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Margaret Garland
Margaret is doing her internship at Knox Church, Dunedin under the mentorship of Rev Dr Sarah Mitchell. This meant a move from North Canterbury where Margaret, her husband Mike and daughters Jessie and Isobel had lived for the past 25 years, but it was also a return to roots for Margaret who was brought up in Balclutha and attended Otago University. At St Andrews in Amberley, Margaret was a lay-preacher, and elder on Parish Council for about 20 years before responding, in 2008, to a call to pursue National Ordained Ministry. She has also been a librarian, working both as a District Library Manager and as the Manager of a special project team in the National Library. Margaret’s particular ministry interests include developing worship liturgies and approaches that are stimulating and provoking within sacred space, discussing and exploring the reality of faith in this world in ways that are relevant and responsive to need, and developing and growing personal and local theologies in the context of the priesthood of all believers. Her other interests include walking, learning, weaving (beginner), reading, music appreciation, and occasional tennis and swimming.
Rory Grant
BTheol; BA; DipArts (Distinction) (Otago)
This year, the first of my internship, has been one of huge change for Andrea, myself, and our two boys Oliver (4) and Jonathan (2). We’ve been uprooted from our settled existence in Dunedin, where we’ve been long time members, elders and youth leaders at Highgate, to pursue God’s call on our lives in the lovely town of Rotorua where I have the the privilege of serving at Trinity and St. Johns. This really is the best of both worlds for an intern. At Trinity, I have the opportunity to get my hands in the soil – leading worship, preaching, providing pastoral care and discerning vision for the future in a small, semi-rural parish. While at St. Johns, I have the privilege of being part of a team and tasting the life of a large, urban parish. In the past I have been heavily involved in youth leadership and mission both through the Presbyterian church and through several years experience working with Youth For Christ/Incedo. In the future, I look forward to being a catalyst for discipleship and spiritual growth amongst God’s people in the PCANZ. I love sport, especially soccer and netball, and I’m refreshed and energised by bouncing ideas off people and through my (seriously amateur) passion for photography.
Andrew Harrex
B.Theol, B.Ed, Dip.Tchg.
Andrew and Christine have been married for 7 years and have four children: Toby (5), Anna (3), Katie and Emily (2). As a family they sense the call to serve Jesus in the role of ordained ministry in the Presbyterian Church of Aotearoa New Zealand. After 6 years teaching at an intermediate school in Auckland Andrew left a job he loved to begin a community youth/youth pastor role at East Taieri Presbyterian Church. The 9 years of successes and failures that followed taught him a great deal about ministry, people and God’s love. Two years of theology study at Otago University gave him a greater perspective of the depth and breadth of that love and God’s creative, redemptive work we are privileged to be a part of. Now in the first year of the internship based at St Stephen’s Leith Valley and studentsoul Otago, Andrew and Christine feel privileged to be in the process of formation and learning much more about what being a minister of Word and Sacrament means. Andrew loves to encourage others in their walk with Jesus and be a part of teams that are making a difference in the world. For fun Andrew enjoys being a husband and dad and participating in, watching or reading about sport. The participation might include golf, mountainbiking, touch or snakes and ladders. He also enjoys hanging out with people and being in the outdoors.
Sun Mi Lee
B.HS, M.ID, Ph.D. (Yonsei, Korea); B.SD (AUT); B.Min; Dip.Couns (Laidlaw).
Sun Mi is doing an internship at St. Giles, a small multi-cultural church in central Auckland in a prolonged absence of fulltime ministry. It is a congregation basically of two halves. One half younger Samoan, one half senior European. Sun Mi was born in South Korea and used to be a lecturer at university until she moved to New Zealand in 2000. She has served churches as a lay-preacher, Bible teacher and youth group leader, and in the community as a counsellor. Sun Mi has a keen interest in personal and community transformation in Christ. Her particular ministry interests include developing authentic worship liturgies inspired by the Holy Spirit, helping individual’s inner-healing in Christ, and developing harmonious/corporate congregation in multi-cultural contexts. For fun she enjoys reading, music, drawing, walking on the beach and squash.
Ryhan Prasad
Kia ora Everyone! Ani, Elihu and I are currently living in Wellington and I am interning at both St John’s in the City and Wadestown Presbyterian churches. As a family we have felt called to ministry in the Presbyterian Church and that has worked out with me being called into the Ministry of Word and Sacrament. My ministry background has been about ten years as a youth worker in the Charismatic movement and then seven years in the Presbyterian Church. I’ve had a diverse range of jobs, from the coffee roasting industry to concrete cutting and demolition and have met a lot of interesting people along the way! In ministry I am passionate about how we understand ourselves to be Presbyterians within the wider Christian faith and how we explore that across traditional and contemporary contexts. I applaud our shared understanding of unity in diversity. Worship and mission are so integrally linked that I believe we will see Churches having to take hard looks at themselves to see how God’s mission is being authentically carried to all people not just those of us who are comfortable with the status quo. I enjoy the challenge of creating relevant avenues of discipleship, particularly for young people and the seekers amongst us in order for them to comprehend and belong to the community of Christ. Our General Assembly motto of ‘Reformed and Reforming’ helps us to always examine how we seek to authentically partner in God’s mission of redemption, and I am excited about being a part of how this is worked out within the Presbyterian Church now and in the future as the Holy Spirit continues to lead our Church forward.
Heather Simpson
Heather has a background in international mission with 21 years experience in Ecuador and Peru involved with leadership development and urban development ministries. Since returning to New Zealand in 2003 she spent a year in Mission Consultancy with the Baptists before joining the PCANZ National Mission Team in the task of enabling mission opportunities around New Zealand. Heather’s interests include bush walking, beaches, and kayaking, and she maintains a high level of interest with her Spanish and international friends and colleagues. During 2010, Heather’s internship includes two aspects of church life. Her time is shared between National Mission and St David’s – Blue Lagoon, North East Valley Church. In 2011 she will add to her experience in a church yet to be decided. Heather has a keen interest in innovative and new areas of ministry, while ensuring that these are based in and strongly connected to church life and community.
Martin van’t Wout
B.Theol (Otago)
Carmen and I have been married for 17 years. We have two boys Matthew (11) and Kees (7). Prior to being an intern I was an electrician for 21 years, the last three of them running my own business which was my ministry. For 21 years I have connected people’s homes and business to power, and now God has called me to be a pastor but still connecting people to power, but of a divine source, one that can transform their lives and change the community they find themselves in. I have graduated with a Bachelor of Theology degree at Otago University in 2009. My interests are my family, motor bike riding (dirtbike), coffee, golf, fishing, and doing the odd electrical job for family and friends. I am currently the Intern for Flagstaff Union Parish and will finish in 2011. I have a strong passion for preaching, and enjoy the pastoral care element of my internship. Two people who inspire me are Ed Hillary and Ernest Shackleton. My favourite authors would be NT Wright, Max Lucado, Rob Bell, Phillip Yancey, John Ortberg, John Stott, and John Burke.
Antony Wood
B.Min.
I am married to Andrea and we have four children aged between 10 and 16 years. We have lived in a multicultural environment in Porirua City for the last 20 years. Prior to commencing training for National Ordained Ministry I spent my working life as a carpenter and construction foreman. I was brought up in the Roman Catholic Church until becoming a member of the Plimmerton Presbyterian Parish in 1990, where I have been involved in ministries to all age groups. My ministry internship has been undertaken for one year each at the Plimmerton and Otaki Waikanae Parishes. My desire as an Ordained Minister is to see people grow in their love for God, as part of a community committed to being a witness for Christ to the world around them. I am a team orientated person and committed to involving other people in planning, direction setting and the outworking of parish community life. In service to the wider community I have volunteered for Habitat for Humanity, Refugee Resettlement, a school Board of trustees, and I have coached and managed sports teams. For recreation I enjoy sports, tramping and hiking, fishing, skiing and participating in anything my children are involved in.
William Kang
No information provided.
Blair Stirling
No information provided.
Arona Tusega
No information provided.