Parish of Manuka South Canberra

Clergy & Staff

RECTOR OF MANUKA (Parish Priest)

The Reverend Ben Edwards
BA(Hons); LLB(Hons); BTh; PhD; GDLP;
Grad Cert LBS; CMusA; AMusA

Ben has been rector of Manuka since late 2018. Ordained in 2004, he has held appointments in urban, regional and rural parishes and educational institutions. He has also been a diocesan historian, area dean, cathedral canon, member of council of Burgmann College of the Australian National University and a Visiting Fellow in the Centre for Advanced Religious and Theological Studies within the Divinity Faculty of the University of Cambridge (2009-10) while resident at Westcott House, Cambridge.  

Ben’s PhD is in socio-religious history and he has a university medal in Law.  Liturgical worship lies at the heart of his ministry and spirituality. His great passion in ministry is to synthesise the riches of the Church’s heritage with the creativity and insights of today, and for building community through hospitality.

THE VENABLE JOHN GIBSON

THE VENERABLE JOHN GIBSON
ThL; Dip R.E.

John was a parishioner here St Paul’s when he entered St Johns Theological College in 1965. His roots go back to Northern Ireland where he was born in 1942 at Ballymoney, County Antrim.  He married Narelle at St John the Baptist Church, Canberra in 1970 and they have two married sons, two delightful daughters in law and five grandchildren.

John was made deacon at St Paul’s Church, Manuka on the Feast of The Presentation Of Christ In The Temple 2 February 1968 and priested at St John the Baptist Church, Canberra on the Feast of St Barnabas 11 June 1969.  Amongst other appointments, he served as the inaugural dean and rector of the newly created Cathedral of St Alban The Martyr, Griffith (Diocese of Riverina). The following year he was appointed Archdeacon of Riverina and Administrator of the diocese, fulfilling this ministry until his retirement. 

On retirement from fulltime ministry John and his wife Narelle returned to Canberra in 2007 and to St Paul’s, where he continues to serve as an hon Associate Priest  which has been interspersed with locums in the parishes of Kaleen/Giralang, St John’s Wagga Wagga, Deakin and three times at St Paul’s.

John is a tertiary (member) of the Anglican Third Order Franciscans who live under a common Rule of Life and are made up of laity and clergy, single and married. It gives him a wonderful framework to aim to live a life of celebration of prayer, work and study and a life of joy, humility and love. It is a lifelong pursuit! 

THE REVEREND ELAINE FARMER

The Reverend Elaine Farmer
BTh; MTh

Elaine was ordained in 1993, among the earliest women ordained to the priesthood in the Anglican Church of Australia. She has served in several parishes, taught homiletics and ministry formation, and been Associate Editor of St Mark’s Review, Australia’s oldest theological journal. She also served on the Council of St Andrew’s College, Sydney University, and is a Fellow of that College.

 She has preached in Anglican dioceses around Australia and internationally, including in the United States, and the United Kingdom at Westminster Abbey. She has been keynote speaker at various Australian and international conferences.
A book of her sermons,  (Australasian Theological Forum 2006) was translated into Bahasa Indonesia by the Jesuits and given episcopal and . She was also a contributor to, a book on preaching and worship also published by the Australasian Theological Forum.
 
Her most recent publication is Letters From Lockdown: Friendship Going Viral (ATF 2020). Elaine now lives in Canberra with her husband, Bill, at the conclusion of his diplomatic career which included appointments as Ambassador in Mexico, Papua New Guinea, Malaysia and Indonesia. They have two children and six grandchildren.

ASSOCIATE CLERGY

THE REVEREND FIONA COCHAUD 

THE REVEREND CANON PAUL BLACK ThDip; DipMin.

THE REVEREND SANDIE KAINE JP BTh; LLM

THE REVEREND JASON WRIGHT BTh; MMDS

THE REVEREND GAYL MILLS OAM DipMedLabTech; Grad Cert Diaconal St; Grad Dip Pastoral Counselling; BTh

THE RIGHT REVEREND JOHN STEAD BEd BTh 

THE REVEREND DR JANE FOULCHER BA(Hons) Grad Dip Div PhD

MUSIC DEPARTMENT

Matthew Stuckings: Director of Music matthew.stuckings@gmail.com

Organists: Christopher Erskine, Mary Anne Neilsen, James Porteous

Junior Choir Director: Kate Edwards juniorchoir@stpaulsmanuka.org.au

Prep Choir Director: Alison Waddell

CHILDREN & YOUTH WORK

Sunday School: Belinda Leslie 

belinda@stpaulsmanuka.org.au

 Youth: Harriet Allen

ADMINISTRATION

Parish Office Team: office@stpaulsmanuka.org.au

Parish Executive Officer: Joseph Neilson

CHURCH WARDENS

Parish Wardens: Bruce Glendinning, Greg Mills, Fiona Cochaud
Email: wardens@stpaulsmanuka.org.au
St David’s Red Hill Wardens: Lorraine Litster, Duncan Anderson, Robert Goodrick
Email: stdavids@stpaulsmanuka.org.au

Treasurer – Duncan Anderson
 Email: treasurer@stpaulsmanuka.org.au

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