Governing bodies’ members appointed for next synodical term

The General Church Board has appointed members to nine of the LCANZ’s boards, committees and commissions for the 2024–2027 synodical term.

They are:

Australian Lutheran College Board of Directors

Rev Dr Stephen Haar, Rev Matt Thiele, Mr David Goedecke, Mr Mark Hughes, Mr Andrew Long, Ms Jane Mueller and Ms Ilene Thiel

Chair to be appointed by the board at the first meeting in 2025

Board for Lutheran Education Australia

Rev Reid Matthias, Ms Jillian Lange-Mohr, Dr Chris Materne, Ms Sarah Wiltshire, Ms Debbie Bennett (representative of the Council for Lutheran Education Victoria, New South Wales and Tasmania), Ms Heather Vogt (representative of Lutheran Education South Australia, Northern Territory and Western Australia)

Representative of Lutheran Education Queensland to be advised

Chair to be appointed by the board at the first meeting in 2025

Finke River Mission Board

Pastor Rob Borgas, Pastor John Heffernan, Mr Christopher Guntner, Ms Lavinia Heffernan, Ms Marcia Hoffmann and Ms Suanne Tikoft

Chair: Ms Marcia Hoffmann

Finance Audit & Risk Committee

Mr Ben Gargett, Mr David Prenzler, Mr Mark Waldron and Ms Kelly Mathews (GCB member on FAR)

Chair: Mr Ben Gargett

Standing Committee on Nominations

Pastor Mark Gierus, Mrs Kate Burke, Mrs Colleen Fitzpatrick, Ms Margit Hubbers, Mr Des Kalisch, and Mr Tony von Brandenstein and Ms Charmaine Harch (GCB member on SCoN)

Chair: Ms Colleen Fitzpatrick

Standing Committee on Constitutions

Pastor Geoffrey Schefe, Pastor Andrew Vanderwal, Mr Bruce Arnold, Ms Sabine Haeusler and Ms Kerryn Simpfendorfer, and Ms Kim Baumeler (GCB member on SCoC)

Chair: Ms Kerryn Simpfendorfer

Commission on Theology and Inter-Church Relations

Rev Dr Russell Briese, Rev John Strelan, Rev Tommi Vuorinen, Dr Wendy Mayer, Mrs Maria Rudolph, and Rev Dr Mark Vainikka and Rev Lester Priebbenow (College of Bishops representatives), Rev Paul Smith (Bishop of the Church), Rev Stephen Schultz (Assistant Bishop)

One pastor member yet to be appointed

ALC representatives yet to be appointed

Chair to be selected by the Commission at the first meeting in 2025

Commission on Worship

Emeritus Bishop Mark Whitfield, Rev Mitchell Kitson, Rev Geoffrey Johnston, Mrs Heidi Smith, Mr David Simpfendorfer and Rev Andrew Brook (College of Bishops representative)

Chair to be selected by the Commission at the first meeting in 2025

Commission on Social and Bioethical Questions

Rev Tommi Vuorinen, Mrs Libby Jewson, Mr Joshua Krieg, Mrs Helene Schulz, Ms Sue Smith and Rev Richard Schwedes (College of Bishops representative)

Chair: Ms Sue Smith