Meet our team
Faculty & Lecturers
Rev Peter Hastie
PRINCIPAL AND PASTORAL DEAN
Theology & Practical Theology
BJuris | BTh(Hons) | MA(Th) | GradCertTh | LTCL
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 Dr Jared Hood
ACADEMIC DEAN AND FACULTY SECRETARY
Old Testament & Historical Theology
DipTh | BTh(Hons) | GradDipIS | GradCertTh | MA(Th) | MTh | ThM(1st hons), Westminster | PhD, Melb
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 Felix Chung
POSTGRADUATE DEAN AND SLE Coordinator
Evangelism & missiology
DipSocWork | MME | MTh | PhD, RTS
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. Their son, Joseph, is a medical doctor.
Rev Ben Nelson
New Testament & GREEK
BA(Hons) | GradDipEd | MDiv | PhD candidate
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 Douglas Milne
New Testament & Theology
BDiv | MA | MTh(cum laude) | ThD | MPhil
In 2011, Douglas Milne completed 10 years as principal and 32 years of teaching at PTC. 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 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. Tony has lectured at the PTC for 25 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 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. Karl is married to Louise and they have four 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 Martin Pakula
Hebrew, Old Testament, GREEK
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 Matthew Cole
HEBREW
BA (AnimMedia) l GDip (Theology) l MDiv, GDip (Divinity)
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.
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 Dr David Cook
Preaching
DipD | DipM | ThL | BTh | MA in History
David Cook was the Principal of SMBC for 26 years until retiring in 2011. He continues to lecture in preaching at PTC and Cornhill, Sydney. He spent 14 years in Pastoral ministry, was the Moderator-General of the Presbyterian Church of Australia 2014–2016, and has authored several books. David and his wife, Maxine, have five adult children and 12 grandchildren.
Rev Chris Siriweera
Church Revitalisation
BD
Chris has been a Presbyterian minister for 25 years, pastoring in rural and suburban Victoria, including at Surrey Hills. He has been the Ministry Development Officer of the Presbyterian Church of Victoria since 2018 and conducts training in Victoria and interstate. He is married to Rose, and they have three adult children.
Rev John Clifford Ellis
TUTOR
LTh I BTh(Hons) I MTh
John attended Bible College in South Australia and then served as a missionary in the Philippines for nine years. He retrained at PTC, Melbourne, and he served as minister at the Presbyterian church at Clarinda in the south-eastern suburbs of Melbourne for twelve years. He then lectured at Presbyterian Theological Seminary in Dehra Dun, India, teaching mainly Bible languages and exegesis, for fifteen years before retiring to Werribee, Victoria.
Rev David Jones
Preaching
BD (Hons) | Certificate in Pastoral Counselling
David Jones has been the minister of Ann Street Presbyterian Church in Brisbane since 2014. Previously David has served churches in Wales, London and Hobart. David is married to Ruth, and together they have three grown-up children and one granddaughter.
