Until the end of May
Chris Clarke brings over 30 years of leadership experience, including 20 years as a CEO, across public policy, health care, humanitarian development, and philanthropy. Currently, he serves as CEO of the Wilberforce Foundation and chairs two boards: The Emergency Alliance, and Arrow Leadership Global. His past roles include CEO of World Vision New Zealand and Hawke’s Bay District Health Board, with additional experience at the World Health Organisation and NHS. A law and commerce graduate from Canterbury University, Chris has been the Praxis Visiting Scholar at Green Templeton College, Oxford University, since 2009.
Steven Moe is a partner at Parry Field Lawyers with a focus on governance and legal structures for purpose driven groups including Churches and Charities. He has 24 years of experience as a lawyer and is on several boards including Christian Savings. He is also the Chair of Community Finance, which has raised more than $163 million for social housing. He is a member of the Charities Services sector group, the Edmund Hillary Fellowship, the XRB Advisory Panel and is a facilitator on governance for the Institute of Directors and hosts their podcast ‘Board Matters’ on governance. He also is the host of Seeds - a podcast with 395+ long-form conversations on governance, leadership and entrepreneurship. He is coordinating the Christian Lawyers Conference in September in Auckland for about 150 lawyers.
Kirsten Patterson (known as KP) is the Chief Executive of the Institute of Directors and is a Chartered Member of the IoD. She is a qualified lawyer and a Distinguished Fellow of the Human Resources Institute of New Zealand, Chair of the Global Network of Directors Institutes (GNDI), and a member of the New Zealand External Reporting Advisory Panel (XRAP). She serves on the boards of the mental health charity Voices of Hope and the Brian Picot Ethical Leadership Advisory Board (Chair) at Victoria University in Wellington. She is a past Chair, and now Ambassador, for Wellington Women’s Homeless Trust. A strong advocate of diversity, KP is a member of Global Women New Zealand and was one of the founding members of Global Women’s ‘Champions for Change’, a group of senior executives and directors who commit to diversity in the workplace. KP was the founder and is Executive Sponsor for Chapter Zero New Zealand – the New Zealand Chapter of the World Economic Forum’s Climate Governance Initiative - hosted by the IoD NZ to mobilise, connect, educate and equip directors and boards to make climate-smart governance decisions.
Richard is the founder and director of Thriving Churches HQ, an organisation empowering churches and church leaders to make a greater Kingdom difference. He has always had a heart for the growth and wellbeing of churches, their leaders, and their people. An ordained minister, qualified counsellor, and experienced communicator, Richard has been involved in people work for over 25 years. He founded the counselling and wellbeing organisation, Mind Health, and holds a BA, Bachelor of Divinity, Bachelor of Theology (First Class Hons), Masters in Counselling (Distinction) and is a Member of the New Zealand Association of Counsellors. His research has explored key saboteurs undermining church leaders and strategic factors that enhance pastoral effectiveness and wellbeing. Richard has developed three significant transformation courses for the church and leaders and is a regular voice on Radio Rhema. He is passionate about seeing churches fulfil their purpose in God. Richard is an excellent communicator with the knack of being able to communicate complex issues in a way that is practical and easy to understand. He is the author of 'Centred: Knowing who you are in an off-balanced world' and a children's book, 'There’s a Happy Moon in My Side'. Richard is married to Jennifer, and they have three adult children.
Strahan is one of New Zealand’s most experienced and recognised Public Relations leaders. With more than 25 years-experience he has led and delivered internationally awarded communications campaigns as well as orchestrating some the highest profile issues and crisis management responses for a range of clients around the world. Strahan was a Board Director and CEO of the Clemenger Group, New Zealand’s largest and most awarded marketing services company, up until March 2024 and is now an independent board director and consultant. He is currently senior counsel at WALLIS&CO and takes on a limited number of clients. Raised on a farm in Raglan, he lives at Red Beach with his wife Racheal, their three children and Poppy, their wee Maltese-Shitsu. He is a Fellow (nominated by peers) and an Accredited Member of the Public Relations Institute of New Zealand (PRINZ) and a Certified Member of the Institute of Directors (IOD).
Ps Chris Bethwaite lives in Auckland, New Zealand with his wife and four children. He is an ordained minister with The Elim Church of New Zealand and currently serves as their National Administrator. The role sees him responsible for the smooth running of the Elim movement throughout New Zealand. He has been an Elim church member for over 35 years. Throughout his life, he has been involved in various church and youth ministries. Chris believes strongly in using the gifts God has blessed him with to serve the Church. Chris is a keen sports fan, especially rugby, league, tennis and motor sport. He enjoys travelling and discovering new places, movies and spending time out with family and friends.
Dan assumed the role of CEO in 2021, leveraging his extensive experience as in-house counsel and lending manager. His passion for propelling the growth of the church and Christian enterprise informs his every move. With a solid background in commercial law from Tauranga and a stint at the esteemed Z Energy head office in Wellington, Dan brings a wealth of expertise to our team. His commitment to our vision shines through his collaborations with churches and charities dedicated to making a positive impact throughout Aotearoa. Beyond his professional pursuits, Dan remains an active member of Bethlehem Baptist Church, embodying our core values both within and beyond the boardroom.
To learn good governance, it is often helpful to appreciate what ‘bad governance’ looks like in practice. In this session, Chris Clarke will tell some sobering tales of real (and anonymised) governance failures that illuminate why governance is so important, and the consequences of getting it wrong. Presented with a light-hearted touch and appropriate humour, this session will be an illuminating insight into the world of governance.
Kirsten Patterson is the CEO of the Institute of Directors and will lay the foundations for good governance. In contrast to the prior session, we will unpack the purpose of governance, key roles, duties and outcomes. After covering the core pillars of effective governance, Kirsten will engage with your most nagging questions about governance so be prepared with your most difficult questions.
Churches and charities are often governed by what is easy to count, but not always what counts. Healthy growth, whether in a church or a charity, is not just about getting bigger, it’s about getting better. Drawing on over 30 years in ministry and 15 years of clinical and research-based work with church leaders, Richard Black will explore why a shift from quantitative to qualitative outcomes is essential for Kingdom impact and leader wellbeing. This session will consider the age-old issue of how to make the qualitative quantifiable.
It is not uncommon for Christian organisations to find themselves in the media. The reasons are often found in some sort of crisis – whether it is a misstep, tragedy, scandal, or politically charged issue. Navigating a crisis is hard enough, but only more challenging when there is public interest and media attention. Learn from an industry expert on how an organisation can be prepared ahead of time for such events. Strahan Wallis has run major PR agencies around the world and has managed more crises than you can poke a stick at. Learn from the best and be equipped for the future.
Whether you are a church, charity or the local rotary club, a crisis of leadership succession has started to bite. Some church denominations will see a majority of their ministers retire in the next decade and the pipeline of leaders to replace them is found wanting. A core duty of a Board is to ensure there is a succession plan for both leaders and for the future trustees, directors or elders. This interactive workshop will unpack how we can practically govern to ensure the next generation of leaders and governors are raised to carry the baton forward.
Property can be a blessing or a curse. It can either advance your mission, or the endless misery of repairs, maintenance and insurance can suffocate it. Is property ownership worth it? Is it better to rent? Will we inevitably see our church properties being sold for the next luxury apartment complex or the next McDonald’s? In this workshop, we will explore how churches and charities can navigate property effectively for mission.
Governance pundits will tell you that more than 50% of a Board meeting should be focused on the future. To govern strategically, we must have a good grasp of what our future holds and how we might navigate it. At a time when many Christian charities are reporting financial challenges, and the public debate over charities’ tax concessions are sparking worrying headlines, considering our future is more important than ever. In this session, we will hear the most pivotal themes facing the Christian charitable sector and importantly, the practical steps each of us can take to prepare for it.
Keeping up with our key legal obligations can be daunting in an ever-changing regulatory environment. Helpfully for us, our friends at Parry Field Lawyers are experts at distilling down the most important themes, developments and changes pertinent to those serving on Boards of churches and charities.
Experience an engaging and dynamic evening as we delve into the world of governance through a captivating mock board meeting. Explore the intricacies of effective and ineffective governance firsthand, drawing from the day's themes. Whether you're a newcomer to governance or a seasoned professional, this interactive session promises to sharpen your skills and provide invaluable practical insights for building stronger organisations in the Christian sector.
If you think someone you know who works in a Christian ministry or charity would benefit from the conference, please share this link with them.
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