Our Team
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Eastern College Australia – Board Member to be AdvisedBoard member
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Dr Stephen BeaumontBoard member
Qualifications:
PhD in Religious Studies, Master of Counselling, Master of Education, Master of Theology, and Doctor of Ministry. He is a registered clinical counsellor with PACFA with over 20 years of clinical counselling experience.
Senior member:
Board member representative for the Christian Heritage College
Biography:
Associate Professor Stephen Beaumont is the Dean of the School of Social Sciences and School of Business. Stephen has been in professional and pastoral counseling roles with various denominations including Hillsong, Churches of Christ (Qld) and the Australian Christian Churches (ACC).
Stephen is passionate for community transformation and is active in several charities and social ventures (e.g., Joii Community). Over the past decade he has developed social enterprises (e.g., co-founded Shed 27), designed and led a range of youth intervention programs (e.g., Sailaway Adventures), served on local and national charity boards and committees.
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Dr Tom EdwardsDeputy Chair
Qualifications:
BSc(Hons), MCounselling, PhD (Behavioural Neurosci.), Grad Cert Higher Ed
Memberships:
Australian Counselling Association (Level 4) and College of Supervisors; ISCAST.
Senior member:
Eastern College Australia which is in community with the Melbourne School of Theology (MST)
Biography:
As an academic in the Psychological Sciences I have served in the capacity of Senior Lecturer and Director of Research (Eastern College Australia). As such, I have been a member of Academic Board as well as serving on the Steering Committee of both MST Press and MST’s Centre for Theology and Psychology. I have also held board-level positions within the community. My leadership style is to promote the giftings of others in the service of a clearly articulated organisational strategy.
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Rev Prof. Philip HughesTreasurer
Qualifications:
BA(Hons), MA, Dip Ed, MEd, BD (Hons in Systematic Theology), D. Theol
Senior member:
Co-opted to the Board as the CRA’s founding Director
Biography:
I was the founding Director of the Christian Research Association. As such, I am an active researcher in the area of the sociology of religion with an extensive publication track record. I also have extensive board-level experience including Chair of the Lausanne Researchers’ International Network (2005 to 2011) and Chair of the Kingswood College School Council (2007 to 2018).
Currently I have a number of honorary research fellowships as well as holding a professorial position at Alphacrucis College.
Finally, I am also the Executive Officer of the CRA’s Human Research Ethics Committee (HREC).
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Dr Brendan PrattSecretary
Qualifications:
BA (Theol), MA (Theol), PhD
Senior member:
Australian Union Conference – Seventh-day Adventist Church
Biography:
Originally a Pastor (i.e. Papatoetoe SDA Church in South Auckland), I then worked in the Greater Sydney Conference of the Seventh-day Adventist Church as church health coordinator. In addition, I also directed the Institute of Church Leadership Development. I am now the Ministerial Association Secretary for the Australian Union Conference, Seventh-day Adventist Church. As such, I understand the workings of ‘Head Office’ and have a brief that extends all across Australia. That brief being to resource leaders and create healthy church cultures.
I addition, I have recently completed my PhD on Advanced Consumer Culture and its Impact on Church Life and Faith Development in Australia.
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Sheridan Institute of Higher Education – Board member to be advisedBoard Member
Senior member:
Sheridan Institute of Higher Education
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Dr Trudy DantisChair
Qualifications:
BSc, MPhil, PhD, MBA
Senior member:
Australian Catholic Bishops’ Conference (National Centre for Pastoral Research)
Biography:
I am the Director of the National Centre for Pastoral Research, an agency of the Australian Catholic Bishops Conference. I specialise in managing complex projects and leading both quantitative and qualitative research.
I hold a doctorate in Pastoral Studies from the University of Divinity, with additional qualifications in Business, Community Resource Management, and Social Work. My PhD focused on the vitality of Australian Catholic parishes.
I was the lead researcher and Adjunct Secretary for the historic Plenary Council of the Catholic Church in Australia. More recently, I served as National Coordinator for the Synod on Synodality (2021–2024), and was appointed a full voting member of the Synod from the Oceania region—one of 52 women to participate in this capacity for the first time in the Church’s history.
I am the author of A Handbook for Building Stronger Parishes (2016) and have co-authored several publications on parish vitality, Catholic demographics, and faith practice in Australia. I also hold honorary appointments at the Australian Catholic University and the University of Divinity.
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Rev Duncan MacleodBoard Member
Senior member:
Uniting Church in Australia, Vic/Tas
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Professor Johannes LuetzBoard Member
Qualifications:
BA, MBA, PhD
Senior member:
Biography:
Prof Luetz is currently Director of Graduate Research and Research Development at Alphacrucis University College and Adjunct Professor in the School of Law and Society at the University of the Sunshine Coast. They have also consulted for World Vision on research projects raising awareness of the growing effects of demographic, environmental and climate change on vulnerable communities in Asia, Africa and Latin America.
Raised in Sierra Leone and Switzerland, Luetz care’s about poverty reduction, holistic education, justice and equity. They have researched and published conceptually and empirically in these areas. I am also the Deputy Editor for the international peer reviewed journal IJCCSM and Editorial Board Member for Discover Sustainability.