Bill Crews

Rev. William David “Bill” Crews was born in England in 1944 and educated in Australia. His first career was as an electrical engineer. In late 1969 he first visited the Wayside Chapel in Sydney’s Kings Cross and became involved in voluntary programs; moving on to work there full-time. He helped create the first 24-hour Crisis Centre in Australia. By 1972 he was Director of the Crisis Centre and directed all the social work programs of the Wayside Chapel until 1983. During that time he established the first program in Australia to reunite adoptees and birth parents, and the first program to help parents at risk of abusing their children. He established the first modern youth refuge in Australia, drug rehabilitation, education and prevention programs throughout New South Wales, and helped create the first of many Life Education Centres, now in Australia, Hong Kong, Thailand, New Zealand, England and America. He went on to become a Uniting Church minister, and created The Exodus Foundation to assist homeless and abandoned youth. It now runs the Loaves & Fishes Free Restaurant, serving 800 meals to the needy every day and operates a multipurpose Health & Outreach Centre, which provides a large range of services. In 1999 Crews was awarded an Order of Australia for his services to the disadvantaged and homeless youth, and does a weekly radio program, which is the highest rating Sunday night radio show in the nation, with an audience of 102,000 listeners. He inspires through his actions and ability to unite people in a cause.

I like to think in most families we all care for each other. We would not allow a family member to go cold, hungry, homeless or medically untreated.