Click on the names of our teaching faculty to be taken to a more detailed list of their academic achievements.

ANDREW BURGESS
DEAN

Andrew is Dean of the College. Andrew has previously served as Vicar of All Saints, Nelson, and in churches in Blenheim (NZ) and Oxford (UK). Andrew holds a Doctorate in Systematic Theology from The University of Oxford (UK).

Andrew is currently doing further research on the connection between God’s judgement and God’s grace.

Andrew and his wife Rebecca have three adult children. Andrew also leads music for worship, and always has a building or renovation project on the go. 

Rebecca and Andrew are intensely motivated by the work of God – who constantly breaks into our mess and brings life – their desire is to always be working in God’s programme.

REBECCA BURGESS
SENIOR LECTURER IN BIBLICAL STUDIES

Rebecca has a PhD from the University of Otago, a Bachelor of Arts from the University of Canterbury in Classical Greek and French and a Bachelor of Divinity (postgrad) from Laidlaw College, as well as a TESOL qualification.

Rebecca has been a full-time parish youth worker and has taught English to Speakers of Other Languages in various schools in New Zealand and England. She is our language and biblical specialist, teaching both introductory survey and advanced exegesis courses.

Alongside her academic work, Rebecca serves in youth ministry at All Saints Church. She and her husband Andrew have three adult children.

SIMON TERRILL
Director

Simon joined the staff as College Registrar in July 2021. After leaving a career in banking, he graduated from Bishopdale Theological College in 2012 with a BTheol before spending the last eight years working as Academic Dean of Annesbrook Leadership College. He also has a Certificate in Tertiary Education and Learning (NMIT), and is currently working on his Masters of Theology part-time.

Simon has served in various church ministries and denominations in New Zealand and England. In his spare time he is a keen football supporter, enjoys music, reading, and watching quality British comedy.

He met his wife Adele while they were studying music at CPIT Jazz School, and together they have two teenage children.

 

KATE TYLER
Senior Lecturer

Kate began studying at Bishopdale College in 2009, gaining a Bachelor of Theology before completing a Postgraduate Diploma in Theology (Laidlaw) and a PhD in Systematic Theology (Otago). She brings experience from the prayer movement, short term missions and working in the local church.

Kate served as the College Director from 2016-2022. She is currently lecturing, researching, and project managing for the College.

Kate and Christopher have two daughters, Analiese and Hope.

JUDE SAXON
INTERNSHIP Coordinator

Jude joined the BTC team in 2017, and leads the Internship programme. He has a Graduate Diploma in Theology from Bishopdale College and a Diploma of Christian Ministry and Theology through C3 College.

Before joining Bishopdale, he was the Youth Director for Richmond New Life Church and a member of the National Youth Executive Team for New Life Churches International. Previously he studied towards a Bachelor of Commerce majoring in Accounting.

Jude has a heart and focus to grow the body of Christ especially with youth and empowering leaders. Jude is married to an amazing wife, Megan and they have four children.

FéY COTTER
LECTURER

Féy served for nearly 14 years as a missionary in Albania working with  European Christian Mission (ECM). While based in Albania, she was involved in church planting and disciple making. She also had a wide range of leadership responsibilities for ECM across Europe.

Féy has a BMin from BCNZ and a MTh from Laidlaw College. She works part-time for Bishopdale and lectures in biblical studies and mission papers.

Féy’s main role is as the NZ National Director for ECM and works to raise people’s awareness of today’s needs in a ‘non-Christian’ Europe. Féy and Murray have four adult children and seven grandchildren.

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JENNY PATTERSON
LIBRARIAN

Jennifer Patterson was appointed librarian to the Bishop Sutton Library in June 2015. She studied at the University of Natal in South Africa. She read for a BA degree and majored in English and History with sub majors in Biblical Studies and Theology. She completed a BA Honours degree in English, a Higher Diploma in Library Science and a Masters in Information Studies. 

Jennifer worked in public libraries in Pietermaritzburg and in an academic library at Wentworth Hospital Library in Durban. She was appointed Assistant Manager in the KwaZulu-Natal Provincial Library Service.

She resigned from this position, in order to marry Kevin who lives in New Zealand. Her hobbies are swimming, walking her dogs, reading, playing guitar and songwriting.

Alice Kinyua
ADJUNCT LECTURER

In 2016, Alice and her family moved from Nairobi, Kenya to Whanganui, where they served as pastors for 5 years. 

Alice is teaching Christian Leadership and Mission at BTC. She also works with NZCMS as the Intercultural Ministries Enabler. She is passionate about seeing the gospel spread, especially to “the others”.

She has a BSC in Chemistry and Zoology and an MDiv in Biblical Studies.

A wife and a mum to two daughters, are the other roles that fill her life. She enjoys mentoring younger women, and loves cooking, walking, swimming and meeting new people.

 

SUE PATTERSON
DEAN OF COURSES

Sue returned to NZ in April 2010, to take up the newly created position of Senior Lecturer and Registrar at Bishopdale after almost ten years ministry in Ireland where she was Minister in two rural areas and Dean of Killala Cathedral. In 2017, she took the role of 'Dean of Courses.' 

She holds BA, BD (distinction) and PhD degrees from the University of Otago and, prior to her time in Ireland, spent a year in Princeton as a post-doctoral Fulbright scholar and four years as lecturer in ethics and applied theology at Trinity College, Bristol. Her post-doctoral research was published in 1999 as Christian Realist Theology in a Postmodern Age. Her doctoral research was  published in 2013 as Word, Words and World. Her current research interest is conversion and personhood.

Sue lives in Christchurch with her husband John, and works part-time remotely.

Andrew Callander
senior academic Administrator

Andrew taught Economics and Finance on behalf of the University of Otago while a Programme Manager in the School of Business at the Southern Institute of Technology. 

Returning to Otago as a student he graduated with a doctorate in theology in 2012.  He was subsequently ordained and served as the Minister of St James Presbyterian Church in New Plymouth. 

Now living in Tasman Andrew was appointed to the part time role of Senior Academic Administrator at Bishopdale in September 2022 to help manage the College’s relationship with the New Zealand Qualifications Authority.

 
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PAUL ETHERINGTON

ADJUNCT LECTURER

Paul is one of our missions lecturers. He and his wife Pip have been working in West Papua, Indonesia since 1992 with Pioneers International. They work with the Nggem people mainly focused on Bible translation and healthcare. They are also involved in leadership, church development, preaching and pastoral care. Paul has just completed the Nggem New Testament translation. They now spend part of their time in NZ, and part of their time in Papua.

Paul studied at Bible College of NZ (now Laidlaw), South Pacific Summer Institute of Linguistics in Melbourne, and has a Master in Applied Linguistics (Hons) from Northern Territory University, where he completed a thesis ‘Nggem Grammar and Morphology’.

Paul enjoys fly fishing and exploring the backcountry of NZ. Paul and Pip have 4 adult children.

 

Joshua Moore
ADJUNCT LECTURER

Joshua (more commonly known as Spanky) is passionate about discipleship, formation, vocational calling and contemplative practice - and especially enjoys exploring these areas with young adults and those on the margins of Church life.

 

Russell Smith
Research Fellow

Russell has a Bachelor of Applied Theology from Carey Baptist College, and a Master of Theology from Laidlaw College. Alongside his involvement in church and mission organisations, Russell has recently been working on research dealing with early Christian mission in New Zealand.