This isn’t a Matt Prater chat without a dad joke. Hit me with it.
Matt Prater: Alright, so there’s this guy at a silent retreat. He’s only allowed to say two words every year. The first year goes by, and he says to the head priest, "Bed hard." That’s all he says. Another year goes by, and he says, "Food bad." That’s it. Then, the third year rolls by, and he says, "I’m quitting." So he leaves. The head monk says to the head priest, "I can’t believe he’s gone." And the priest says, "Yeah, all he ever did was whinge."
Matt Prater: We’ve got to be wise with our words. We need to make sure we’re speaking life and being a blessing. But I don’t know how I’d go on a silent retreat. That’d be tough for me, I think.
Dave Quak: I think I’d like it for a while, but I’d be weighing whether I could handle it. After a couple of days, I’d be sneaking out for sure. In your sermon, you talked about being at the coffee shop saying, "Hey, how are you doing?"
Matt Prater: That’s right! Walking around talking to everyone.
Dave Quak: A couple of days ago, Matt, you posted an awesome write-up about emerging leaders. It was really thoughtful—such a great post. And I’m really interested in your thoughts on emerging vocational ministers. My theology, and I’m sure it’s the same for you, is that all Christians are in ministry. We’re all called to bring Jesus wherever we go. But there are also those called to vocational ministry. You wrote about this, and I’d love to hear your thoughts on it for emerging leaders. What advice would you give them based on your experiences in your early 30s?
History Makers Podcast: Encouraging the Next Generation of Leaders
I wrote a book called History Makers: Devotions, Dad Jokes, and Downloads. It’s a whole chapter in that book. Actually, I’d love to write a whole book just on this subject. It’s something that’s really dear to my heart.
History Makers: Devotions, Downloads & Dad Jokes
History Makers: Devotions, Downloads & Dad Jokes is the latest book from Pastor Matt Prater. Matt is the Senior Pastor of New Hope Church in Brisbane, Australia and he is the host of Historymakers Radio, a weekly syndicated interview style show that airs right across Australia.
Matt Prater: I wouldn’t be in ministry today if it weren’t for a few guys who believed in me. I became a youth leader at 17 because there was a guy at my school, a youth leader in Grade 12, who asked me to be his assistant. He trained me up, and then when he left, I became the youth leader at the local Wesley Methodist Church.
Matt Prater: Back then, I wanted to go straight into ministry, but I had an adult youth pastor friend who told me, “Matt, go and get a job in the real world for a bit. If you don’t, you’ll live in church world your whole life.” So I worked in commercial radio, selling advertising. It was a real eye-opener. It was all about money, partying, and the night scene. For a squeaky-clean Christian kid like me, it was pretty eye-opening.
Matt Prater: But it was really good for me. I got some business acumen, some experience, and it helped me see what the world is like. That experience was a good foundation before diving into church life. Eventually, I ended up being a youth pastor, and I’ve worked in Christian radio my whole life.
Matt Prater: So yeah, I definitely believe some people are called to vocational ministry. But some are called to business, to sports, or to work in the workplace while being Christians in that sphere.
Dave Quak: Like incarnational ministry, right?
Matt Prater: Exactly. I believe that too. But one of the reasons I wrote that chapter is because I think a lot of people view pastoring as too hard. They think ministry is too much, doesn’t pay enough, or is too difficult because so many pastors burn out, fail morally, or face financial struggles. I think there are 13,000 pastors in Australia, and out of those, like 90% end up leaving because of burnout, financial issues, or immorality.
Matt Prater:
It's heartbreaking, yeah. As pastors, if you look at the track record, we don’t always finish well. We need to think long term in ministry. Going back to the recruitment of pastors, I wrote that post and chapter because I believe many people are actually called to ministry but haven’t been nudged in that direction. That article was me trying to nudge them. You wouldn’t believe how many people contacted me after I posted it.
Matt Prater:
Yeah, so many people had just never been nudged or given the opportunity. I’m in ministry today because a few guys in my 20s said, “Matt, I believe you’re called to be a preacher, an evangelist, or to be in radio ministry.” They believed in me, nudged me, and encouraged me to step into it. They were like my Paul, and I was their Timothy. It’s a big part of my calling as well. I love doing the ministry, but I’m 49 now, getting on, and I feel my calling is also to raise up others in ministry.
Matt Prater:
If I’m not multiplying what I do, I’m not being effective. That’s why I’m all about raising up the next generation. We’ve got a mentoring group at our church with about 40 people. We have two mentoring groups, where we’re mentoring emerging leaders. Some of them are even older—one bloke’s 82!
Dave Quak:
A legend!
Matt Prater:
Yeah, he’s amazing. He comes with me to visit homeless shelters every year. Ministry doesn’t have to be just for the young; anyone who wants to be a leader, we need to equip, mentor, and raise them up. We have to give them opportunities to preach and lead things. I’m a big believer in learning on the job.
Dave Quak:
Yeah, it’s where you figure things out—where you discover your anointing and gifting, and where you fail and succeed. It's all part of the process.
Matt Prater:
Exactly. One of the biggest lessons I learned about that, especially during lockdown, was when our soup kitchen wasn’t allowed to have people in the building. We thought, “Alright, Lord, what do we do now?” We realised we were an essential service. Every other pastor was doing Zoom or Facebook Live, but I had the busiest six months of my life during lockdown.
Dave Quak:
Okay, tell me more.
Matt Prater:
We put on our gloves and masks—everyone thought they were going to die, but we didn’t care. We went out to homeless shelters every Friday, visiting all the shelters around the inner city of Brisbane. And the Lord really spoke to me, saying, “It’s like when Jesus sent out the 72. Go preach the gospel, raise the dead, cleanse the leper—the kingdom of God is at hand.” We went out with just a backpack, travelling light, looking for the person of peace. If someone rejected us, we just shook the dust off and moved on.
Dave Quak:
Yeah, shake it off.
Matt Prater:
Exactly, like Taylor Swift said, just shake it off! (That one’s for my girls.) But seriously, I learned that on-the-job training is crucial in ministry. We’re still doing it five years later, and it’s still just as important. Every Friday, we have a community meal at 10:30 AM, with 30 or 40 people. At 11:30, we pray and go out in our cars to visit about eight boarding houses.
New Hope Church: Reaching the Homeless & the Hurting
We offer them food, we offer them Bibles. We have wood for today, devotionals from Vision Radio. We pray for them, and sometimes they'll get up and do a two-minute gospel message and an altar call. Sometimes I'll do it there. Sometimes we'll just do one-on-one. But we'll hand out fliers, invite them to church. You know, for the church to truly be the church, you've got to get outside of the four walls.
So every Friday, I often have a guest speaker on Fridays off, and I'll take them with me. The sad thing is some guest speakers, they'll preach at the soup kitchen, but they won't come out to the streets with me. That breaks my heart.
I’m often taking the guest preacher or new volunteers, training them on the job as we go. I say, "These homeless shelters are all around the city. This is a harvest field. These guys are sitting in there all day doing nothing, getting into trouble."
Matt Prater: And they love it when we come because we bring food, a smile, and love. Our goal is to get them out of those shelters into either rehab or another place because those places are dens of iniquity, full of trouble.
Dave Quak: Oh, that's right.
Matt Prater: We want to get them out there. So, I’m constantly training and rising up emerging leaders on the job every Friday. Sundays are okay, but Friday is my favourite. I love it.
Dave Quak: I was just going to say, I bet Fridays are the highlight of your week. You’ve got a great gig there.
Matt Prater: Yeah, you should come with me next week.
Dave Quak: Yeah, man, I’ll come along. I’m actually doing a message next week at a rehab down the Gold Coast, with a lot of the clients in that transformation program.
Matt Prater: It is, right? Right.
Dave Quak: Yeah. They do chapel every Tuesday morning, so I’m going to go and do that. It’s good because you can be reckless with the gospel and tell your story as raw as you like, and they really resonate with it.
Matt Prater: That's right. I actually found a few years ago, when we started our soup kitchen, which we now call a community meal, I felt the Lord really challenge me with the parable of the king’s banquet.
Matt Prater: You know, the king invited all the rich people, but they didn’t come. So, he sent the servants out to the highways and byways, to the poor, the lame, and the crippled, and compelled them to come. That’s why we call our community meal "The King’s Table" because we’re inviting people to the table of the king, and we’re going out to the highways and byways. I’ve found that that crowd is very open to the gospel.
Matt Prater: They’re open to coming into the church, open to a meal, and open to sitting and talking with us. We do this thing called the Discovery Bible method.
Dave Quak: Oh, that’s awesome. I love it.
Matt Prater: They’re open to us sitting down and reading through the scriptures with them and having a chat about it. A lot of us out there are very cynical and jaded, and the wall comes up when people find out you’re a Christian. But that crowd? They’re open.
Matt Prater: It’s like the scripture that says, “It’s not the healthy who need a doctor, but the sick.” That’s where I love to be, with those people.
Matt Prater: A few years ago, I had an opportunity to do some TV ministry, and I was pretty excited about it at the time. But I felt the Lord say, "That’s not your call. Go lower. Get out on the streets and do this." So, I closed that door and followed the one the Lord opened. I love it.
Matt Prater: If every church in Australia got out there, actually being the hands and feet of Jesus, helping the homeless, we’d see a transformation. The homeless crisis is crazy. If every Christian did that, we'd see huge change.
Dave Quak: You’d definitely see that. One of the guys in my church is passionate about this. His biggest frustration with church history is when we outsourced social justice to the state. It used to be our responsibility to care for the sick, the poor, the broken, and the homeless.
Dave Quak: I know it’s fraught with complications, but I love his heart for that.
Matt Prater: Yeah, absolutely. So true.
Matt Prater: If you look at the top 25 charities in Australia, 23 of them are faith-based. Thank God for that! Every church needs to be activated in this.
Matt Prater: Our church is known for this now. People say, "Oh, New Hope Vision of God, that’s the church that does all the stuff for the homeless." And I think that’s what Jesus would be doing in the streets of Brisbane today.
Matt Prater: Quick story—years ago, I did a wedding for a couple from shelters. They invited me to the reception in Fortitude Valley, at a pub. For those who don’t know, Fortitude Valley is a bit rough. It’s mentioned in Psalm 23—the valley of the shadow of death.
Matt Prater: Anyway, I was down there at this pub, and they asked me to say grace. So, I stood up and said, "Father, bless this food, bless everyone here in Jesus' name. Amen."
Matt Prater:
And you know, I've got a bit of a loud voice, you might have noticed. Anyway, as soon as I said I’m in, there's a lady standing next to me and she says, "Father, can I please confess my sins?" So I said, "Yes, my daughter." And I asked, "What are you doing?" She started confessing her sins, and I said, "Do you know the Bible says, if you confess your sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and cleanse us from all unrighteousness?"
I asked, "Would you like to give your heart to Jesus?" She goes, "What? Here?" I said, "Yeah." She asked, "Now?" I said, "Yeah, that’s it." So, I held her hands in that pub, and I led her to Jesus. Then another lady overheard and stood behind her, asking, "Father, can I please confess my sins?"
Dave Quak:
Come on.
Matt Prater:
I said, "Yes, my daughter," and went through the same thing again. By the end of that afternoon, there was a line-up of 4 or 5 people I prayed for at that pub.
Dave Quak:
Yeah, nice.
Matt Prater:
A bit later, I said to my wife, “Honey, I’m going to be a bit late. I’ve got these people here that I’m praying with at the pub.” And she said to me, "Honey, you stay there because that’s what Jesus would be doing." When she said that, something broke in my heart. You know, as pastors, we can do all these things—board meetings, staff meetings, building meetings. But we can have death by meeting as pastors. But what would Jesus be doing in 2024? Where would He be?
He’d be around the lepers, the prostitutes, the tax collectors—the last, the least, and the lost. And that’s who we’re called to go to. Every believer is called to go lower. If you don’t know where to start, go lower.
Dave Quak:
Yeah. It's the old Vineyard route, staying with you.
Matt Prater:
That’s it.
Dave Quak:
I loved it when Wimber was first saved, and he was just trying to figure out how to do Christianity. So, he just went out and started doing street ministry, leading people to Jesus.
Dave Quak:
I remember the story where he led his first guy to Jesus. He was a drunk, and he said, "God, we got one!" It was so exciting because it looked so real.
Matt Prater:
Yeah, I love it.
Dave Quak:
I love it, man. Matt, we're getting to the end of our chat, sadly. But you mentioned before you’re 40 on what’s next for Matt Prater at 59. Do you have any aspirations for the next decade—for your life, your family, your church?
Matt Prater:
Very good question. I feel like the Lord is pushing me to step out of my comfort zone a bit. I've been talking to my church a lot about this and also sharing it on television and radio. Right now, I’ve got a little ad running saying, "If you want to book Matt Prater to come to your town, he can come."
We can do youth group meetings, schools, evangelism training, men’s breakfasts, and combined church events. I feel like the Lord is stirring me to step out and do more travelling ministry. But I want to do it with the blessing of my church. I don’t want to leave New Hope and do it yet.
Dave Quak:
So, staying at New Hope?
Matt Prater:
Yep, I want New Hope to send me out. And I want to bring change. Earlier this year, my wife and I went to Dalby, and we saw 106 people come to Christ in just four days.
Dave Quak:
Are you kidding?
Matt Prater:
No, it was wild. I preached seven times over the weekend—youth groups, schools, men’s breakfasts. My wife even spoke at a women’s breakfast.
Matt Prater: We did a combined church outreach with the Jesus Revolution movie in the main street of Davina. It was a blast! This gorgeous little town in Queensland came together in unity. My mate Andrew McLennan, who you know, is preaching there again soon. They plan to do this every six months, bringing someone in to run events like this.
Dave Quak: That’s awesome!
Matt Prater: Yeah, I reckon if we, as pastors and evangelists, stepped out into these smaller towns around Australia—heck, even the big cities—it’d make such a difference. We just need to do more events like this. I’ve been inspired by Will Graham, Billy Graham’s grandson. He’s come out to Australia several times, and I’ve been involved in the media side of things each time.
I was there for his events in Broken Hill, Kalgoorlie, Alice Springs, and Hobart. Watching him in action, what he does is he makes sure the local ministers are on board first. They work together in unity, then he trains and equips them for the harvest.
Matt Prater: They do the weekend events, people get saved, and then follow-up programs like Alpha and Christianity Explained kick in for ongoing discipleship. You know, people often say that crusade evangelism is a thing of the past—something from the '50s and '60s like Billy Graham. But it’s still happening today.
Bill Newman is still doing it around Australia and the world. I feel that’s part of my calling too. The best part is, wherever I go, I can use social media, do interviews, get radio spots—anything to get the message out. Leadership isn’t just about what you achieve; it’s about what you set in motion.
Matt Prater: I want to see something continue in every town I visit. If we activate churches like this, we’ll see a great move of God. That’s my heart for revival in Australia: to see souls saved and churches unified. I’ve already got a few places lined up. But looking ahead, I hope in 10 years’ time I can look back and say, “We had a good crack at it, and we saw a difference in our nation.”
Dave Quak: I love that ten-year plan! That’s a solid one. If anyone’s listening from a town and wants to invite you and your wife to come, how can they get in touch? What’s the best way to organise this?
Matt Prater: The best way is probably through the New Hope Church website—newhopebrisbane.com. You can email me there, or I’m on pretty much every social media platform: Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, YouTube, and yes, even Pokémon Go! Just search for me. We’re passionate about going at no cost. A lot of people ask, “How much is it going to cost?” And we say, “Don’t worry about it. We’ll pay our way.” If people want to make a love offering, we’ll gladly accept it, but we don’t want that to be the reason someone doesn’t reach out.
Dave Quak: So they can donate if they choose to, but if they don’t have the budget, you’ll still come and make it happen.
Matt Prater: Yep, that’s it. We’re committed to going wherever we’re needed. There are people who believe in this and support it, so we work it out. You can also reach me through History Makers Radio or the History Makers podcast at historymakersradio.com.
Dave Quak: The History Makers podcast is a great listen. They’re usually 15 to 20-minute chats with all sorts of different guests. Just one last thing, though—since you’re always doing things that make me think, "How did God hook that up?"—tell the listeners, who were your first three interviews on History Makers?
Matt Prater: Oh, this blew my mind at the time. My first interview was with Kevin Rudd when he was the Foreign Minister. Then, I spoke with John Anderson, the Deputy Prime Minister of Australia at the time. And Tim Costello, the CEO of World Vision. Also, Marina Prior, the opera singer who performs at the Christmas carols. All of these people were speaking at a Scripture Union Queensland event, and I had the privilege of interviewing them for History Makers.
Dave Quak: That’s amazing!
Matt Prater: Yeah, I still look back and think, “How did the Lord put me in the right place at the right time to interview those guys?”
Dave Quak: He’s good at that when you step out in faith. Matt, it’s been such an honour to have you on the show. I really appreciate you and all that God is doing in your life. Could you pray for us as we wrap up today?
Let’s Pray: A Blessing for Those Struggling in Faith & Leadership
Matt Prater: Heavenly Father, thank you for Dave and for the Sunburnt Souls podcast. Bless his family, bless his church, and bless everyone listening right now. God, I pray for those who are far from You, for those whose hearts are hard or who have wandered away.
Holy Spirit, touch them right now and draw them back to You. I also pray for those struggling with burnout, feeling overloaded, stressed, or worried. Lord, may they come to You and experience the peace that surpasses all understanding, guarding their hearts and minds in Christ Jesus.
Matt Prater: We also pray for revival in our nation, that You would revive Your church and send out Your people as an army, the hands and feet of Jesus all across Australia. Bless everyone listening right now, and we commit them to You. Bless this day. In Jesus’ name, Amen.
Dave Quak: For more candid conversations on faith and mental well-being, check out sunburntsouls.com. You can subscribe to our podcast on any major platform or contact us directly if you’d like to book us to preach or speak. Sunburnt Souls is a faith-based ministry, and we want to thank everyone who has supported us so far. If you’d like to get behind us, we’d really appreciate your prayers so our message reaches the people who need to hear it.
Dave Quak: Feel free to donate online, but if you feel obligated or manipulated to give, you’re better off sharing a coffee with a loved one instead. I’m Dave Quak from Sunburnt Souls.
What Are the Signs of Burnout in Christian Ministry?
Burnout in Christian ministry often manifests as emotional exhaustion, loss of passion, physical fatigue, and spiritual dryness. Pastors and leaders may feel isolated, struggle with decision-making, or experience cynicism toward their calling. Symptoms like chronic stress, anxiety, and depression can also arise. Recognising burnout early is crucial for recovery. Setting boundaries, prioritising rest, seeking support, and trusting God for renewal are essential steps in overcoming burnout.
How Can a Pastor Recover from Burnout Without Leaving Ministry?
Recovering from burnout requires rest, recalibration, and reliance on God’s strength. Pastors should take a structured sabbatical, establish healthy rhythms of work and rest, and reconnect with their first love for Christ (Revelation 2:4-5).
Seeking mentorship, professional counseling, and pastoral support is key. Delegating tasks, prioritising family, and setting ministry boundaries help prevent future burnout. Healing comes through honest reflection, practical changes, and spiritual renewal.
What Does the Bible Say About Balancing Ministry, Family, and Rest?
The Bible emphasises balance, showing that even Jesus withdrew to rest and pray (Luke 5:16). Mark 2:27 reminds us that "The Sabbath was made for man, not man for the Sabbath." Paul also teaches that family leadership is foundational to ministry success (1 Timothy 3:4-5).
Balancing family, faith, and ministry requires intentional Sabbath-keeping, setting boundaries, and trusting that God sustains His work. Ministry is a marathon, not a sprint, and healthy leaders serve longer.
How Can Churches Support Leaders Struggling with Mental Health?
Churches can support leaders by normalising mental health conversations, offering pastoral care, and encouraging rest. Creating a culture of grace where pastors feel safe to express struggles is essential. Providing Christian counselling, prayer teams, and sabbatical leave can prevent ministry burnout. Galatians 6:2 calls us to "carry each other's burdens," reminding churches to actively support and walk alongside their leaders.
What Are Practical Ways to Prevent Burnout in Christian Leadership?
Preventing burnout requires structured rest, delegation, and spiritual renewal. Practical steps include setting work-life boundaries, taking a weekly Sabbath, and prioritising personal devotion time. Healthy eating, exercise, and mentorship relationships also contribute to long-term ministry health.
Leaders should seek accountability, embrace community, and trust God’s provision rather than carrying ministry burdens alone. Matthew 11:28-30 reminds us that Jesus invites us to rest in Him, ensuring sustainable ministry.
