Speakers and Guests

Keynote Speakers

Ron Sider

Ron Sider is Professor of Theology, Holistic Ministry & Public Policy at Palmer Seminary at Eastern University in the US and author of over 30 books including his 1977 ground-breaking book, Rich Christians in an Age of Hunger, has been hailed by Christianity Today as one of the one hundred most influential books in religion in the twentieth century. He is president of Evangelicals for Social Action and combines a passionate commitment to the gospel and personal transformation with a call to just living and a just world.

You can download some short interviews Ron did on the subject of simple living as well as aid and development here.

From here you can download his address to the 1984 World Mennonite Conference. A powerful and prophetic call to follow Jesus. In adition to exhorting the church to pursue evangelism and highlighting the centrality of the cross, Ron appeals for a costly discipleship that impacts the world.

 

CB Samuel

Over the last 26 years TEAR Australia's good friend and highly valued partner has been many things to many people: husband and father, Bible teacher, pastor, theologian, mentor, CEO of a major Indian Relief and Development NGO, missiologist, evangelical leader and passionate advocate for the poor.

Described as the smiling tiger on a previous visit to Australia, CB brings great grace, wisdom, gentle humour and an extraordinary freshness to his teaching. Always he is profoundly challenging, and always he brings enormous encouragement as he teaches us more about our God of justice and compassion.

You can download CB's talks from the last TEAR conference he spoke at here.

Read CB's take on the Good Samaritan here (pdf file).

 

Neville Naden

The Rev. Neville Naden is the pastor of the Far West Indigenous Church in Broken Hill. He is an Aboriginal Christian leader who works at the local level in outreach, training and community empowerment and at the national level through various national Indigenous bodies. His current passion, other than the kids basketball comp, is the churches community garden.

Workshop Presenters

Arbutus Sider

Arbutus Sider is a marriage and family therapist and has lectured in many parts of the world on marriage and biblical equality between men and women. She is a board member of Christians for Biblical Equality. You can read an interview with Arbutus from our latest Target magazine.

Dave Andrews

Dave is an author (most recently of Plan Be), international speaker, TEAR educator and radical disciple of Jesus. Dave will be running a couple of great workshops at THRIVE. Daves workshops are:

Abundant life while taking up the cross

Jesus calls us into a life of abundance but he also asks that we venture out of the comfort of conventional affluenza and 'take up our cross, deny ourselves and follow him' (Mark 8:34). Where can abundant life be found on this journey and what does it look like? In this workshop, Dave will explore the paradox that is discipleship. How can a walk into the wild with Jesus be good for us when it is a walk into uncertainty and discomfort?

Abundant life for the community

TEAR's overseas projects are all about community development. How is that different to other development? Is it just for 'over there' or is there something we can practice here, to bring abundant life to our communities? Dave has years of experience in community development both overseass and in Australia (he has even written the text book) and will share how we can be a part of flourishing communities.

Jonathan Cornford

Jonathan heads Manna Gum, an independent Christian non-profit which seeks to promote a vision of life which brings truly good news to us, our neighbours, and the world. Jonathan has travelled and worked extensively in South East Asia and, through Manna Gum, is involved in significant advocacy regarding the Mekong River and its peoples.

Lea Davis

Lea is a program officer with TEAR Australia and heads TEAR's gender working group.

Barbara Deutschmann

Barbara coordinates TEAR's indigenous programs.

Ralph Reilly

Ralph is Australian Coordinator of Servants Asia. He will talk on urban slums (and will live in the conference slum - see www.slumsurvivor.org) and also how we can live more simple sustainable lives.

Dr Reginald Zahiruddin

Dr Reginald, a medical doctor, is secretary of TEAR's partner, the Anglican Diocese of Hyderabad. He has worked as a doctor in the Northwest Territories of Pakistan and was kidnapped by the Taliban for 25 days in late 2008.

Les Bursill

Les is a local Dharawal man who will help us understand the history and culture of the traditional owners as well as take us on a tour of local sacred sites.

Tim and Kama Trudgen

Tim and Kama Trudgen are based in Galiwin'ku, North East Arnhem Land, NT, working with the Yolngu people. They aim to create opportunity for local Indigenous people to increase the amount of control and purpose in their lives, by breaking down the barriers for people to succeed in their own endeavours.

 

Music

Perth's Paul Gioia

One of Western Australia's foremost blues and roots pianists.

Adelaide's Josh Spier

A regular festival performer whose music seamlessly permeates the soul.