Speaker Spotlight
Rev Gretta Vosper
Keynote Presenter
Rev Gretta Vosper is a chair and founder of The Canadian Centre for Progressive Christianity and author of the provocative, bestselling book With or Without God: Why the Way We Live is More Important Than What We Believe.
Hugh Mackay
Presenter/Workshop Leader
Hugh Mackay is a social researcher and writer who has made a lifelong study of the attitudes and behaviour of Australians. He is the author of 12 books, including five bestsellers.
Fr Peter Kennedy
Presenter/Workshop Leader
Fr Peter Kennedy Fr Peter Kennedy is the spiritual leader of the St Mary's in Exile community in Brisbane. A Catholic priest of more than 45 years standing, his presentation at the Common Dreams conference is entitled: 'St Mary's in exile: A progressive community'.
Dr Val Webb
Presenter/Workshop Leader
Dr Val (Skerman) Webb's professional career spans microbiology, business, public relations, writing, art and theology. Born and educated in Brisbane, she obtained a graduate degree in Microbiology from the University of Queensland and worked there in research.
Professor Gary Bouma
Presenter/Workshop Leader
Professor Gary Bouman is a well known Australian academic whose research in the sociology of religion examines the management of religious diversity in plural multicultural societies, postmodernity as a context for doing theology, religion and terror, inter-cultural communication, religion and public policy, women and religious minorities, and gender factors in clergy careers..
Dr Gregory C Jenks
Presenter/Workshop Leader
Rev Dr Gregory Jenks is Academic Dean at St Francis Theological College, Brisbane, an Anglican priest, and a religion scholar with a special interest in Biblical Studies, and particularly Christian origins. Greg's current research interests are focused on historical Jesus and Galilee in the early Roman period.
Sherene Hassan
Presenter/Workshop Leader
Sherene Hassan is the vice-president of the Islamic Council of Victoria. She is heavily involved in interfaith dialogue and is one of the media spokespeople for the Islamic Council of Victoria.
Rabbi Aviva Kipen
Presenter/Workshop Leader
Rabbi Aviva Kipen was born in Melbourne and after careers in child and adult education, spent 17 years abroad, during which time she became the first Australian woman to be ordained as a rabbi in London in 1991.
Rev Clay Nelson
Presenter/Workshop Leader
The Rev Clay Nelson is the Associate Priest at St Matthew-in-the-City, Auckland. Since being ordained an Episcopal priest in 1982 he has served in every size congregation from a new start to a 3000 member corporate size congregation and administered a diocese as Canon to the Ordinary. .
Rev John Smith
Presenter/Workshop Leader
Rev John Smith is a recently retired Uniting Church minister who was ordained in 1974. He has had a varied ministry including welfare management, chaplaincy and parish ministry. He will be speaking on "Divine necessity or human inevitability? Progressive theology beyond atonement".
Rev Rex Hunt
Presenter/Workshop Leader
Rev Rex Hunt is a retired Uniting Church minister after more than 40 years in ministry, involving parish, chaplaincy, media as well as National Director of Communications, Uniting Church Assembly.
Rev Dr Ian Mavor
Presenter/Workshop Leader
Rev Dr Ian Mavor, OAM, FACE is minister of the Uniting Church in Australia, Ian is currently Executive Director of Hopewell Hospice Services based on the Gold Coast.
Rev Jo Lane
Presenter/Workshop Leader
Rev Jo Lane has been the minister of the Unitarian Church of South Australia since September 2006. She has a Bachelor of Arts degree, majoring in comparative religion, from the University of South Australia and a Master of Theology from the University of Liverpool.
Rev Dr Norman Habel
Presenter/Workshop Leader
Rev Dr Norman Habel is currently Professorial Fellow at Flinders Universityin Adelaide, and a pastor of The Lutheran Church.
Rev David Clark
Presenter/Workshop Leader
Rev David Clark is a minister of the Presbyterian Church of Aotearoa New Zealand. He grew up in Wellington where he attended Victoria University and gained a BA in History and Asian Studies before studying in the Theological Hall, Knox College, Dunedin 1970-72.
Captain Jason Davies-Kildea
Presenter/Workshop Leader
Captain Jason Davies-Kildea is a Salvation Army officer currently appointed as Divisional Social Program Secretary with responsibility for around 180 programs across Melbourne.
Rev Dr Francis Macnab
Presenter/Workshop Leader
Rev Dr Francis Macnab, OA, is the Executive Minister at St Michael’s Uniting Church, Melbourne, and has been since 1971.
Rev Dr Margaret Mayman
Presenter/Workshop Leader
Rev Dr Margaret Mayman has been senior minister at St. Andrew's on The Terrace in Wellington, New Zealand, since 2002. Her presentations and workshops include 'Living Prophetic - Poetic Progressive Faith' and 'Queer Spirituality and Politics'.
Rev Fred Plumer
Presenter/Workshop Leader
In September of 2004 Rev Fred Plumer retired from the Irvine United Congregational Church so he could devote more time to writing and his passion - reclaiming the message of Jesus. In January of 2006 after Jim Adams, founder of TCPC retired as President, Fred was elected as the new President for The Center for Progressive Christianity. He currently manages the Center and travels all over the country doing workshops and keynote speaking engagements.
Deshna Ubeda
Presenter/Workshop Leader
Deshna Ubeda will be presenting the "Children's Curriculum Project" with Fred Plumer. She is the Project Manager for the TCPC Children’s Curriculum Project and manages the TCPC website.
Rev Professor Sir Lloyd Geering
Presenter/Workshop Leader
Rev Professor Sir Lloyd Geering, ONZ, GNZM, CBE is Emeritus Professor of Religious Studies at
Rev Dr Keith Rowe
Multi-Faith Panel
Rev Dr Keith Rowe is respected for his work and insights as a Christian theologian on both sides of the Tasman Sea. Now retired in Auckland, he has served as parish minister, theological teacher and church leader in the Methodist Church of New Zealand and the Uniting Church in Australia.
Program of Events
Event speakers
- Rev Dr Francis Macnab
- Dr Val Webb
- Rev Professor Sir Lloyd Geering
- Rev Dr Margaret Mayman
- Dr Gregory C Jenks
- Rabbi Aviva Kipen
- Rev Clay Nelson
- Fr Peter Kennedy
- Captain Jason Davies-Kildea
- Rev Dr Norman Habel
- Rev Rex Hunt
- Rev Jo Lane
- Hugh Mackay
- Rev Dr Ian Mavor
- Deshna Ubeda
- Rev John Smith
- Rev David Clark
- Rev Fred Plumer
- Professor Gary Bouma
- Sherene Hassan