Matthew Anslow is the Educator for Lay Ministry with the Uniting Church Synod of NSW/ACT. He’s also worked and lectured in Baptist, Pentecostal, and Churches of Christ theological institutions. Matt’s studies have centred on theology and philosophy, and he has a PhD from Charles Sturt University.

Matt was a co-founder of Love Makes a Way, a Christian refugee advocacy organisation that made national headlines with their nonviolent acts of civil disobedience. Matt has also worked in pastoral ministry, the aid and development sector, church-based community development, and as a community gardener. He’s also an occasional musician.

Matt is married to Ashlee and, together with their three young children, they live at Milk & Honey Farm, two hours west of Sydney.

Murray (BEng, BTh, BA, Cert IV Coaching) has over 25 years of experience in ministry, pastoral and chaplaincy settings. He functions as our ACOM Learning Consultant, a Professional Coach, and Founding Partner of the Colloquium Group.  He is currently completing his Master of Coaching (Psychology).

Adrian Blenkinsop has been a thinking youth practitioner for many years. He has worked for both global and local ministries in the area of scripture engagement, faith formation, and youth ministry. Adrians desire is to see young people find their place in Gods big story, and be transformed as they live out of that story. He has been a regular speaker at national and international youth ministry gatherings, and authored the book ‘The Bible According to Gen Z.’ He currently works with Churches of Christ in SA/NT, and Young Life Australia.

Dr Tom Edwards (BSc(Hons), MCounselling, PhD, Grad Cert Higher Ed) in studying the development of the early central nervous system at the Murdoch Children’s Research Institute (i.e. BSc(Hons)), or the biochemistry of memory (i.e. PhD – Monash Uni) has always found exploring God’s handiwork awe-inspiring. Over the last decade his scholarly interests have shifted from the brain to the mind.  As a result, he undertook studies in counselling and now works as the Senior Counsellor at LifeCare (Crossway Baptist Church, Melbourne).  In this process he has become a level 4 member of the Australian Counselling Association and a member of their College of Supervisors.  Throughout this journey he has remained active in teaching counselling students and has built a publication track record.  Tom is also honoured to act as the Chair of the Christian Research Association and so explore the interplay between faith and society.

Matthew Friedman (BA, MDiv, PhD), worked for nearly two decades in South Asia, focused on inter-religious communication and spiritual formation in conjunction with especially the Muslim community in the region. He has published a number of articles, book chapters and book reviews, and is the author of Union with God in Christ: Early Christian and Wesleyan Spirituality as an Approach to Islamic Mysticism (Eugene, OR, USA: Pickwick, 2017). In addition to his work at ACOM, Dr. Friedman serves as Professor of Intercultural Studies at Kingswood University in New Brunswick, Canada, as well as teaching online at Asbury Theological Seminary. He continues to be involved in training, discipleship and mission in his local setting and in contexts around the world.

Tim currently works coaching, mentoring and consulting with leaders, churches and organisations,  having recently transitioned from the role of CEO Compassion Australia, in which he served for 10 years.

Prior to that, Tim pastored three churches over 30 years in three different states of Australia, the last being Gateway Baptist Church in Brisbane. He taught at Australian College of Ministries (ACOM) and was  CEO of Willow Creek Australia for 18 months..

Married to Chris, they raised 9 children and have 24 grandchildren at the latest count.

Tim is a bit of a sports tragic, having played a lot of Aussie rules footy, cricket and tennis.

He studied Economics at University, and later gained a Bachelor of Theology through the Melbourne College of Divinity and his Doctor of Ministry at Fuller Seminary in the US.

 He has a passion for leaders, churches and organisations to flourish and make the best impact they can for the Kingdom of God.

Patrick Hegarty is the author of six books on spiritual formation and senior minister of Kenmore Church of Christ – Brisbane (www.kenmore.church). He is founder of the Spirit and Truth network (www.spiritandtruth.net.au), consulting with and networking churches to grow discipleship & leadership pathways, and host courses and retreats. Prior to leading Kenmore Church, he invested 11 years developing spiritual formation and leadership programs for Riverlife Baptist church, rediscovering the way Jesus grew people, and transferring those principles to a modern western setting.

Grenville Kent (MA Film, PhD Old Testament, DMin Apologetics) has taught theology, spoken at outreach events and made films in 60+ countries. He also teaches SRE at a State high school.  He is currently writing a popular apologetics book God Walks Into A Bar... and a history of the Sexual Revolution.  He is the proud father of six children.

Joel McKerrow is an award winning writer, speaker, educator, artist, creativity specialist and, having performed for hundreds of thousands of people throughout the world, is one of Australia’s most successful, internationally touring, performance poets. Based out of Melbourne, Australia he is the Artist Ambassador for the aid and development organisation ‘TEARFUND Australia’ and was the co-founder of community arts organisation, ‘The Centre for Poetics and Justice’ (2010-2013). Joel was the third ever Australian representative at the Individual World Poetry Slam Championships in the USA and is a highly sought after speaker at conferences and festivals all over the world.

He has three published poetry books, one book around Spiritual Formation and four spoken word/music albums. Joel has spent years on the faculty and teaching staff at Tabor College Victoria and Whitley College Victoria and is super excited to be teaching now with ACOM.

Denise has been facilitating bible units for ACOM for nine years. She holds a PhD in Religious Studies from University of Queensland and a BTh (hons) from the Australian College of Theology. Her research interests include the Gospels and how the New Testament writers used the Old Testament. Before stepping into the academic world, Denise spent ten years in pastoral ministry. She enjoys walking with her dogs in the forest near her home and trying to understand the memes her adult sons send her.