Matt Renata

Ngāti Porou, Ngāti Kahungunu ki Wairoa, Ngāti Ruapani, Āti Haunui-a-Pāpārangi, Gujarat

Kate Day & Alex Johnston

Common Grace Aotearoa

Kaikōrero / Speakers & Workshops

Miriam has always had a passion for missions, initially overseas but more recently here in Aotearoa, New Zealand.

She has worked with Catalyst Movement for the last 4 years and also helped facilitate The Send last year.

She has a passion to see the gospel go forth in NZ and to see the next generation empowered to live bold, missional lives.

Alex (Pākehā, Scottish/Irish whakapapa), together with Kate, founded Common Grace Aotearoa in 2023 with a shared dream to see the church step into its calling as a partner in God’s renewal and restoration in this land. Common Grace Aotearoa seeks to equip and organise Christians across Aotearoa to transform unjust structures for the common good, advancing solutions to climate, economic and Te Tiriti justice. Alongside that mahi, he is passionate about community and wholehearted discipleship as part of Urban Vision and at his local Anglican church. He currently lives in Whanganui on the lands of Te Āti Haunui-a-Pāpārangi with his wife Genevieve, and their two daughters.

Mika and Anya Hervel

The Community of the Transfiguration

Mika and Anya live and work in central Wellington and worship at St Mike's Kelburn. For the last five years, they have been living and leading in intentional Christian community and ministering to uni students and young people. Mika has studied law, history, and politics, and Anya has studied history with honours in anthropology. They believe the work of justice and peace extends into politics and economics, and have been involved in all manner of political campaigning over the years.

James Harris

NAYBA, Common Grace Australia

James serves as the Justice for People Seeking Asylum Coordinator for Common Grace and Director of Strategic Projects at NAYBA, where he leads The Welcome Home Project, helping churches engage in refugee sponsorship. His global experience includes humanitarian work in Jordan and Nauru, alongside co-founding the Gaza Ceasefire Pilgrimage movement.

Kate (Pākehā, English/Scottish whakapapa) co-founded Common Grace Aotearoa with Alex in 2023, excited about the potential of forming a generation of Christian leaders with a commitment to justice, advocacy and faith-driven action. Over the years she has been involved in a variety of successful campaigns and discipleship programmes with a justice focus. She lives in Wellington with her husband John-Luke and their three children, and worships at St Thomas’ Anglican Church, Newtown.

Lizzie Pringle

Praxis, Urban Vision

Born and raised in Wellington, He Tangata Tiriti ahau. I live in the Eastern Suburbs with my whānau and love the community of Strathmore. I co-lead Praxis — a network of educators and youth development practitioners passionate about raising the next generation of leaders in Aotearoa. I also co-lead Strathmore Community Church with my husband Ben. Together we are raising three boys (6, 4, and 1) — my most challenging and joy-filled mahi.

I have spent more than a decade engaged in grassroots youth and community work with Urban Vision, and I am passionate about seeing communities experience freedom, healing, and hope.

David and Denise Tims

Urban Neighbours of Hope

Dave (Pākehā) and Denise Tims (Ngāti Porou, Ngāti Tukorehe) have spent over 35 years living and working alongside those grappling with poverty and marginalisation through Te Ora Hou, Youth for Christ, and currently Urban Neighbours of Hope.

Denise lectures in Te Ao Māori at Carey Baptist College, while Dave coordinates the Orbit Baptist Network of intentional and micro-church communities. As practitioners, they invest long-term into people and places.

They dream of seeing neighbourhoods renewed by God’s presence, where people flourish in their identity, family, and culture, in an Aotearoa where a covenantal Tiriti o Waitangi is honoured in practice

Miriam Shilston

Catalyst Movement

Born and raised in Te Awakairangi, Wellington. Married to Rachel since 2016 and Pāpā to Mana. A youth and community developer since 2004, passionate about creating spaces where mokopuna can thrive, feel seen, and shape the world around them. Previously served as Pouwhakamana at Zeal Youth Aotearoa and Kaiāwhina at World Vision NZ, and now at Mana Mokopuna. Studied a Bachelor in Indigenous Theology (Māori & Pasifika), Te Reo Māori, and Māori Leadership. Shaped by my relationship with Ihu, I seek to live out justice, liberation, and restoration in ways that honour both Tāngata Whenua and Tāngata Tiriti, fulfilling the message of Te Rongopai.

Carl Tinnion

CMS (Church Missionary Society)

Carl spent 30 years working with YWAM and in that time worked and travelled to over 50

countries. He has always worked in edge ministries with a passion for the unchurched and de-churched.

He is an artist, theologian, chef and storyteller and now works part time for NZCMS as a mission catalyst, equipping people for overseas work. He is also the assistant (Anglican) priest in Te Puke with a focus on planting a new congregation.

Philippa Cochrane

World Vision

Philippa was raised in Queenstown and is happiest in the southern mountains thinking about how to solve great world problems. She was a World Vision 40 Hour Challenge leader at High School and never really got over how awesome youth activism is. It led to studying Geography at Otago University, a diploma in Youthwork through Praxis and working on and off for World Vision for the last ten years. Still obsessed with social justice, she has found a sweet spot at the Schools and Youth Team Manager, working with rangatahi to take social action whether that be advocating, volunteering or fundraising. Outside of that, Adventure Racing with her German Short Haired Pointer pup called Fig around the port hills where they live in Ōtautahi keeps her active!

Hamish Dobbie

Ngāti Ruanui, Anglican

He uri ia nō Ngāti Ruanui, rātou ko Ngāruahine, ko Te Ātiawa anō hoki. He minita ia i te Haahi Mihinare, ā, he kaimahi hoki ia ki Te Wānanga Ihorangi, he kura rūmaki reo ki Tāmaki Makaurau. Ko tōna tūranga matua ki reira, ko te kaiwhakaputa o te pukapuka oro o Te Paipera Tapu. Ko tōna kohara he tuitui i te whakapono ki te reo, me te mātauranga Māori kia whakahauora ai i te Haahi.

Zac Shilston

Urban Vision

Zac Shilston has been a companion in Urban Vision communities and a missional worker with particular aroha for multicultural and interfaith ministries in Aotearoa. He is passionate about the good news of Jesus' love and justice for the least.

Reverend Dr Rangi Nicholson

Ngāti Raukawa ki Te Au o Te Tonga, Ngāti Toarangatira, Ngāi Tahu, Rangitāne, Ngāti Kuia me Ngāti Pāhauwera.

Matua Rangi is the mokopuna of a Ngāti Toarangatira leader and an English missionary who both signed Te Tiriti.
He has taught Aotearoa New Zealand history at several institutions including the University of Canterbury, Massey University and St John’s Theological College.
His major current research and publishing interest is the Treaty of Waitangi and the Anglican Church.

Courtney Menary

Ngāti Mutunga, Ngāti Toa Rangatira, Niue

Courtney is the editor of Te Pūhana o te Rongopai, an emerging leader in te Pīhopatanga o Aotearoa, and a leader in Urban Vision. She is also a devoted māmā to Te Pānia and Jessie-Lee. Courtney is passionate about Jesus, sharing his love with those pushed to the edges of society, and taking pride in her whakapapa.

He etita a Courtney o Te Pūhana o te Rongopai, ā, he kaiārahi hoki i Urban Vision me te Pīhopatanga o Aotearoa, Te Hāhi Mihinare. He māmā aroha ki a Te Pānia rāua ko Jessie-Lee, he tangata ngākau nui ki a Īhu, ki te manaaki i te hunga kua takahia, me te whakapehapeha ki tōna whakapapa.

Paul Fletcher

St Toms, Newtown

Originally from Scotland, Paul has spent over half his life in Aotearoa. He is married to (his boss!) Anashuya Fletcher who is the Assistant Bishop of Wellington. Together, with their two energetic kids, they recently moved into Newtown, Wellington - having spent previous seasons in Whanganui and Auckland. Paul has been a follower of Jesus since the age of 18 with his ministry background being involved in pastoring, church planting, social enterprise business initiatives (co-founding Common Good Coffee), missional community leadership (Urban Vision Aotearoa) and now priest at St Tom's Anglican Church. His greatest acheivement among all the ‘stuff’ though “was marrying Ana”. Both Paul and Ana are passionate about Jesus and His upside down kingdom message; prayerfully seeking what courageous and life-giving forms this can take in our neighbourhoods and city.