Elder Biographical Sketches
We would like to take this opportunity to introduce you to the elders of the Worldwide Church of God in New Zealand.
Brian Barnes
Home City: Upper Hutt
Office Held: Pastor, Invercargill; Pastoral team member, Wellington
Occupation
Retired
Personal & church history
Born in Lower Hutt, the family moved to the Wairarapa for 17 years where I received all of my schooling plus began my working career in the insurance industry. After 6 years working in the Wairarapa I moved to Wellington and continued in insurance for a while before leaving that to work in my own small business, which I did for 12 years. I was at this time married and had two daughters.
In 1975, which coincided with giving up working in my own small business and moving into middle management in the grocery industry, I attended a Plain Truth lecture (having received the magazine since 1969) and soon after attended the church's annual festival, which was in Auckland that year, becoming a member of the church the month following.
I remarried in 1979 (my earlier marriage having failed 3 years before) to Dagmar and we have three children: two now married daughters and a son training to be a teacher. I also have 3 grandchildren from my two other children.
After a number of years in the grocery industry I left and worked as a primary school caretaker for the last 12 years of my working career until my retirement in 2006.
For much of my time in the church I have been involved in speaking during the weekly service in one way or another, as well as other church functions. Early on I was asked to do sermonettes, later full sermons, and now travel to speak to other congregations. I served as chairman of the first ever local administration team and was elected to the pastoral team in 2003. In 2006 I was asked to accompany Dennis Richards on his annual South Island tour of scattered congregations and individual members, and thereafter asked to help serve the congregation in Invercargill. I have traveled to Invercargill most months to speak and encourage our brothers and sisters there and in July 2007 I was ordained as their pastor.
Dennis Gordon
Home City: Wellington
Office Held: Elder & Pastoral Team Chairman, Wellington
Occupation
Scientist (Marine Biology), National Institute of Water & Atmospheric Research (NIWA).
Personal & church history
Born in Auckland, I majored in Zoology at Auckland University, obtaining BSc and MSc degrees there before moving to Halifax, Nova Scotia. Supported by a Killam Scholarship, I undertook doctoral research at Dalhousie University, obtaining my PhD in 1973, the same year in which I first started attending the Worldwide Church of God, being baptized on 11 March. Later in 1973 I moved to Swansea, Wales, undertaking postdoctoral research on a Leverhulme Visiting Commonwealth Fellowship. For 11 months I fellowshipped with the Bristol congregation, and had the opportunity to visit the Bricket Wood campus of Ambassador College where I first met Bob Morton. Later in 1974, I returned to Auckland, keeping the Feast of Tabernacles at Niagara Falls en route.
Back in New Zealand, I held a research fellowship at the Leigh Laboratory of the University of Auckland. I fellowshipped with the Auckland congregation, where I met Brenda Sawyer, whom I married on 23 January 1977. Bob Morton performed the ceremony. One year later we travelled to Pasadena, where I was employed on the science faculty of Ambassador College. Owing to the closure of the campus, we returned to New Zealand in September of that year. While still on the AC salary, I undertook research at the New Zealand Oceanographic Institute (DSIR) in Wellington, obtaining full employment there in May 1979. On 23 August 1980, I was ordained a local church elder by Bob Morton at a ceremony in Auckland. I have been serving the Wellington congregation in that capacity ever since. Children are Timothy (b. 24 june 1981), Caleb (b. 24 december 1983), and Adrian (b. 6 February 1993). I am an Associate Member of the UK-based Society of Ordained Scientists. I also represent the WCG on the Council of Wellington Churches. As parents of a special-needs child (Adrian), Brenda and I are Wellington Region coordinators for the NZ Williams Syndrome Association. I enjoy writing and have published a number of articles in Christian magazines. The creation-evolution controversy and the theology of Genesis are a particular interest.
Wayne Jones
Home City: Wellington
Office Held: Elder, Wellington
Occupation
Public servant.
Personal & Church History
Grew up in the Hawkes Bay area and did all my primary and secondary schooling there. Moved to Wellington in 1972 to pursue my BSc degree at Victoria University, after which I did the honours year and MSc. I completed my PhD in physics in 1986 while working as a Junior Lecturer at the University.
Apart from some time spent in teaching, most of my career has been in the public service providing technical support.
My first contact with the church was in 1969 when I started reading the Plain Truth. I began attending worship services regularly in 1973 and met my wife-to-be there. We married in 1981 and now have one adult daughter. At the instigation of Lyall Johnston, a long-time pastor of the Wellington congregation, I began periodically speaking at worship services in Wellington and elsewhere, was made a deacon in 1985 and ordained an elder in February 1990.
Peter Lindop
Home City: Rotorua
Office Held: Pastor, Rotorua; NZ Board Chairman
Occupation
Retired accountant.
Personal & Church History
My wife Lillian and I were married in 1963 while in Southport, England and joined the Worldwide Church of God in 1964. I have held various offices. We came to New Zealand in 1975 with our two daughters.
Peter is the pastor of the Rotorua Worldwide Church of God congregation and has lived in Rotorua for over thirty years. He was ordained to eldership over twenty-five years ago. In addition to his role as a pastor with the Worldwide Church of God (NZ) Trust, Peter is:
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A chaplain at the Rotorua Public Hospital.
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Rotorua Minister's Association representative on the Rotorua Hospital Chaplaincy Trust.
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Rotorua Minister's Association secretary/treasurer for four years.
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Rotorua Committee treasurer of Bible in Schools.
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Chairman of the Rotorua Gospel Broadcasting Charitable Trust and contributor on air of church matters.
Rex Morgan
Home City: Auckland
Office Held: Senior Pastor, Auckland; NZ Board Secretary/Treasurer & Administration Representative
Occupation
Manager of the church’s office in Auckland, and senior pastor of the Auckland congregation. I also provide pastoral oversight for several smaller congregations, and Vanuatu.
Personal & Church History
I have been involved with the Worldwide Church of God from the time it began reaching NZ via “The World Tomorrow” radio broadcast and the magazines and booklets distributed from Australia in the 1960’s. My father responded to a Readers Digest advertisement at that time, and as a young lad in my early teens I joined him in devouring the Church’s literature and Bible teaching.
My father was baptised on one of the early baptismal tours from Australia, and our family travelled to the Festival in Blackheath, NSW, in 1967. My parents went again in 1968, and we were all present at the first NZ Festival, held at Taupo in 1969.
The following year I went to Ambassador College at Bricket Wood, England. After graduation in 1974, I took up a job in the mailing area of the Worldwide Church of God Auckland office. I was ordained as a minister in 1979. I’ve had the privilege of working in the church office for over 30 years.
I am married to Marilyn, and have three grown children.
Dennis Richards
Home City: Palmerston North Office Held: Senior Pastor, Wellington; Pastor, Palmerston North & Hawkes Bay; National Pastoral Team Chairman; NZ Board Pastoral Representative Occupation Senior pastor of Wellington, Palmerston North and Hawkes Bay congregations, and coordinator of pastoral teams nationally. Personal & Church History Born in Melbourne, Australia but grew up in Auckland. In 1963, my parents made contact with the church. Following a year at Auckland University in 1969 I left for the UK to attend Ambassador College, graduating with a BA in Biblical Studies in 1974. Returning to Auckland, I completed the Bachelor of Engineering (Civil) degree I had started earlier, graduating with honours in 1978. Early in my final year of studies I married Sue Macdonald, who did the accounts and receipting in the church's office. Employment in 1978 by the Ministry of Works and Development (MWD) as a design engineer necessitated a move to Wellington where we set up house in Manor Park. We moved again in June of 1980 to Dunedin as I pursued the necessary range of engineering field and design experience for seeking registration as a professional engineer. This was achieved in 1985. It was while in Wellington that my working in the church began, initially speaking occasionally in Wellington, Palmerston North and the Hawkes Bay, which led on to my ordaination as a local elder there in July 1979. The family shift to Dunedin in 1980 provided further experience, assisting the pastor who lived in Christchurch with this small congregation. It was in this period that our son Graeme was born in 1983. Late in 1985 I was hired into full time ministry, serving first in Tauranga and Auckland before moving late in 1991 to Palmerston North. Currently I pastor the Wellington, Palmerston North and Hawkes Bay congregations, plus supervise visiting and speakers for the South Island congregations. The financial downturn and retrenching of the late 1990s resulted in the need to reduce to half time employment in 2000. As a consequence of this I took up studies in information technology, graduating with a bachelors degree in 2004 In that same year the church's financial situation improved and I resumed full-time employment in the church. In addition to my pastoral duties, I now coordinate the training and development of pastoral teams across the country, serve as chairman of the National Pastoral Team and have served on the church's board since 2002 as its pastoral representative.
Office Held: Elder and Pastoral team member, Wellington Occupation Personal & Church History My first job after leaving school in 1975 was as a payroll clerk in the Ministry of Education, after which I moved through a number of jobs before becoming an assistant editor of The Education Gazette. I moved from there to the insurance industry, initially developing relationships with brokers, then working on branding, corporate values, etc. and in the mid-90s I moved into working as a communications analyst. This involved coordinating activities for staff team building (eg. dragon boat races) and publishing "Sun Talk", which featured stories of the life and experiences of staff members. Towards the end of my time there I was involved the "Bridge to Excellence" project that aimed to reach out to the community and bring corporate skills and expertise to bear. This was done out of the Whanau Centre at Cannon's Creek. This wide ranging experience prepared me for my eventual career in the community around where I live. In 1997 I resigned my position and began working in my community, listening to people's stories and looking for opportunities to source help for whatever issue they face. From 1999-2004 I ran the Crime Prevention Office of Project Tiger, an initiative of the NZ Police, and coordinated community initiatives in at-risk suburbs such as street ball and local street barbeques. In 2004 I took up a six month scholarship to study at the Kettering Foundation in the USA. Then from 2004-2008 I managed Porirua Health Links that works with low income familiies to connect them with health resources, plus facilitating community forums and organising community events such as CreekFest. I married Alasi, who is of both Tokolaun and Samoan decent, in 1976. She had emmigrated to New Zealand in 1972. We have four childen (two daughters and two sons) and one grandchild, and still make our home in Titahi Bay. My connection to Worldwide Church of God began when I began attending church here with Alasi in 1981, being baptised in 1982. I have particularly enjoyed working with the worship team and have helped coordinate the worship at our annual festival on several occasions through the years. Ordained as a local elder in 1994, I am a part of the pastoral team in Wellington. Home City: Manukau City Office Held: Assistant Pastor, Auckland; Pastor, Hamilton Personal & Church History Having been involved with the Worldwide Church of God (NZ) since the late 1960’s I have experienced much of its rich history first-hand: from being present at its first Passover service in 1968, its first NZ Festival held at Taupo in 1969 and being heavily involved in many of its youth programmes and through helping pastor its members around the country. I was ordained as a minister of the church in 1991. I am married to Marilyn and have five children, two of whom are married, and two grandchildren. Louis Smith
Community Facilitator
Born in Wellington in 1956, I grew up the 7th of 12 children. My parents had come to New Zealand from Samoa in 1951. We moved to Titahi Bay in 1960, so my roots are strongly set in the Porirua area.
Semi-retired secondary school teacher
Born in Feilding, and studied agricultural science at Massey University. I have trained and taught mainly science in different secondary schools in Auckland over 35 years, including several years as Head of Science. Viewing learning as a lifelong process, I love to encourage people to share their personal life stories and challenge them to think outside the square.
