3f8de1fe7d Lecturers & staff | PTC
 

Lecturers & staff

Our lecturers are not just highly-qualified academics
they know ministry, as pastors, evangelists, counsellors, missionaries

Faculty & lecturers

Rev Peter Hastie

PRINCIPAL AND PASTORAL DEAN

THEOLOGY & PRACTICAL THEOLOGY

BJuris |  BTh(Hons)  |  MA(Th)  |  GradCertTh | LTCL

peter.hastie@ptc.edu.au

Peter has spent 32 years in pastoral ministry, as well as 14 years in Christian publishing as the editor of Australian Presbyterian. For over two decades he has been involved in Christian education, serving on the Councils of the Scots College, Bellevue Hill and PLC Sydney and Armidale, where he has been chairman.

Rev Ben Nelson

NEW TESTAMENT & GREEK

Faculty Secretary

BJuris |  BTh(Hons)  |  MA(Th)  |  GradCertTh | LTCL

ben.nelson@ptc.edu.au

Ben was a high school teacher for many years, and is an elder at South Yarra Presbyterian Church. Following on from his MDiv research work, Ben is undertaking a PhD which focuses on the translation and analysis of the works of Oecolampadius, an early Reformer. Ben is married to Jen, and they have four children.

Rev Dr Jared Hood

ACADEMIC DEAN AND FACULTY

OLD TESTAMENT & HISTORICAL THEOLOGY

DipTh | BTh(Hons) | GradDipIS | GradCertTh | MA(Th) | MTh | ThM(1st hons), Westminster | PhD, Melb

jared.hood@ptc.edu.au

Jared has spent thirteen years in pastoral ministry and has lectured and studied in various fields. He has a PhD in Jewish Studies from the University of Melbourne, and a ThM from Westminster Seminary in historical theology. Jared is married to Cassie, who has homeschooled their five children. He is also editor of the Reformed Theological Review.

Rev Dr John Wilson

CHURCH HISTORY & PRACTICAL THEOLOGY

BSc l DipEd l BTh l DMin

john.wilson@ptc.edu.au

John served in parish ministry for many years in both rural and metropolitan Victoria. He then lectured in Practical Theology and Church History at PTC from 1998-2006. From 2007-2023 he served as Clerk of the General Assembly of Victoria, and was Moderator of the Presbyterian Church of Victoria in 2002-2023 and Moderator-General of the Presbyterian Church of Australia from 2016-2019. He is a Board member of the World Reformed Fellowship and has made frequent visits to support Presbyterian churches in Malawi and Zambia. John has been married to Paula for 50 years.

Rev Dr Felix Chung

EVANGELISM & MISSIOLOGY

DipSocWork | MME | MTh | PhD

felix.chung@ptc.edu.au

Felix, a Hong Kong born Chinese Australian, has been serving as pastor, missionary, and Bible College lecturer in different cultural settings for almost 20 years. He is also involved in different missionary ministries, publishing articles in mission magazines and visiting overseas Bible colleges and churches to lecture on mission-related courses. He is married to Mei, who has also been serving with him as a missionary and church worker for over 15 years. They have one child named Joseph.

Rev Dr Douglas Milne

NEW TESTAMENT & THEOLOGY

BDiv | MA | MTh(cum laude) | ThD | MPhil

Douglas was the principal of PTC for ten years and has lectured at PTC for more than forty years. Since retiring, he continues to speak widely and lecture at PTC as needed. Douglas is married to Joan, and they have two adult children and four grandchildren.

Rev Dr Karl Hood

PASTORAL CARE

MBBS(Hons1) | GDRGP(anaes) | FRACGP | FACRRM | GCProfSup (clin/past) | MAR(1st Hons)

After a decade of medical practice, Karl trained in counselling and theology at Westminster Theological Seminary and CCEF in Philadelphia, then completed ordination studies at PTC. He served on the pastoral staff of the Drouin congregation for a decade, is Executive Director of Biblical Counselling Australia, and is lead counsellor at the Melbourne East Christian Counselling Centre. He is working on a DPhil in the Psalms and Trauma at the University of Oxford. Karl is married to Louise and they have four children.

Rev Martin Pakula

HEBREW & OLD TESTAMENT

BSc | DipMin | BTh | MTh

Martin is a Jewish Christian, married to Jennie, and father of two adult children. He has been involved in parish ministry, university ministry, Bible College lecturing, and Jewish mission. He has taught OT and Biblical Languages. 

Rev Dr Tony Bird

GREEK & NEW TESTAMENT

BSc | DipMin | BTh | MTh | PhD

Tony is a former missionary in Indonesia, along with his wife Carole. They have four children and six grandchildren. Tony is active in Donvale Presbyterian Church, and he has recently completed a commentary on the letter of James. He has lectured at PTC for 30 years.

Rev Dr Rowland Ward

CHURCH HISTORY & RESEARCH LECTURER

BA | DipTh | BTh(Hons) | ThD

Rowland has spent 40 years in pastoral ministry with the Presbyterian Church of Eastern Australia. He has written extensively on Presbyterian history, doctrine and worship and lectured in Australia and overseas. Recent publications include Presbyterians in Australia: Conflicts and Progress 1803-2018. He is currently working on a new edition of Religious Bodies in Australia – A Comprehensive Guide.

Rev Dr Allan Harman

Research professor

BA | BD | MLitt | ThM | ThD | ThD(honoris causa)

Allan is a former principal of the PTC, and has spent his teaching career working in the field of Hebrew and Old Testament. He has written commentaries on the Psalms, Deuteronomy, Isaiah and Daniel, as well as numerous articles, and has recently enlarged and republished his commentary on the Psalms. In 2003 he received an honorary doctorate from the Australian College of Theology.

Rev Andrew Vines

SLE Coordinator

CIV Aeroskills | BTh (Hons)

Andrew is a graduate of PTC, and has previously served in youth ministry as well as overseas mission. For the last ten years he has been the Senior Minister of Reservoir Presbyterian Church. Andrew is married to Suzy and they have three teenagers. 

Dr Seung-Joo (John) Lee

Adjunct lecturer in theology

BA | MA | PhD, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam

Dr. Seung-Joo (John) Lee, with a background spanning Korea, New Zealand, China, America, and Australia, earned an MA from Westminster Seminary California and a PhD from the Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam. He has worked at Reformed Theological College and has several years of pastoral experience, currently serving at South Yarra Presbyterian Church. John is the author of The Orders of Nature and Grace: Thomistic Concepts in the Moral Thought of Franciscus Junius (1545–1602), published by Brill in 2024. He has also published in Modern Reformation and Credo Magazine. John is happily married to Daisy.

Rev Bern Merchant

Bern Merchant

pastoral care tutor

DipTh | BTh| MAC

Bern is the Associate Superintendent (Peacemaking & Welfare) at the Ministry and Mission in the PCNSW. He has studied Biblical Counselling at Westminster Theological Seminary and CCEF, and has completed peacemaking training through to mediation levelBern has been involved with Biblical Counselling in various ways for over 15 years and has served as minister of several Presbyterian churches both in rural and city of NSW. Bern is married to Alison and they have three school-age children.

Dr Murray Adamthwaite

Old Testament

BA | BD | MA | PHD

Murray has studied in Melbourne, Sydney and London, and has lectured in Old Testament, pastored churches and participated in three archaeological excavations in Israel and Syria. He is currently Research Fellow at Melbourne University, and a specialist in Akkadian. He is married to Corrie and they have three children.

Rev Matthew Cole

HEBREW

BA | GradDipDiv | MDiv

Matthew grew up attending a Baptist Church on the Mornington Peninsula. During that time he served as a volunteer in his church’s youth ministry and studied a Graduate Diploma in theology. After moving to Somerville Presbyterian Church Matthew trained for the ministry at PTC Melbourne where he taught Hebrew in 2018. He is now the Minister at Dromana Mornington Presbyterian Church and preparing to do a MTh in Old Testament.

Administration Staff

Ben Palmer

Registrar & Business administrator

 

BA(Hons) | GradDipEd | GradDipDiv

9898 9385

Rosemary Chandra

ADMINISTRATION OFFICER

BMDes | MTeach(Sec)

info@ptc.edu.au

9898 9384

Michael Smith

Librarian

BA | GradDipDiv | Cert(Archive and Records Management)

library@ptc.edu.au

9898 9872

Michael is an elder at Canterbury Presbyterian Church and works as the Archivist for the PCV, before working as the PTC Librarian. 

Michael came to faith as an adult living in Japan, and was involved in the Tokyo church for almost 15 years before returning to Australia, with his wife and their three sons.

Suzanne Zhang

ASSISTANT LIBRARIAN

BMin

chinese.library@ptc.edu.au

9898 9872

Suzanne has been working at the College since 2019, after graduating from MST with a BMin. She focuses on sourcing resources for students in the Chinese Course. Suzanne attends the Donvale Presbyterian Church, where her husband Xien is the pastor of the Chinese congregation. They have three children.

Jess Thomas

PTC Bookshop Admin

DipChSt | BNurs

ptcmedia@ptc.edu.au

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