The Council of Assembly is pleased to announce that the Rev Dr Steve Taylor has been appointed to the role of Principal at Knox Centre for Ministry and Leadership.
Steve, an experienced church minister, theological educator and academic leader, will take up the role in late 2015, and the Rev Dr Kevin Ward will continue in the Acting Principal role in the interim.
Steve has most recently served as the Principal of Uniting College for Leadership and Theology in South Australia. He brings a strong interest in missiology and in new and emerging forms of Christian practice, both within the church and within modern culture to his new role at Knox, says Rev Dr Colin Marshall, Council of Assembly Convener.
“Steve will be an experienced addition to the Knox team. His passion for contemporary mission and leadership will ensure that the Knox Centre is equipping church leaders for today’s world,” he says.
Steve says he is “deeply moved by the call of the Church to be Principal”.
“I have a passion to grow leaders in mission. I have loved my time as Director of Missiology, then Principal of Uniting College in South Australia, innovating together toward a new mission future. But as a family we’ve all missed New Zealand and we hear in this call God’s church singing the chorus from that wonderful Dave Dobbyn song, ‘Welcome home’.”
Steve completed a Masters degree exploring images of Christ in contemporary culture, and a PhD in contextual mission and new forms of church. He is also the author of The Out of Bounds Church? Learning to Create a Community of Faith in a Culture of Change, over 20 peer-reviewed book chapters or journal articles and 100 other published articles. His areas of research include gospel and culture, ecclesiology and sacraments.
A New Zealander, Steve completed his ministry training at Carey Baptist College, and has lectured at both Carey and Laidlaw colleges during his 15 years in parish ministry. He and wife Lynne have two daughters.
Steve succeeds the Very Rev Dr Graham Redding, who resigned as Principal in 2014 to take up the Master of Knox College role.
Check out Steve's blog at http://www.emergentkiwi.org.nz