Speakers
Bishop Lindsay Urwin
Bishop to the Anglican Schools
Diocese of Melbourne
Bishop Lindsay Urwin
The Right Reverend Lindsay Urwin OGS is the Vicar at Christ Church in Brunswick, Melbourne, and Bishop with a care for ministry in Anglican schools in the Diocese of Melbourne.Educated at Camberwell Grammar School in Melbourne, Bishop Lindsay has spent much of his ministry in the United Kingdom. He attended Ripon College Cuddesdon before his ordination in 1980 to a curacy at St Peter’s Walworth in the Diocese of Southwark.
Bishop Lindsay moved to St Faith’s in North Dulwich before being appointed Diocesan Missioner in the Diocese of Chichester. He became the Area Bishop of Horsham in 1993 at the age of 37.In 1996, alongside his duties as Area Bishop, he was elected Provost of the Southern Region of the Woodard Corporation of Schools, and two years later, was appointed by the Archbishop of Canterbury as President of the School Chaplains Association.
Bishop Lindsay was professed as a member of the Oratory of the Good Shepherd in 1991 and served as United Kingdom provincial from 1996 to 2005. He is now a brother in the Australian province.
He received an MA degree in pastoral liturgy from Heythrop College of the University of London in 2003 and was granted an honorary Doctorate in Divinity from Nashotah House, Wisconsin, in 2011.
In 2009 Bishop Lindsay resigned as Area Bishop of Horsham to become Administrator of the national Shrine of Our Lady of Walsingham while remaining an honorary Assistant Bishop in Chichester and the dioceses of East Anglia. He remains an honorary Assistant Bishop in the diocese of Norwich. He came back to Australia in September 2015 to be Vicar of Christ Church and Bishop with a care for ministry in Anglican schools. Since 2019 he has been the Superior of the Oratory of the Shepherd.
Bishop Lindsay will be presenting on Friday 13 August. Find out more by visiting the Conference Program.
Major Brendan Nottle
Commanding Officer
The Salvation Army
Major Brendan Nottle
Major Brendan Nottle oversees the operation of The Salvation Army in the City of Melbourne and has been an officer with The Salvation Army for over 26 years.
He is the club Chaplain for the Collingwood Football Club, and has been providing support to the club in a variety of aspects for 16 years. In 2013 Brendan was awarded Melbournian of the Year as well as anointed one of the monarchs of Moomba, Melbourne’s annual community festival.
Brendan is a member of the Premier’s Ice Action Taskforce and the Housing Minister’s Rough Sleeping Round table and in 2017 he walked to Canberra to highlight the issue of homelessness, and to call on Federal politicians to develop a multi-partisan national plan to address Australia’s homelessness crisis.
Most recently he was a nominee for the 2020 Victorian Australian of the Year. He enjoys spending time with his family, reading and walking.
Brendan will be presenting on Thursday 12 August. Find out more by visiting the Conference Program.
Brooke Prentis
Chief Executive Officer
Common Grace
Brooke Prentis
Biography to be confirmed
Brooke will be presenting on Thursday 12 August. Find out more by visiting the Conference Program.
Ann Mellow
Associate Director
National Association of Episcopal Schools, USA
Ann Mellow
Ann Mellow is Associate Director of the National Association of Episcopal Schools (NAES), a voluntary membership association of approximately 400 early childhood, elementary, secondary, and K-12 schools across the provinces of the Episcopal Church in the United States. She writes, leads workshops, and works with Episcopal schools on leadership, governance, and Episcopal identity. She was the lead author for the NAES Principles of Good Practice for Chapel and Worship and the Principles of Good Practice for Justice and Equity, and was lead editor of Reasons for Being: The Culture and Character of Episcopal Schools, 2nd Edition.
Prior to joining NAES in 2008, Ann served for twelve years as Head of School at St. Luke’s School, an Episcopal school in New York City. She holds an A.B. in American Studies from Middlebury College and an Ed. M. from the Harvard Graduate School of Education.
Ann will be presenting with Richard Browning on Thursday 12 and Friday 13 August. Find out more by visiting the Conference Program.
Ann Mellow is Associate Director of the National Association of Episcopal Schools (NAES), a voluntary membership association of approximately 400 early childhood, elementary, secondary, and K-12 schools across the provinces of the Episcopal Church in the United States. She writes, leads workshops, and works with Episcopal schools on leadership, governance, and Episcopal identity. She was the lead author for the NAES Principles of Good Practice for Chapel and Worship and the Principles of Good Practice for Justice and Equity, and was lead editor of Reasons for Being: The Culture and Character of Episcopal Schools, 2nd Edition.
Ann will be presenting with Richard Browning on Thursday 12 and Friday 13 August. Find out more by visiting the Conference Program.
Richard Browning
Director of Mission
Anglican Schools Commission, Southern Queensland
Richard Browning
Richard is Director of Mission, Anglican Schools Commission, Southern Queensland. Ordained in 1996 he has worked in schools as chaplain for over twenty years. Richard has a substantial history of engaging students in service-based learning, as well as exploring the interface between values and learning, stillness and engagement, foundational stories and cultural practices. Much of his current work now revolves around the ASC SQ’s Ethos statement and resourcing schools to enter more deeply into an education formed by our vision of humanity shaped by the image of God.
Richard will be presenting with Ann Mellow on Thursday 12 and Friday 13 August. Find out more by visiting the Conference Program.
Richard is Director of Mission, Anglican Schools Commission, Southern Queensland. Ordained in 1996 he has worked in schools as chaplain for over twenty years. Richard has a substantial history of engaging students in service-based learning, as well as exploring the interface between values and learning, stillness and engagement, foundational stories and cultural practices. Much of his current work now revolves around the ASC SQ’s Ethos statement and resourcing schools to enter more deeply into an education formed by our vision of humanity shaped by the image of God.
Richard will be presenting with Ann Mellow on Thursday 12 and Friday 13 August. Find out more by visiting the Conference Program.
Reverend Scott Holmes
The Diocese of Melbourne's Preventing Violence Against Women Program
Reverend Scott Holmes
Scott works as a member of the Chaplaincy team with the Brotherhood of St Laurence Community Services organisation and has previously been a parish priest in parishes in Melbourne. Since 2011 he has been actively engaged in the Preventing Violence Against Women (PVAW) sector in a variety of ways. He has coordinated projects in faith settings and workplaces, as well as working for 4 years at Our Watch – the national foundation for the prevention of violence against women – as manager of Practice Leadership. Scott was instrumental in the commencement of prevention work in the Anglican Diocese of Melbourne and remains on the Committee of Management for that program. He is also on the Family Violence Working Group for the national Anglican Church. Scott has significant experience in delivering PVAW training in a variety of contexts, such as VicHealth courses, Our Watch Change the Story training, Baby Makes 3 Facilitator training, and training for faith communities, and has also been a facilitator for the Baby Makes 3 program.
As well as his interest in prevention work in faith settings, Scott is also interested in engaging men and boys in prevention work, and has sat on reference groups for the Man Box project with Jesuit Social Services, and for the Our Watch Masculinities in Practice Project.
Scott will be presenting on Thursday 12 August. Find out more by visiting the Conference Program.
Scott works as a member of the Chaplaincy team with the Brotherhood of St Laurence Community Services organisation and has previously been a parish priest in parishes in Melbourne. Since 2011 he has been actively engaged in the Preventing Violence Against Women (PVAW) sector in a variety of ways. He has coordinated projects in faith settings and workplaces, as well as working for 4 years at Our Watch – the national foundation for the prevention of violence against women – as manager of Practice Leadership. Scott was instrumental in the commencement of prevention work in the Anglican Diocese of Melbourne and remains on the Committee of Management for that program. He is also on the Family Violence Working Group for the national Anglican Church. Scott has significant experience in delivering PVAW training in a variety of contexts, such as VicHealth courses, Our Watch Change the Story training, Baby Makes 3 Facilitator training, and training for faith communities, and has also been a facilitator for the Baby Makes 3 program.
As well as his interest in prevention work in faith settings, Scott is also interested in engaging men and boys in prevention work, and has sat on reference groups for the Man Box project with Jesuit Social Services, and for the Our Watch Masculinities in Practice Project.
Scott will be presenting on Thursday 12 August. Find out more by visiting the Conference Program.
Katherine Thompson
Clinical Social Worker/Psychotherapist
Katherine Thompson
Dr Katherine Thompson has worked as an academic and clinician in youth mental health for more than 15 years. Her research focuses have been youth mental health, psychosis and borderline personality disorder. She currently works in Private Practice as a Clinical Social Worker, specialising in mental health treatment in 12-25 year olds, and offering training, assessments, debriefing and counselling for missionary staff from a number of organisations.
Katherine has published two books, Christ Centred Mindfulness: Connection to Self and God, and Christ Centered Mindfulness: Activities for Young People. These books were written to address the lack of information about popular mindfulness and how this fits with Christian faith. The second book was designed as a practical resource book for secondary teachers and youth leaders.
Katherine will be presenting on Friday 13 August . Find out more by visiting the Conference Program.
Dr Katherine Thompson has worked as an academic and clinician in youth mental health for more than 15 years. Her research focuses have been youth mental health, psychosis and borderline personality disorder. She currently works in Private Practice as a Clinical Social Worker, specialising in mental health treatment in 12-25 year olds, and offering training, assessments, debriefing and counselling for missionary staff from a number of organisations.
Katherine has published two books, Christ Centred Mindfulness: Connection to Self and God, and Christ Centered Mindfulness: Activities for Young People. These books were written to address the lack of information about popular mindfulness and how this fits with Christian faith. The second book was designed as a practical resource book for secondary teachers and youth leaders.
Katherine will be presenting on Friday 13 August . Find out more by visiting the Conference Program.
Jamie Isbister
Australia’s Ambassador for the Environment
Jamie Isbister
Mr Jamie Isbister was appointed Australia’s Ambassador for the Environment in November 2019. He is responsible for promoting and protecting Australia’s national interests on global environmental issues, including through leading Australia’s negotiations under the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change. He is also the head of the Economic Growth and Sustainability Division in DFAT.
Prior to this he headed DFAT’s Humanitarian, NGOs and Partnerships Division for five years and was the Australian Government’s Humanitarian Coordinator. He has previously served overseas as Minister Counsellor Development for Africa based in Pretoria, and was Assistant Director General for the Africa and Middle East Branch of AusAID.
Jamie has over 25 years’ experience working in the humanitarian and development field. Before entering Government he worked for a range of international development and human rights organisations including Amnesty International and the Caritas International network.
Jamie recently co-led the pivot of Australia’s development program in response to the current COVID-19 crisis and the development of the new ‘Partnerships for Recovery’ policy. Jamie is also DFAT’s mental health champion.
Jamie will be presenting of Friday 13 August. Find out more by visiting the Conference Program.
Mr Jamie Isbister was appointed Australia’s Ambassador for the Environment in November 2019. He is responsible for promoting and protecting Australia’s national interests on global environmental issues, including through leading Australia’s negotiations under the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change. He is also the head of the Economic Growth and Sustainability Division in DFAT.
Prior to this he headed DFAT’s Humanitarian, NGOs and Partnerships Division for five years and was the Australian Government’s Humanitarian Coordinator. He has previously served overseas as Minister Counsellor Development for Africa based in Pretoria, and was Assistant Director General for the Africa and Middle East Branch of AusAID.
Jamie has over 25 years’ experience working in the humanitarian and development field. Before entering Government he worked for a range of international development and human rights organisations including Amnesty International and the Caritas International network.
Jamie recently co-led the pivot of Australia’s development program in response to the current COVID-19 crisis and the development of the new ‘Partnerships for Recovery’ policy. Jamie is also DFAT’s mental health champion.
Jamie will be presenting of Friday 13 August. Find out more by visiting the Conference Program.