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Chris Chamberlain SENIOR MINISTER;
WORSHIP AND PRAYER TEAM LEADER Chris came to this church in February 2008 after 11 years pastoring in Greymouth where he facilitated the creation of one of the most functional and flexible contemporary Christian worship spaces in the country. He enjoys gardening and in a previous life was a Landscape Gardener. Chris is the lead singer and fiddle player in the occasional country rock band called The Chosen, and while he was living on The Coast he was the lead singer in the covers rock band called The Indicators. He dreams of playing music with Dave Dobbyn... He also thinks he is in an amazing church with great staff! You can hear him preach here most Sundays. His training has been through the Bible College of New Zealand (now called Laidlaw College), as well as Carey Baptist College. His life is pleasantly complicated by 3 children, a wife, a retro house, and 2 old Fiats. Email him at chris@otbc.org.nz |
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David Collins
ADMINISTRATION TEAM LEADER David comes from England and was a sailor in the Navy. By day he teaches electronic engineering at a private tertiary education provider, and by night he makes plans for the survival of our city in the event of a disaster, The latter is done through his work with Civil Defencse.In the unlikely event of there being a pandemic, earthquake, flood, or dangerous chemical spill during a church service: David will have a plan. He likes house renovations and has forgotten what it's like to be living in a house without some alteration going on, His family think the same. He is often the last to leave church and the person tidying the place up after everyone else has gone home. |
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Mike Crudge ASSISTANT MINISTER; MISSION TEAM LEADER Mike shifted to Christchurch in February 2009 to be the Assistant Minister here. Prior to this he spent 5 years on the staff at Carey Baptist College where he looked after field education, internships, and some technical stuff. Three of these years were spent on the road for Carey visiting students and churches. His theological and pastoral training was through Carey Baptist College and the University of Auckland. He is currently doing post-graduate work in Communication Studies through the Auckland University of Technology with research interest in the church's future place, purpose, and function in society. Mike grew up in Motueka where he can be found every summer walking the Abel Tasman Coastal Track, his website says it all: www.AbelTasmanBook.com There are rumors that his second book will contain more words and less pictures than the first. He thinks the world can become a better place and hopes to marry into a Central Otago vineyard family. Email him at mike@otbc.org.nz |
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Cherie Dirkze CHURCH MANAGER Starting in October 2009, Cherie is the voice behind the phone and the fingers behind the emails. She often looks stern and serious, that's because she is often stern and serious. She loves a good spreadsheet and figuring out all things financial. She was once a school teacher and moved from there to running Christchurch's largest children's programme called SHARP (Spreydon Holiday After School and Recreation Programmes). Cherie is also a qualified Financial Planner. She lives with her family out in the country where they have a small rural paradise with chickens, sheep, and a Golden Retriever called Diesel. Email her at office@otbc.org.nz |
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Paul Hegglun YOUTH PASTOR Paul started as Youth Pastor in this church in November 2008 after working for World Vision where he helped encourage young people to become advocates against the injustices of our world. He is also a professional musician teaching guitar and training young people in the art of rock band performance, several of his pupils have achieved national success in Rock Quest competitions and the like. Paul is himself in a rock band called Satellite which provide the music and songs for the largest Easter camp in the country. Paul has a passion for writing songs that draw people to God and God's purposes of justice in the world. His first degree was in psychology and now he is studying theology at Laidlaw College. He is also interested in the development of Christian faith community in the central city. Several days a week you will find Paul surfing at Sumner. Email him at paul@otbc.org.nz |
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Dick Johns CONGREGATIONAL ELDER Dick has been part of this church his whole adult life and now fulfills the role of Congregational Elder. It provides something of an open door for anyone in the church to have access to the spiritual oversight and governance of this particular community of faith. Dick has recently retired from the workforce and now spends a lot of his time volunteering in community activities such as manning the information booth at Cathedral Square. He is a member of the Lions Club and was given a national award in 2010 for excellence in service. Dick enjoys his family which includes grandchildren, and holidaying in caravans at Spencer Park every summer with them. |
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Shona Mardle PASTORAL CARE TEAM LEADER Shona started attending this church in 2008 and brought with her a compassion and empathy towards people and their care. She loves to see people being looked after, and organising expressions of hospitality is one of her hobbies. Her day-job is looking after the School of Landscape Architecture at a local university. Shona loves living on The Mainland and has also spent some time on another desirable island called Waiheke in the Hauraki Gulf. She enjoys walking her twin dogs with her husband. |
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Melanie Patterson ELDER Melanie has been an Elder since the end of 2009 and this role comes after many years of hard work and commitment to this church and its people, in particular its young people. Melanie is the action figure behind the current Youth Group, starting it from scratch 7 years ago and handing it over to our current Youth Pastor Paul at the end of 2008. Melanie has a Master's degree in psychology which can be handy in the church setting. Her family has decades and decades of history and faithful service in this church. Melanie enjoys Subarus and Chihuahuas, a rare combination probably never seen before. She lives with her family close to the central city. |
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Carolyn Robertson TEACHING AND EDUCATION TEAM LEADER |
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Emma Tovey CHILDRENS WORKER Emma started working here in January 2010. She really likes and cares for children and their spiritual wellbeing which has a lot to do with why she looks after our children's programmes. She used to be a school teacher here in Christchurch and also worked for SHARP (Spreydon Holiday After School and Recreation Programmes), this city's most respected children's programme. Before starting at this church Emma spent 1 year living in Japan where she taught English to children. She is currently studying Japanese at CPIT. Emma enjoys Dr Who (the latest one), and is very organised. Email her at emma@otbc.org.nz |
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Raewyn Turner ELDER Raewyn is a retired librarian and still does some of this kind of work on the side. She has been part of this church most of her adult life and now contributes to the spiritual governance and oversight of the place. She is highly involved in the local chapter of a national women's movement that provides fundraising, support, and puts on events for specific areas of need in local communities. Raewyn enjoys computers, reading, and walking on the beach near her home. |
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The Treasurer THE TREASURER Our Treasurer is very happy not being identified on the internet due to the intense responsibility of being in charge of all the money. We are very happy about her work, expertise in this area, and commitment to this task. She has several helpers that do jobs for her during the week in this area. The Treasurer has been part of this church since she was born and her favourite movie is The Matrix. She enjoys helping her children with their homework, playing with computers, gardening, reading, and accounting. |