Founded in 1993, Christian Fellowship Tours has grown in its scope of tours and the range of holiday destinations offered. From its founders David and Gail Boyd, the operation of the business side was taken over by Rev Darrell and Mrs Pam McKerlie, who with their son Andrew operated and grew the range from their home base in Victoria.
Back in 1974, the company Golden West Tours began in Katoomba NSW, and over the years this business changed its name to Fantastic Aussie Tours. The founding director John Cronshaw established a specialized and unique touring programme that offered the supporters of the Bush Church Aid Society (BCA) the chance to travel around Australia and encourage the people for whom they prayed. John has been an active volunteer with BCA since 1976, and is on the Federal Council and Executive of BCA, and is also the chairman of the NSW/ACT committee.
Early in 2008, as the pressure of the growing business meant the McKerlie family had to step aside, it fell to John and Jason Cronshaw through their Katoomba based business to negotiate the sale of the Christian Fellowship Tours business, and this happened in April, 2008.
This brought together a love and passion for Australian travel with a desire to serve the Lord, and merged the experience gained over more than 30 years in operating a tourism based, people to people business with the chance to serve fellow Aussies.
As a commercial business, CFT is fully licensed as a Travel Agent for international and Australian travel, is accredited with the NSW Ministry of Transport and carries the required business insurances. Active staff hold required certificates and licenses for the professional organization of the company. I am sure that you will appreciate that in the (hopefully) unlikely event the tour numbers do not reach a viable number, we may need to offer alternative arrangements.
My personal belief is that the standard of tours offered are cost competitive with similar tours in the secular marketplace, and the quality stands with these professional operations. Yet there is more! The ability to travel as a Christian group cannot be described. Christian Fellowship enhances the overall travel experience, and it is a policy that on each tour your Christian Tour Director will also be responsible for daily Bible devotions and prayer at the start of each day. Hotels and tour operators we meet often comment about the “special nature” of the group, and there is a wonderful witness as we travel. Passengers of Christian Fellowship Tours come from all denominations, and no particular denominational factor is promoted on any tour.
We are often asked about the age range of people on tour. People of all ages are welcome but generally speaking most people who travel are usually over 35 years of age, but we have introduced Family Safaris that will see a change in age range for these tours. There is no upper age limit, but self care is vitally important in any extended tour anywhere. It is our policy that you do not have to attend church to join a tour – we just ask that you take part in the on coach devotions and be a part of our group as we travel. You are more than welcome to invite friends who do not attend church and they can be assured they will be made most welcome on every tour we offer.