Brenda, who grew up in Melbourne as an only child, first met God at the age of 14 during a Billy Graham Crusade at the Myer Music Bowl. At 19, following the deaths of both parents, she joined the Air Force only to be discharged on medical grounds with a diagnosis of Total Nervous Breakdown and Anorexia Nervosa. By 21 Brenda had walked completely away from God with the cry 'My God why have You forsaken me'.

She first came to Tasmania in 1973, working as a lab technician at R.H.H. and with the Hear a Book service. In 1978 she recommitted her life to the Lord when a neighbour invited her to a special guest church service. The next four years saw an involvement with the fledgling Christian radio station 7HFC before moving to Brisbane to join WYAM.

Believing God was calling her to become a pilot she moved to Sydney to check out the possibilities but God had other ideas. Instead came a position as a housekeeper for a Congregational Minister before rejoining WYAM and heading to Europe. It was in Thessalonica that Brenda first received the diagnosis of Multiple Sclerosis (MS). Returning to Sydney she worked for a while as clerk before her deteriorating condition required full time nursing home care.

Now totally paralysed, Brenda, with the support of that friend who had invited her to church 15 yrs before, transferred to a nursing home in Kingston Tasmania in 1993, where she remained a resident for the next 12 years

Ten years ago, Brenda with the love, support and prayers of friends locally and around the world, embarked on an exercise program with the aim of restoring some independence. It was a long journey lasting eight years with a small hiccup for treatment of breast cancer along the way. She started attending the Anglican service held each week at the home, becoming the regular gospel reader. In late 2004 whilst still a resident at the home God first spoke to her about ordination.

Brenda was discharged from the nursing home on 20 April 2005 and today lives independently in Kingston. Brenda has served as the Lay Minister for the Aged in the Parish of Kingston for the past fifteen months and today leads those same Anglican services in the nursing home where she once a resident.