Originally beginning as pastor for the Junee Baptist Church, Mr Turk has been chaplain for the past six years.

Mrs Turk has been incredibly active in the community working on many different projects, the most recent of which is the Open Kitchen, a program started by the Junee Combined Churches.

Nearly 100 people came to a farewell dinner to thank the Turks for their service to the community and the contribution they gave supporting the spiritual needs of residents and inmates.

While most would probably avoid working with inmates if given the chance, Mr Turk described it as a wonderful experience.

“We try to see people leave prison better than when they came in,” he said.

Both Mr and Mrs Turk worked to provide guidance to inmates, whether it was through grief and loss programs or courses designed by the Salvation Army, they were part of the team to help those who needed it.

Many prisoners had commented on how these courses had helped given them a new mindset and improve their chances of rehabilitation.

In his farewell speech, Mr Turk urged members of the church to keep following the words of Jesus and to be a church which reaches out to the lonely and disadvantaged as well as those in correctional centres.

The Turks will be leaving Junee to head to the Pilbara in remote Western Australia.