AppliedCAREY ALUMNI AND FRIENDS

Carey School of Preaching

Preaching Refreshed

An Interview with Andrew

Picard

ISSUE 5 / NOVEMBER 2012

Editorial

Recently I had the privilege of participating in a Consultation on Theological Education on the campus of Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary in Boston. Fifty principals from all over the world were invited by The Lausanne Movement to

discuss the future of theological education.I found a keynote address from Tim Tennent (President of Asbury Theological Seminary)

very thought-provoking. He made four points on theological education in the new global context:

“First, we must have a serious re-tooling of our faculties so that they become acquainted with scholarship emerging from the Majority World. It is not enough to simply sprinkle onto our faculties scholars who we recruit from around the world. All of our faculties must become global conversant scholars.

“Second, we must engage in a new level of partnership that is fully bi-directional. In the past, partnerships meant we provide the funding and you do what we direct you to do. Today, we must have greater bi-lateral exchanges based on relationships and shared vision. The notion that all “real” education takes place in the West must be replaced by a new era of mutuality and shared vision with seminaries and training institutes around the world.

“Third, our own seminaries and divinity schools must regain our missional footing. In the past, seminaries in the West have focused on two primary outcomes, namely, training pastors and teachers. That is a Christendom paradigm that no longer makes sense and is why the missional churches are opting to not send their young leaders to seminary. We must train culturally savvy, theologically nuanced evangelists and church planters. We must move beyond a vision limited to credentialing for ordination to equipping for ministry.

“Fourth, we must move to a new economic viability model. We have engaged in “red ocean” strategy that implies increasing competition for an ever diminishing pool of students, rather than a “blue ocean” strategy that identifies vast groups of people who are not seeking ordination or traditional ministerial roles, but who are hungry for theological training and how it applies to the marketplace. The notion that a student can come to seminary and pack his or her bags in two or three years for a life-long journey is no longer viable. We need new life-long learning models that equip people in discrete degree and certificate programmes as well as ongoing training and re-tooling in the midst of ministry.”

As graduates and friends of Carey, can I encourage you to pray for us? These are exciting times and we desire nothing more than to produce graduates who have a deep love for Jesus, the Bible, the gospel, the church, and God’s world. Your partnership with us in achieving this is greatly valued.

Please do not hesitate to contact me at any time. My email is charles.hewlett@carey.ac.nz.

Regards

(Colossians 1:28-29)

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Contents 2 EDITORIAL

Charles Hewlett

4 CAREY NEWS

6 A SCHOOL OF PREACHING John Tucker

8 GRADUATE PROFILES Jody Kilpatrick Darren Ayling Brian Kenning

10 PREACHING REFRESHED Paul Windsor

12 READ ALL ABOUT IT

13 AN INTERVIEW WITH ANDREW PICARD Maryanne Wardlaw

14 GOING ABROAD Miriam Bier

15 A CAREY ONLINE LOVE STORY Hilary Hickling

Credits

Applied Magazine ISSUE FIVE

Editor: Sam Kilpatrick

Design: Maryanne Wardlaw

Contributors: Hilary Hickling, Sam Kilpatrick, Paul Windsor, John Tucker, Maryanne Wardlaw

Photos: From contributors

Printing: Print Shop @ 473 – communications@baptist.org.nz

For enquiries please email sam.kilpatrick@carey.ac.nz

Carey Baptist College 473 Great South Road, Penrose, Auckland

PO Box 12149, Auckland, 1642

09 525 4017

www.carey.ac.nz

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NZQA REVIEW

During 2012 Carey underwent a review by the New Zealand Qualifications Authority. Its report concluded NZQA is we are ‘Highly Confident’ in our educational performance, placing us within Category One in terms of review outcomes.

NZBMS SUPPORTS MISSION @ CAREY

Mission research and training at Carey has received a significant boost with the New Zealand Baptist Missionary Society agreeing to contribute $150,000 over five years to develop and resource mission training at the College. This is a very generous gift and we are hugely encouraged by their support.

DR CSILLA SAYSELL

We are looking forward to the arrival of our new Old Testament lecturer Dr Csilla Saysell. Csilla (pronounced Sheila) and her Kiwi husband Phil have been living in England and arrive in New Zealand in early December.

THE ATONEMENT AND PRACTICAL THEOLOGY

In March 2013, Dr Doug Campbell from Duke Divinity School will teach a special topic course within our postgraduate programme, The Atonement and Practical Theology, with special emphasis on justice and imprisonment. His recent publications include

‘The Rhetoric of Righteousness in Romans 3:21-26,’ and he has also written ‘The Quest for Paul’s Gospel: A Suggested Strategy’ (2005), and ‘The Deliverance of God: An Apocalyptic Rereading of Justification in Paul’ (2009).

PENTECOSTAL THEOLOGY

With Dr Amos Yong’s visit to Carey in 2013 we are planning a day focusing on Pentecostal theology. Amos is one of the world’s leading Pentecostal theologians and he is keen to interact with New Zealand church leaders in this regard.

FACEBOOK

Are you a friend of Carey on Facebook? It is a great way to stay in touch with all that is happening at the College. We really value your friendship and support.

Carey News

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CAREY CONVERSATIONS

September’s ‘Carey Conversation’ evening saw over 500 people gather with Carey staff to discuss same-sex relationships. The conversation can be viewed online at carey.ac.nz. Other guests throughout 2012 have included Dr Pita Sharples and the Bishop of Wellington, Justin Duckworth.

KNOX CENTRE FOR MINISTRY AND LEADERSHIP

As a College we are excited about our growing relationships with other denomination groups. In 2013 the Auckland coordinator of the Knox Centre for Ministry and Leadership, Mark Johnston, will be based at the Carey Campus.

THEOLOGY AND DISABILITY CONFERENCE

In July 2013 Carey will host a conference with Laidlaw College on ‘Theology, Disability, and the People of God’. We are very excited to have Professor John Swinton (University

of Aberdeen) and Professor Amos Yong (Regent University) as key contributors.

NEW BOOK FOR DR TIM BULKELEY

An evening was recently held at Carey to celebrate with retired lecturer Dr Tim Bulkeley the release of his book ‘Not only a Father’. Congratulations Tim! Read and discuss the book online at bigbible.org/mothergod

DONATIONS FOR DISTANCE EDUCATION

A big thank you to all those who responded to our appeal in the last Applied for help with raising money for the development of Carey’s distance education. While our goal was $20,000, we are so grateful for the $8,500 raised – this will be a massive help to us. We appreciate your generosity.

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A couple of years ago I came across these words by Tom Wright: ‘The various crises in the Western church of

our day – decline in numbers and resources, moral dilemmas, internal division, failure to present the gospel coherently to a new generation – all these and more should drive us to pray for scripture to be given its head once more, for teachers and preachers who can open the Bible in the power of the Spirit, to give the church the energy and direction it needs for its mission and renew it in its love for God.’

I agree wholeheartedly. At Carey, we’re convinced that New Zealand needs preachers who ‘can open the Bible in the power of the Spirit to give the church the energy and direction it needs.’ That conviction forms part of our DNA. Carey has long been committed to the training and resourcing of preachers. But this year we want to take that to another level by launching a School of Preaching.

THE VISION

The vision of this school is, quite simply, to improve the quality of preaching in New Zealand. Specifically, the school aims to:

• Invest in the most promising emerging preachers in this country. We believe that one of the most strategic things we can do is to challenge and assist gifted young preachers to fulfil their God-given potential.

• Provide ongoing opportunities for preachers across New Zealand to be inspired and resourced in their calling. We want to encourage all preachers, whatever their gifting or experience, to engage in a process of life-long learning and development.

• Identify and profile the very best models

of preaching in this country. The fact is good preaching is as much ‘caught’ as it is ‘taught.’

• Stimulate thinking and discussion around preaching within the churches of New Zealand. Words like ‘leadership’ and ‘missional’ are on everyone’s lips these days. We believe that preaching needs to be part of the discussion.

• Ensure that Carey’s students graduate with deep convictions about the priority of biblical preaching. Besides resourcing preachers beyond the College, a School of Preaching will also improve our focus on the training of preachers while they are students within the College.

THE STRATEGYWe plan to achieve this vision in several ways. First, the school will host training events where some of New Zealand’s best emerging preachers will be mentored by outstanding international preachers and teachers of preaching. Secondly, the new school plans to sponsor larger biannual conferences where biblical preaching is taught and modelled by some of the best preachers in New Zealand and overseas. This will involve cooperation with groups like Kiwi-Made Preaching.

Thirdly, we are looking to publish a range of quality home-grown resources for preaching, including the very best in Kiwi sermons.

The school will, fourthly, promote post-graduate research on preaching in New Zealand through Carey’s MAppTheol and at PhD level. And, finally, it will regularly audit the curricula and community life at Carey with respect to their impact on preaching. This could result in the development of new preaching-specific qualifications such as a Certificate in Preaching.

But the reality is that it takes an entire college to train preachers. What happens in the classrooms, in chapel and right across the

A School of PreachingJOHN TUCKER (DIRECTOR OF MINISTRY TRAINING)

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campus contributes to the shaping of preachers. So we want to ensure that preaching is right at the heart of our students’ learning experience.

THE PEOPLEThe school will be guided by a reference group of creative thinkers who share a passion for preaching and its development in New Zealand. The members of this group, who represent a diverse range of church traditions, will meet for a one-day planning retreat each year, provide occasional advice by way of correspondence, and promote the school and its activities within their various networks. The group currently consists of Jonathan Dove, Reuben Munn, Lynne Baab, Geoff New, Brad Carr, Thalia Kehoe Rowden, Jonny Weir, Tim Palmer, Chris Sola, Andy Shuddall, Val Goold, Andrew Picard, Charles Hewlett and John Tucker.

THE PROGRAMMEAt this stage, the programme for 2012-2013 is:

A day with Ajith Fernando (November 12, 2012). Ajith is one of the most widely respected preachers and leaders in the developing world today. He will spend a day mentoring a hand-picked group of 15-20 of New Zealand’s most promising emerging preachers. Our objective is to inspire and assist these emerging preachers to progress from being very good to becoming truly outstanding preachers of the gospel.

A week with Paul Windsor (April 15-19, 2013). Paul, with support from some outstanding Kiwi preachers, will facilitate an interactive residential seminar on the basics of effective biblical preaching. This will take the shape of a level one Langham Preaching seminar and will suit those who have not had any formal training. We will be inviting churches to send their preaching teams. The

objective is to refresh the preaching ministry of seasoned pastors while providing formal training for members of their preaching teams who have never received it.

A postgraduate course on preaching (April 23-24, 2013). This will be taught by Paul Windsor as part of Carey’s MAppTheol programme. The objective with this block course is to deepen the convictions and sharpen the skills of 15-25 experienced Kiwi preachers.

A retreat with an outstanding international preacher (Aug-Sep 2013). We anticipate 15-20 promising young Kiwi preachers spending a Friday and Saturday with a preacher expert from the Pacific.

A book on narrative preaching in Aotearoa (2013). Myk Habets is overseeing this project. The objective is to profile some of New Zealand’s best narrative preaching.

Kiwi-Made Preaching forums (2013). The school intends to support these events in partnership with Langham Preaching New Zealand and Laidlaw College. The objective is to encourage biblical preaching across New Zealand by probing the questions faced by emerging and experienced preachers in New Zealand today.

Darrell Johnson writes that, ‘Whenever a human being, Bible in hand, stands up before a group of other human beings, invites the gathered assembly into a particular text of the Bible and as faithfully as possible tries to say again what the living God is saying in the text, something always happens. Something transformative, empowering, life-giving happens.’

Preaching is crucial to the life and mission of the church in New Zealand. Our hope and prayer is that under God’s gracious hand Carey’s new School of Preaching will make a significant and enduring contribution to the quality of preaching in this country.

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Graduate Profiles

JODY KILPATRICK Ponsonby Baptist

I began Pastoral Leadership training at Carey in 2001 with nil preaching experience and

an ambivalence, tending towards suspicion, about preaching. I had listened to many good preachers, and TED talks have since proven that spoken presentations have not had their day by a long shot, but there seemed something so narrow about one voice presiding over the vibrant good news of Jesus Christ.

I gained grounded preaching skills at Carey: how to engage with text and people. I benefitted hugely from preaching classes with peers and staff, and each of my church placements.

Since finishing at Carey and preaching regularly for the last seven years, I have become an advocate of one point sermons. It wouldn’t work for every preacher and congregation, but it works for me in my context. Less is so often more. My best sermons have one word titles. I try to keep my sermons to 12 or 13 minutes. I still write my full sermon text out and seldom stray from the notes. I know other preachers for whom this would be restrictive, but much of what I have to offer lies in saying something exactly as I want it said – and I can’t do that without full notes. I’m not a charismatic or commanding presence but I’m thoughtful and crafty with words, so I get away with dominating the airwaves in Ponsonby Baptist Church on a Sunday morning.

Two years ago I had the chance to participate in Geoff New’s research on using contemplative disciplines in sermon

preparation, and that experience was profoundly helpful in my (ever growing) understanding of preaching. I believe my task as preacher is to rummage through a text, then offer it back to the people, along with myself, my thoughts and feelings, impressions and convictions in a spacious manner that allows each listener to develop their own thoughts and feelings, impressions and convictions.

DARREN AYLING Wellington Central Baptist

“We don’t necessarily agree with

or believe what the person at the front says,” was the lead comment in a post-sermon discussion. I was a new graduate and it was a comment gratefully received – it took the pressure right off!

I’m thankful for Carey’s preaching training - I needed it. A sermon evaluation at my first student placement had, at the top of the page, ‘the sermon was boring’ in capital letters – an accurate assessment, I think. Carey helped me understand the art of preaching, the need for structure and momentum, for preaching in a way that makes the Biblical story contextual for the listener, connects it with the world and communicates something of the preacher’s heart for their community. Carey helped me appreciate again the value of preaching in building a community of faith over the long term.

I have a ‘good day/bad day’ relationship with preaching. On a bad day I think the only person to benefit was me in the hours of preparation and reflection. But on good days I think it’s

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valuable in shaping the community I am a part of. When I reflect on a good day sermon, it has movement rather than points, it places whatever scripture we’re considering in the grand scope of the Biblical story, it does not try to provide answers but instead encourages people to think, it leaves space for response or an image to reflect on, an action to carry out, music to listen to, silence to ponder in.

The freedom the Wellington Central community gave me to not be right in that first discussion we had reflects an important understanding: the formation of a community is done by the Holy Spirit, not by a preacher, and the Spirit is discerned in community. Preaching needs to embrace many voices from a community – we’ve got a way to go with that yet, perhaps most of us do – but we have time, preaching changes and shapes a community not in a sermon alone but in season and out of season.

BRIAN KENNING Invercargill Central Baptist

I trained at Baptist College in Victoria Ave in the early 1970s. My first formal preaching training came via sermon class, however

I have since realised that some key skills in message preparation are also skills I learnt in writing essays during university.

I consider myself a better than useful preacher and, in nearly 40 years of ministry, have placed a priority on preaching. To preach passionately, lead diligently and be fully present with people are my 3 core ministry goals.

I tend to preach two kinds of series:1. A ‘Biblical Book’ series, where I am

seeking to move from understanding the Bible in its context to applying the Bible to life. Over time Biblical Book series require the preacher to address a wide range of theological and practical issues. They also give a sense of purpose and direction to the preparation.

2. A ‘Life Issues’ series where I seek to move from an issue or question to what the Bible, faith and Church have to say on the subject.

My preparation usually happens in two stages over two days. Stage 1 involves grappling with the text and marshalling resources. Here’s the overlap with essay preparation. Stage 2 involves writing out the message – in full – with pen and paper! A full manuscript gives me confidence and a place to come back to should I diverge or digress at the time of delivery.

Where is the Spirit in such a process? The Spirit is in the text, in the preparation and in the delivery. Until about 7 years ago I would often prepare and preach two messages a week. We then added a second theologically trained pastoral team member. He and I began to team preach, brainstorming around passages or themes, and not telling the congregation who was preaching so as to minimise “I am for Brian or Garry.” It’s a model we have continued into the current team. It gives a variety of styles, perspective and a breadth to our preaching.

I love preaching. It gives a regular point of connection with the wider church family and I feel something’s missing when I go too long without preaching.

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Preaching RefreshedPAUL WINDSOR (LANGHAM PARTNERSHIP)

I was just following a hunch. Those in New Zealand most committed to preaching tend to define it more narrowly than is necessary. Those most critical of

preaching do what critics often do: they paint the opposing view more negatively than necessary. Unsatisfied with the caricature that emerges with

both approaches, I embarked on a pilgrimage through the Book of Acts with an eye for preaching.

While the story of the early church is more descriptive than it is

prescriptive, it can still be instructive. I stopped in all the towns and cities. I paid

attention to all the words being used for preaching. What I discovered was that rather than being narrow or negative, the pilgrimage led to a more spacious and positive understanding, one which can refresh preaching in New Zealand today.

As in Philippi, Thessalonica, and Rome, we must acknowledge in New Zealand that

a divine initiative lies behind this human speech. The challenge is a theological one before it is a methodological one. There we can be confident that God will still use preaching as a vehicle for the advance of his unstoppable word. As in Jerusalem, Samaria, Caesarea,

Pisidian Antioch, and Corinth, we must focus in New Zealand upon Jesus Christ – ensuring that the proclaimer in the Gospels

becomes the proclaimed in the church as we build, as John Stott expresses it, on the gospel events (the death and resurrection of

Jesus), the gospel witnesses (the Scriptures), the gospel promises (the offer of salvation) and the gospel associates (repentance, faith, baptism, and

Spirit-filling).

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As in Pisidian Antioch, Thessalonica, Corinth, and Ephesus, we must persist in New Zealand with opening and explaining the text of Scripture – in its fullness and depth and do so over a lengthy period of time – so that the revealed and sufficient word of God can mature the people of God.

As in Jerusalem, Pisidian Antioch, Thessalonica, Ephesus, and Rome, we must expect in New Zealand a divided response to faithful preaching as we encounter both acceptance and rejection of the message. We must recoil from the cultural forces which would have us ‘accentuate the positive and eliminate the negative’ in an effort to market the gospel to consumers.

As in Thessalonica, and in comparing what happened in Athens with Pisidian Antioch, we must be flexible and fulsome in New Zealand, ensuring that preachers and preaching teams include ‘words of information, declaration, exhortation, persuasion, and conversation’ (Peter Adam) in their preaching.

As in Caesarea and Athens, we must include in New Zealand words of intrigue as a means of engaging the escalating numbers of cynics, critics and sceptics in our midst, in the hope that the Spirit might use such words to nudge people closer to the gospel.

As in Jerusalem, Pisidian Antioch, Philippi, Athens, and Ephesus, we must identify the spaces in New Zealand with an equivalency to the temple courts, the synagogues, the riversides, the marketplaces, the lecture halls, and the homes, and occupy those spaces with an appropriate communication of the gospel.

As in Caesarea, Antioch, Pisidian Antioch, and Philippi, we must free the gospel in New Zealand to cross boundaries, thereby enabling the ‘turn to the Gentiles’ to be ongoing as it seeks out the lost and the last and the least and maybe even discovers some of them to be part of a God-fearing fringe in our society.

As in Lystra and Athens, we must be prepared in New Zealand to commence a gospel presentation from a point of contact with our audience that is outside the Bible – such as those provided by the contemporary philosophers expressed in the billboards and lyrics, the advertising and editorial cartoons of our world.

As in Philippi, Thessalonica, Athens, and Ephesus, we must loosen preaching in New Zealand from its monological stereotype and welcome the interactivity which comes with dialogue and debate.

As in Jerusalem, Damascus, and Caesarea we must in New Zealand be well-acquainted with both the biblical story and our own personal story – and be able to testify boldly to the significance of both as we bear witness to Jesus.

In the Book of Acts the church spreads as the word of God spreads. The central plot of the story is the progression of that word from Jerusalem to Rome where, in the final phrase of the story, the proclaiming and teaching continues on ‘with all boldness and without hindrance’ (28.31). This remains what we plan and pray for as the word continues to progress around Aotearoa New Zealand.

» WE CAN BE CONFIDENT THAT GOD WILL STILL USE PREACHING AS A VEHICLE FOR THE ADVANCE OF HIS UNSTOPPABLE WORD.

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Read all about itCURRENT & ENCOURAGED READING FOR PREACHING

MARK ALLAN POWELL

What Do They Hear? Bridging the Gap Between Pulpit and Pew (Nashville: Abingdon, 2007)

Powell demonstrates the effect of social location (different social and cultural contexts see different things), and difference in “empathy choices” (clergy tend to identify with Jesus, laity with the disciples) and in what sort of “meaning” is sought in the Bible (clergy look for the meaning the author intended; laity listen for meaning for themselves). A sobering reminder to ask not only “What shall I say?” but also “What will they hear?”

DARRELL JOHNSON

The Glory of Preaching: Participating in God’s Transformation of the World (Downers Grove: IVP, 2009)

This is possibly the best book on preaching to have been written in the last twenty years. Johnson builds a robust and invigorating

theological case for the importance of preaching, but also outlines the basic mechanics

of good sermon preparation.

WILLIAM E. HULL

Strategic Preaching(St. Louis: Chalice Press, 2006)

Hull combines biblical study, homiletics and church leadership to provide a solid step-by-step guide on how to plan pastoral preaching and exercise pastoral leadership and guidance to move the local church  towards God’s specific calling during this time of radical social change.

COLIN E. GUNTON

The Theologian as Preacher (London and New York: T&T Clark, 2007)

Gunton once said that you can tell when a theologian has stopped preaching (and

perhaps you could add when a preacher has stopped theologising). This collection of sermons offers us examples of how preaching can be the integrative act which draws together all the resources of the Christian faith and unleashes them to develop an ‘art of living’ in the light of the Triune God of grace.

MICHAEL P. KNOWLES (ED)

The Folly of Preaching: Models and Methods (Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 2007)

This book contains a wealth of theoretical and practical insights into preaching from some of today’s best-known preachers and teachers of preaching. The second half

of the book consists of twelve exemplary sermons on the theme of grace in the midst of weakness.

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An interview with Andrew PicardMARYANNE WARDLAW

If you ask what sets Andrew Picard apart from most theological staff, here’s one answer: He could rebuild his own car if

necessary. Fortunately for Carey, his career as an auto mechanic was short-lived.

Andrew grew up in South Auckland, left high school at 17 – "I was wasting my time there" – and was working at a local mechanic shop when he became friends with Margaret. Unlike Andrew and the rest of his family, she was a Christian. Both Margaret and her faith caught Andrew’s attention, and he said that in the space of six months, at the age of 22, his life underwent a huge transformation.

"There wasn’t a half way for me," Andrew said. It was a painful 180° though; work became so torturous that he was literally beaten up by his former mates. "You come to faith and stop doing everything, you go from being one of the boys to being the enemy of the boys," he said.

Andrew enrolled at Carey the next year, 1999, and made the first of many discoveries. "I realised I had a brain and actually, when you stop drinking and using drugs, you can use it," he recalled wryly. By the time he graduated from the Pastoral Leadership track in 2004, he and Margaret were married. They’ve since been joined by two daughters, Olivia, 11, and Amy, 6.

In 2005 the family moved to Napier Baptist, where Andrew pastored for four years. He said they really enjoyed their time there, and he loved being a pastor, but in 2009 Laidlaw College offered him a position. They moved back to Auckland, and in fact still live on the Laidlaw campus. During his time there he was Director of Community

Life and taught ministry papers.

However Carey remained home, he said. Charles Hewlett tapped him for a faculty role in 2010, and although he had a similar option at Laidlaw he chose the commute. His current role is as the internship programme coordinator and applied theology lecturer.

"I’ve always felt passionate about Carey and what Carey’s about," he said. "It is genuinely church-facing. Carey is in the academy for the Church, and that gives it a really distinct tone. There’s a premium on the character of people that we have on staff, and there’s a warmth in the staff and the community as a whole."

Along with his role, Andrew has begun PhD studies through Otago University. His focus is on how the Church can be a redemptive community in contemporary society. And he is also co-president of the newly rebranded Baptist Research.

Outside of college, Andrew’s interests include cricket, which he just watches these days – sighing wistfully over his time playing representative cricket.

At Titirangi Baptist Church, which elected Andrew as elder in October, he and Margaret are part of a deaf community. Margaret is training to be a sign language interpreter at AUT. Andrew said she’s passionate about education for those who education doesn’t work for, and both of them want to reach the marginalised. He is also working on his sign language skills in order to be more a part of that community.

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Congratulations on your new job at London School of Theology! When did you start?Thanks! I started in the second week of September, and am already well underway with teaching preparation and research related activities. It’s going to be a busy year!

Can you tell us a bit about your new role?I will be lecturing in the Old Testament, mostly undergraduate introductory courses to start with, but I will be picking up a bit more teaching in the MA programme here as time goes by. I’ll also have a number of research students to supervise – LST offers a PhD in conjunction with Middlesex University. And like you guys at Carey, there’s also an expectation that I’ll be involved with equipping and resourcing the local church as part of my role too. And one day a week is devoted to research, which is an immense privilege. I’ll be looking to publish my work on Lamentations, and then I thought I might move on to something a little more cheerful next, i.e. the book of Job.

What are you looking forward to the most about this new job?Wow, where to start?! I’m excited about getting to teach the subject I’m passionate about – Old Testament, obviously! Like I said, it’s also an immense privilege to have dedicated research time built into my working week, and I’m looking forward to starting some new projects. There are also a number of bonuses of being London – for example, the British Museum, the British Library, access to some of the finest biblical studies libraries in the world, not to mention being able to meet with some of the finest biblical scholars in the world much more easily and regularly.

Also, you’ve just finished your PhD thesis. Well done! In 10 words or less, what was it about?Thanks! And are you sure I can only have ten words?! My thesis was a dialogic reading of Lamentations, as well as a reading of readings of Lamentations. Seventeen words; is that ok?

Why might I want to read it?You probably wouldn’t want to read the whole thing – let’s be honest! It’s full of Hebrew and other squiggly bits that I’m not sure even I understand! But if anyone were interested in my dialogic reading approach, bringing together my evangelical and feminist commitments, then chapter 8 would probably be the most interesting. Interested readers can access it online at http://otago.ourarchive.ac.nz/handle/10523/2372

What are you going to miss the most about New Zealand?That’s easy – friends and family.

This is a Carey magazine so I have to ask you, what is one thing you might take from your time as a student at Carey that will influence you as a lecturer in London?That’s not so easy – how to choose just one? One thing is the way in which Carey lecturers modelled an integrated life - it’s not just about academics and teaching, but it’s the whole integration of service to God, academy, and church, for the sake of the gospel in the world. Another is the way they were always so approachable and willing to lend a pastoral ear - again, it’s an integration thing. And the warmth and community ethos I found at Carey is something I’d like to contribute to here at LST.

Going abroadMIRIAM BIER (2006 CAREY GRADUATE)

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A Carey Online love storyHILARY HICKLING (NEE EDMONDS)

I’m sure you can all remember your first day of Carey. Mine was rather unusual. I was living in Madrid, Spain at the time.

I logged into CareyOnline for the first time and checked out all my papers and lots of my classmates’ profiles.

I had several comments from people that first week intrigued at how I came to be studying from Spain. One commenter was a guy from Napier, Caleb. We were signed onto the same Introduction to the Bible paper. As we got further into the semester the comments died away as everyone knuckled under and got into assignments. But not Caleb. He seemed to be much more interested in sending me emails than reading ‘Old Testament Today’! To cut a long story short, nine months, two semesters, hundreds of emails, $3000 worth of international toll calls, and several care parcels later I returned to NZ.

One of the most poignant moments of my life occurred at 6:30am on October 1, 2009 in the Auckland Airport International arrivals lounge. I met Caleb. I sometimes wonder what it was he saw in me that day, stumbling through airport security with my life in a backpack, jetlagged from flying half way around the world and smelling like I had just spent 24 hours in cramped quarters with 500 other people. Whatever it was, it worked! A year later we were married.

It is sad to think that in a few months’ time I will log out of CareyOnline for the last time. But it is wonderful to reflect back over my last four years journeying with Carey and the changes I have seen in my own life, ministry and marital status.

Carey’s theme this year is ‘Imagine’. Four years ago I could never have imagined that Carey would lead me to the wonderful man that I am honoured to call my husband.

Hilary and Caleb Hickling

ON-SITE CLASSES A variety of courses are offered at our campus in Penrose (Auckland). These are timetabled in weekly 3-hour classes lasting through the 12-week semester. A variety of these courses are also offered as evening classes making them accessible for students in full-time employment.

DISTANCE COURSES Many courses that Carey offers are available by distance learning. Distance study means that students can be located anywhere around New Zealand or the world but still study at Carey. Distance courses are provided using printed workbooks and enhanced with internet learning.

BLOCK COURSES A number of classes are offered by means of block or intensive courses. These courses are usually held at the Auckland campus.

FIELD EDUCATION There are a number of practical based field education courses. The requirements of these courses are completed in the student’s local place of ministry under the guidance of a nominated supervisor.

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