Our Team
GET TO KNOW US
Ministry Leaders
Ōrākei Baptist Church’s Ministry Leaders carry a love and responsibility for specific areas of the church, providing direction and support to its members.
Ministry Leaders receive guidance and oversight from the church’s Leadership Team and benefit from the support of the wider Baptist Union.
All leaders are called into position through the Holy Spirit by the democratic action of the church’s committed body of believers.
Andrew Brown
Youth Pastor
Andrew is our Youth Pastor and is known for his passion and dedication in leading in youth, outreach, worship, and preaching ministries among other pastoral duties. He holds a Bachelor of Applied Theology and brings a love for authentic Christian identity, health, and maturity to his leadership. Andrew has a love of nature, the arts, and technology. He also built this website.
John McEwan
Teaching Pastor
John is our Teaching Pastor. A dedicated teacher of God's Word he leads in Bible study and preaching ministries among other pastoral duties. John brings experience as a Naval Reserve Lieutenant Commander, Tutor of Ethics, teacher, social worker, and acclaimed author. He also counsels professionally for stress related issues. John holds a PhD in Pastoral Theology and has a passion for bringing freedom to God's people through verse by verse teaching.
Tanya Mcdonald
Administrator
Tanya is our Administrator, Treasurer, Sunday school teacher, and a worship leader. She loves learning and teaching the Word, applying theological experience to writing group Bible studies and sharing creatively with children. Tanya loves music, how worship impacts hearts toward God, and has been in 20+ theatre productions. A semi-retired Chartered Accountant, she sold a successful business, and now enjoys authoring and the outdoors.
Speakers
In addition to our Pastors, Ōrākei Baptist Church draws its speakers from its community. The church is blessed with a wealth of talent and experience, allowing for dynamic and diverse perspectives. The result are relevant, authentic and impactful services that are rooted first and always, firmly in the Bible.
Diane Robinson
Diane is a talented storyteller who invites listeners to imagine themselves in the stories of the Bible, bringing it's written power to life through costume and performance. She holds a Bachelor of Theology, and appreciating the practical, cites James as her favourite book. She lives locally and loves our church community. Diane is also a chartered accountant and accomplished mystery writer: www.roseandfernpublishing.nz
Laurie Guy
Laurie is passionate about broadening and deepening understanding, teaching that we are not alone in life's challenges. He has served as a pastor for nine years, a missionary in PNG for six, and lecturer at Carey Baptist College for 23 years. Once a lawyer, Laurie now volunteers at the Glen Innes Citizens Advice Bureau and Tahuna Torea reserve. He enjoys tennis, badminton, swimming, cycling, tramping, and kayaking.
Shelley Salthouse
Shelley is a speaker devoted to encouraging and strengthening the body of Christ toward an authentic walk with Jesus. She is committed to the truth and power of God’s Word to change lives and answer the deepest longings of the human heart, has a particular heart for women, and leads Bible studies across denominations. She enjoys time with family and friends, hospitality, walking, listening, and reading.
Warren Prestidge
Warren is passionate about sharing Jesus and God's Word with others. He brings 34+ years of international experience in ministry and has qualifications in Theology, English and Teaching. Warren is married to the wonderful Jackie and enjoys time with family, reading, playing piano, tramping and photography. Warren loves helping people connect effectively and fruitfully with God.
Volunteers
Everything we do would be impossible without volunteer leaders. Whether leading small groups, assisting in community outreach initiatives, or by simply offering a helping hand, it’s our many volunteers that carry the heart for Jesus to our community. We wish we could show them all! If you’d like to volunteer for any of our church community's ministries please contact us below.
Reuben Osborne
Reuben is a Worship and Youth Leader with a passion for seeing young people reach their full potential in Christ. He holds a Graduate Diploma of Theology and is dedicated to biblical teaching and making scripture relevant to today's world. In his free time he enjoys intellectual and creative pursuits in computer technology, music, electronics, and theology.
JOIN OUR TEAM
We're always looking for talented and passionate believers to join our team at Ōrākei Baptist Church. We're on a mission to share God's love and compassion to the world. Let's get amongst it!
Community Outreach Volunteers
Any capacity. School Term Fridays 3-5pm
We're currently looking for volunteers to help serve in a number of roles within the Club96 ministry. Join our awesome team in the kitchen, in supervision, and / or in Bible teaching. The ideal candidate will love being around children and hold a deep commitment to sharing God's love.
Children's Ministry Leader
Sunday Mornings
We are currently looking for a passionate and experienced leader to assist our children's ministry program. The ideal candidate will have a background in child development and education, as well as a deep commitment to sharing the love of Jesus with children of all ages.