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contributors

This site will feature a weekly column from a range of contributors. Some will be mature and experienced preachers while others are much younger with preaching ministries that are embryonic. We like it this way! We want to be encouraging the development of a fresh generation of preachers.

All of them are wrestling with this Kiwi context and are committed to biblical preaching. We will add a brief bio-line to this page when they make their first post. Every now and then we plan to have a guest contributor from outside the New Zealand setting.

Take the time to read and feel free to comment on what you read and thereby help the conversation to develop.

  • Lynne M. Baab is senior lecturer in pastoral theology at the University of Otago. She is a Presbyterian minister and the author of numerous books, including The Power of Listening: Building Skills for Mission and Ministry, Sabbath Keeping and Fasting. She blogs at www.lynnebaab.com, and many of her articles and information about her books can be found there.
  • Viv Coleman is an experienced Presbyterian minister who has been seconded to work as Discipleship Coach at an Auckland Baptist church for the last six years. She is passionate about preaching and has been writing sermons for over four decades. She has taught preaching skills to church members and mentored Carey Baptist College interns. Viv is currently working on a Master’s thesis looking at how ministers experience performance reviews.
  • Sean du Toit, is a husband to Sue, a father to Ava, a New Testament lecturer at Alphacrucis, a PhD candidate at Otago, trying to be a faithful follower of Jesus.
  • Dr Sarah Harris is the New Testament lecturer at Carey Baptist College (NZ). Sarah’s particular area of expertise is the Gospel of Luke. She is also a mum, Anglican Priest and best of all married to Craig.
  • Brett Jones is pastor to cession|community, a faith community planted in the Eastern Suburbs of Auckland.  He is also responsible for Church Development and Church Planting within the Wesleyan Methodist Church of New Zealand.  By night, he moonlights as the muse for Muse Consulting offering strategic consulting services to churches, trusts and other non-profit organisations. www.bemuseconsulting.com
  • Mark Keown is a senior lecturer in New Testament at Laidlaw College, Auckland NZ. He has been a Presbyterian and Baptist Pastor and is often found preaching and teaching in churches. He is married to Emma the minister of Glenfield Presbyterian, and has three wonderful daughters. His books include Congregational Evangelism in Philippians (Paternoster, 2008), and What’s God Up To On Planet Earth (Castle, 2010).
  • Andrew Lim recently retired as pastor of Christ Sanctuary, Palmerston North of which he was the founding pastor. Studies at the Bible College of New Zealand and Trinity Evangelical Divinity School led him down the paths of seminary teaching and the pastoral ministry. His major in philosophy arises from his conviction that the Christian faith is intellectually defensible. For refuge, he retreats to his garden. He is married to Gloria and they have two daughters, Hannah and Rachael. He blogs on two separate sites: https://wildelm.wordpress.com/   –   https://twotimothytwofifteen.wordpress.com/
  • Greg Liston is currently pursuing doctoral studies in systematic theology, after recently completing 7½ years as the senior pastor of Hillsborough Baptist Church. Previous roles include strategic management consulting and a Ph.D. in quantum physics. He is married to Diane and has two children, Emily (12) and James (8).
  • Andrea McDougall is an Anglican priest – originally from Auckland but currently studying full time in Dunedin writing her PhD on Karl Barth’s Theology of Humility.
  • Simon McLeay is the Senior Minister at St Peters in the City, Tauranga. As the son of a Presbyterian Minister he has listened to and been formed by preaching all his life. Simon is married to Karen a Dietitian and has three school-age children. Simon has served in four diverse churches, been a mission consultant with his denomination and served as Auckland coordinator for the Alpha Course. He also has a M.Min and is one of the Moderators of the Kaimai Presbytery.
  • Reuben Munn is Senior Pastor of Shore Community Church on Auckland’s North Shore. He also preaches on the TV programme Connection Point, a ministry of SCC, which screens on Shine TV. He enjoys reading and is a keen piano player.
  • Geoff New was the of Papakura East & Hunua Presbtyterian Church from 1997 to 2015. He is now the Dean of Studies at the Knox Centre for Ministry and Leadership. His DMin thesis explored the effect of using Ignatian Gospel Contemplation and lectio divina in sermon preparation. The thesis was published in 2015 by Langham Literature. It is entitled “Imaginative Preaching: praying the Scriptures so God can speak through you.” He commenced as director of Kiwi-Made Preaching in 2012.
  • Tony Plews is the Executive Director of Langham Partnership New Zealand (LPNZ). He has a long connection with theological education both at home (with many years on the faculty at Laidlaw College) and overseas (with his leadership of “LeaDev-Langham” which is committed to strengthening the work of colleges in various parts of Asia).
  • Jonathan Robinson has been a preacher since 2001, a Kiwi since 2006, blogs at xenos-theology.blogspot.com, and is currently a PhD candidate in New Testament at Otago Uni.
  • Andy Shudall became a Christian at 17 but ‘got serious’ about Jesus shortly before starting University. He caught a vision for student ministry whilst at St. Andrews University, where he also met his wife. After one year on the UK’s graduate internship (Relay) he joined UCCF staff in 1994, working alongside students in Northern England for 6 years. From 2000-2005 Andy as part of UCCF Leadership Team; leading the Relay Programme. Andy, his wife and their 3 kids arrived in NZ in 2005 for Andy to take up the Head of Training role. Andy is now the pastor of Titirangi Baptist Church.
  • John Tucker teaches homiletics and church history at Carey Baptist College, where he also coordinates the Carey School of Preaching. A former lawyer and Baptist minister, he preaches regularly at churches around Auckland. In his spare time, when he’s not playing with his three kids or reading good books, he likes to keep fit with swimming, cycling and running.
  • Kevin Ward has been a lecturer at the Knox Centre for Ministry and Leadership in Dunedin and Adjunct Lecturer in Theology at the University of Otago since 2003, when it was the School of Ministry. His previous experience has been as a secondary school teacher, Baptist minister and then for thirteen years as a lecturer and Associate Dean at the Christchurch Centre of the Bible College of New Zealand (now Laidlaw College). His academic field is practical theology and his particular interests are in church life and leadership. His research interests are in religion and church in contemporary society and in congregational studies. He keeps himself balanced by walking, swimming, tramping, golf, music (a self confessed Beatles nut) movies (has taught on spirituality in film) and enjoys red wine and good coffee. http://kevinrward.wordpress.com/
  • Shelley West was born and bred in South Auckland, now living in Blockhouse Bay. She worships and works at Blockhouse Bay Baptist as the Community Pastor. She loves sunshine, beaches, good books and of course Jesus!
  • Steve Worsley is the Senior Pastor at Mount Albert Baptist church. He previously was pastor of Petone Baptist church. Steve (Mmus, BD) is a professional musician turned pastor.  He wrote and created the worship leader training course called, ‘One Step Ahead Worship‘ and has more recently interviewed key preachers to create ‘One Step Ahead Preaching‘. He is passionate about helping churches find ways to upskill and improve what they do in their gathered church services. Steve has conducted a lecture module on the history, theology and biblical background of worship at Lifeway College – which was the most fun he’s had in ages!