Main speaker: Paul Grimmond
Further details TBC.
Short talk and book launch: “Appearing of God our Savior” (Claire Smith)
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.
About our speakers
Paul Grimmond
Paul Grimmond is Dean of Students at Moore Theological College. His research interests include pastoral issues for the general Christian public, developing resilience for ministry workers, preaching and proclamation. He is the author of Right Side Up: Life as God meant it to be, Suffering Well: The predictable surprise of Christian suffering and a forthcoming book on anxiety called When the Noise Won’t Stop (publication date: around June 2022). He is also co-author with Phillip Jensen of The Archer and the Arrow. He is married to Cathy and together, they have three children.
Claire Smith
Claire Smith lives in Sydney with her husband, Rob. They attend Naremburn Cammerary Anglican. 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 Appearing of God our Savior: A Theology of 1 and 2 Timothy and Titus (forthcoming February 2025).
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)
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.
Level: Popular.
About Adam
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: Menopause: My MA (Theo.) project (Kate Snell)
In 2024, as part of her MA(Theo), Kate is researching and writing a project titled, “Towards a Theological and Pastoral Understanding of Menopause: Explorations in Theology and Pastoring”. In this elective, Kate will share the results of her research.
Level: Popular.
About Kate
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 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)
TBC.
Level: Popular.
About Laura
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.
Group 1: Huldah (Paul Williamson)
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.
Level: Popular academic.
About Paul
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)
TBC.
Level: Popular.
About Mark
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)
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.
Level: Popular.
About Kath
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.
About Cathy
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)
TBC.
Level: Popular.
About Craig
Craig Tucker is Team Leader at Scots Church in Sydney.
About Jess
Jess Sheely is Pastoral Assistant at Scots Church in Sydney.
Group 2: Read, mark, learn: What does “mark” mean, and how can it help us and others in our relationship with God? (Mark Earngey)
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.
Level: Popular.
About Mark
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.