When?
Monday, 3 February 2025
Where?
Moore Theological College, 1 King St, Newtown, Sydney, NSW, Australia, and via live stream.
Cost:
In-person Tickets:
- Concession Ticket: $74.50
- Standard Ticket – Early Bird (until 3-Dec-24): $89.50
- Standard Ticket: $99.50
- Standard Ticket – Last minute (after 14-Jan-25): $119.50
Online tickets:
- Household Livestream: $40.00
- Group Livestream: $20.00 per person. If you are watching with a group of 6 our more people, you will receive a 50% discount per person!
Please note, online attendees will not be able to select their own elective. The electives that will be livestreamed are:
- 1:30pm-3:00pm Adam Ch’ng – ‘Enculturating complementarianism: A senior pastor’s perspective on writing a position paper and leading change’
- 3:30pm-5:00pm Mark Thompson – ‘What would we lose if we stopped teaching on complementarianism?’
Recordings: All talks and electives (where speakers have given their consent) will be recorded, and all delegates will have access to the conference talks for two weeks afterwards.
Main speakers
Paul Grimmond
Is Godliness Complementarian?
In Titus 2, Paul tells Christian teachers that their job is to train God’s people to grasp and live the pattern of the Christian life. This is what is what is in accord with sound doctrine. This is not an accident, but a fundamental result of the logic of the gospel. Jesus’ Lordship is not abstract, he saves us with a purpose. Our zealous obedience is part of the goal of his death. These things in themselves are worthy of a conference (or two!). But there is another point of complexity for us at our moment in history. Why does Paul choose to talk to us about godliness as older and younger and as men and women, rather than just as people? Does our age and sex have implications for the challenges we face in living for Jesus? Are these things just human constructs or elements of divine gift? And what implications does this have for how we think about discipleship and our lived experience of complementarian ministry? (Hint: It’s got very little to do with living like it’s still the 1950s!) These are some of the things I am looking forward to exploring with you in February 2025.
Paul is a follower of Jesus who is thankful for life in Christ, the gift of Church family, his wife and adult children (and their spouses) and for the job he gets to do. He’s deeply fascinated by the interplay between doctrine and life and has recently been thinking hard about how to train preachers to bring the word of God to bear on the reality of everyday life. Titus 2 has been a crucial part of his research in this area and he’s keen to explore this further at P&A 2025. Paul is refreshed by God’s gifts of music (he likes to write and play music), photography, and the ability to walk in God’s good creation.
Claire Smith
Short talk and book launch: “Appearing of God our Savior”.
During our plenary sessions, we will have the privilege of launching Appearing of God our Savior: A Theology of 1 and 2 Timothy and Titus by Claire Smith (which will be published by Crossway February 2025) and hearing from Claire about her book.
While Claire’s book is not just about complementarianism, it does look at each of the three letters separately and explores the complementary pattern of gender relationships/ministry where relevant. So it is appropriate we hear about her book at our conference.
Claire Smith lives in Sydney with her husband, Rob. They attend Naremburn Cammeray Anglican Church. Her doctoral thesis examining the place and practice of education in early Christian communities is published as Pauline Communities as ‘Scholastic Communities’: A Study of the Vocabulary of ‘Teaching’ in 1 Corinthians, 1 and 2 Timothy and Titus (WUNT 2/335, Tübingen: Siebeck, 2012). She has contributed chapters to many books, most recently, “Ethics of Teaching and Learning in Christianity Today. Insights from the Book of Titus” in Ready for Every Good Work (Titus 3:1): Implicit Ethics in the Letter to Titus (WUNT 1/484, Contexts and Norms of New Testament Ethics 13. Tübingen: Siebeck, 2022). She is also the author of God’s Good Design: What the Bible Really Says about Men and Women (2012, 2019), and The Appearing of God our Savior: a Theology of 1 and 2 Timothy and Titus (2025). She is currently writing a commentary on Titus.
MC – Lionel Windsor
Moore College faculty member Lionel Windsor will MC our plenary sessions. Lionel lectures in Greek and New Testament, including the Pastoral Epistles, which will be our focus in the plenary sessions with Paul Grimmond speaking on Titus 2, and the launch of Claire Smith’s book. Lionel will also speak at the launch.
Program
| 8:30am-9:00am | Coffee |
| 9:00am-10:30am | Plenary session 1. |
| 10:30am-11:00am | Morning tea |
| 11:00am-12:30pm | Plenary session 2 + Q&A session. |
| 12:30pm-1:30pm | Lunch |
| 1:30pm-3:00pm | Electives 1 |
| 3:00pm-3:30pm | Afternoon tea |
| 3:30pm-5:00pm | Electives 2 |
Electives
Group 1: Enculturating complementarianism: A senior pastor’s perspective on writing a position paper and leading change (Adam Ch’ng)
Level: Popular.
How do you move from simply affirming complementarianism to actually working it out in the culture and constructs of the church? And how do you take the first step of drafting a position paper on men and women? In 2023, Cross & Crown embarked on an almost two-year journey to articulate, enculturate and structure its complementarian convictions. In this elective, Adam Ch’ng walks us through that journey and shares the final position paper. He also presents how Cross & Crown, as an elder-led FIEC church, sought to restructure its governance in light of the position paper, and the change-management process they undertook.
Adam Ch’ng
Adam Ch’ng is the Senior Pastor of Cross & Crown, an evangelical church in Melbourne’s eastern suburbs. In 2019, he led the planting of Cross & Crown with the goal of reaching the nations for Christ in the city Melbourne. Adam holds a BA/LLB (Hons) from Monash University and an MDiv/GradDipDiv from Ridley College. He also serves as the Secretary for FIEC Australia.
Group 1: Theological and Pastoral Perspectives on Menopause (Kate Snell)
Level: Popular.
What does menopause teach us about God? What opportunities does perimenopause offer for sanctification and discipleship? These, and others, are questions Kate spent time researching for her MA (Theol) project in 2024. Menopause has the potential to be a huge event in a woman’s life. It will impact her cognitively, relationally, emotionally and spiritually. Did you know that women are two to four times more likely to experience major depression during perimenopause?That eighty percent of women say menopause places a strain on their family life and relationships? That menopause costs Australian organisations around $5 billion a year in turnover costs, because as women experience forgetfulness, brain fog and cognitive impairment they’re more likely to leave the workforce? It’s understandable that menopause may prompt a woman to ask big questions about identity, purpose, suffering and utility. In my research I also wanted to ask the question – what does menopause tell us about God? What does it tell us about the work of Jesus? What does it have to teach us about life in a female body, in a fallen world? What lessons can we learn about redemption and hope?
Kate Snell
Kate is the Dean of Students at Mary Andrews College in Sydney. She has previously served in parish ministry and as a school chaplain. Kate recently completed her MA (Theol) at Moore. She is a member of St Philip’s South Turramurra, where her husband, Brian, is an Associate Minister. Brian and Kate have young children.
Group 1: Working in a mixed gender staff team: Some personal reflections (Laura Wolfenden & Julia Bollen)
Level: Popular.
Jules and Laura have worked in mixed gender staff teams in Townsville, Darwin and Sydney. They are thankful to work alongside others who celebrate and encourage the different ways God has made men and women. This seminar will include stories, practical advice and encouragement for working well together.
Laura Wolfenden
Laura moved back to Sydney from Darwin at the beginning of 2024 and is excited to be working with CMS NSW & ACT in the role of Mission Engagement Specialist. She was the Children and Families Minister in Nightcliff for seven years, and the best part of her week was seeing children understand their place in the big story of the Bible. A highlight of her time in Darwin was working on a mixed gender staff team and navigating the joys and complexities of complementarity. Laura is married to Zac, loves all animals and enjoys listening to Scottish crime fiction.
Julia Bollen
Julia serves alongside Tim Earnshaw with the AFES group at James Cook University in Townsville. She loves seeing students grow up in Christ and is encouraged by reading the Bible one to one. Living in North Queensland, there are lots of opportunities for wildlife spotting and exploring waterfalls and rainforests.
Group 1: Huldah (Paul Williamson)
Level: Academic.
Egalitarians point to Huldah as one of the Old Testament figures supporting their perspective on women in leadership. This elective will examine the biblical presentation of Huldah’s prophetic ministry in relation to her prophetic contemporaries.
Paul Williamson
Paul lectures in Old Testament, Hebrew and Aramaic at Moore College. His research interests include biblical covenants, eschatology, the biblical revelation of Satan, the book of Exodus and the book of Ezekiel. Paul is married to Karen, and they have two sons, Matthew and Andrew. He and his family attend Newtown Baptist Church. In his spare time, he enjoys seaside walks with Karen, reading fiction, and officiating or playing competitive basketball.
Group 2: What would we lose if we stopped teaching on complementarianism? (Mark Thompson)
Level: Popular.
TBC.
Mark Thompson
As well as being the principal of Moore Theological College, Mark is Chair of the Sydney Diocesan Doctrine Commission and serves on the GAFCON Theological Commission and Statement Group. His great passion is to see men and women equipped in understanding, character, conviction and skill for the remarkable privilege of participating in God’s great mission of bringing men and women from every nation into the kingdom of his Son. Mark is married to Kathryn, and they have four daughters: Elizabeth, Anna, Rachel and Mary.
Group 2: Menopause: Medical and ministry considerations (Kath Bruce and Cathy Young)
Level: Popular.
To better understand many of the women in our churches and the women we seek to reach with the gospel, we need to understand perimenopause and menopause. Kath Bruce will speak from her expertise and experience as a GP.
Also, given the impact of menopause on a large percentage of women, what are some helpful things for ministry staff and lay leaders to consider as we minister with women, minister to women, and encourage women in the gifts God has given them? Cathy Young will speak about some of the ministry implications of menopause.
Kath Bruce
Kath Bruce completed a Science/Arts degree at UNSW before completing her MB, BS postgraduate degree at the University of Sydney. She has previously worked as a GP in Sydney’s Western suburbs, while currently, she works in Newtown at Church Street Medical Practice. Her special interests include mental health and women’s health. Kath is married to Andrew, who is the rector of St Peter’s Anglican Church, St Peters in Sydney. They have three children. Kath serves as the Kids Church and SRE co-ordinator at St Peters.
Cathy Young
Cathy is a pastor at St David’s Anglican Church Forestville in Sydney. She has two wonderful adult sons, a Cavoodle named Casper and most importantly, is a child of God. From an early age, Cathy has known that Jesus died for her sins. It is her great desire that all people might know God’s love for them in Jesus. Cathy enjoys spending time with family and friends, enjoying local beaches and bush walks, having power naps, watching movies, drinking tea and eating Yum Cha.
Group 2: Practical tips for men and women working together on staff teams (Craig Tucker and Jess Sheely)
Level: Popular.
Craig planted Scots church in Sydney’s CBD in 2017 and Jess was the second hire in 2020. Join us as we reflect on how we have worked together as a staff team. We haven’t always done it perfectly. But we’re convinced that men and women working together is good, not only for a staff team, but for every area of church.
Craig Tucker
Craig Tucker and his wife Cathy were both born and bred in Sydney. Craig trained at Moore Theological College and has been a Presbyterian minister for 27 years. He has been lead pastor in church plants in Sydney’s outer west (Blacktown, 11 years) and Sydney’s inner west (Drummoyne, 15 years) and now the CBD.
Jess Sheely
Jess grew up in rural NSW but is now serving Jesus in Sydney’s CBD as an Assistant Pastor at Scots Church Sydney. She loves seeing her church family grow in maturity in Christ and loves sending many of them to other major cities worldwide, more equipped to love Jesus and love others. Jess enjoys catching up with friends over a long run or a good craft project.
Group 2: Read, mark, learn: What does “mark” mean, and how can it help us and others in our relationship with God? (Mark Earngey)
Level: Popular.
In the Book of Common Prayer, we have this magnificent prayer:
Blessed Lord, you have caused all Holy Scriptures to be written for our learning—grant us that we may in such a way hear them, read, mark, learn, and inwardly digest them; that by patience and comfort of your holy Word, we may embrace and ever hold fast the blessed hope of everlasting life, which you have given us in our Saviour Jesus Christ. Amen.
We can tend to focus on “hear”, “read” and “learn”, but what does “mark” mean? How can “mark” help us in our relationship with God? How can men and women in vocational ministry and other ministry leaders (e.g. Bible study leaders, youth group leaders) encourage those under their care to “mark”? Mark Earngey will use his expertise in marginalia during the English Reformation period, to help us see how making notes in our Bibles, taking notes when reading and hearing God’s word, can be helpful for us as disciples of Christ.
Mark Earngey
Mark Earngey is head of Church History at Moore College, and lectures in church history and Christian doctrine. He is married to Tanya, and they have four children: Grace, Simeon, Sophia and Zoe. They enjoy swimming at the beach, and visiting family in the country. When Tanya and Mark have a spare moment, they like to compete over Scrabble or relax over movies. They worship with the saints at St Paul’s Anglican church in Canterbury.
