Emmaus Tutors

  Darren Birch loves to ‘have a go’ which has led him to serve in a variety of mission and ministry settings, in New Zealand and overseas. Darren and his wife Cheri have an open home that has often included sharing life with those on the margins. Darren started lecturing at Laidlaw College five years ago and especially enjoys the depth of conversation that comes from studying God and his engagement with our home, His creation. As a commerce and theology graduate, Darren has a passion for holistic social entreprises, currently this includes involvement in the All Saints Community Centre development.
Pauline Simonsen loves to teach, and especially enjoys working with groups of adults. She taught at Massey University for several years, and during the last decade at Laidlaw College (formerly Bible College of NZ). She also held a national training role for the Lutheran Church of NZ in that time.

Now she is in the process of becoming a spiritual director, and continues her enthusiastic involvement with Emmaus.

Nigel Dixon is a life coach, husband, father, and bible teacher.
He completed a post-graduate theological study through Regent College in Vancouver.  He loves exploring scripture and culture and the challenge that being Christian poses in a post-Christian world. He has just published a book, “Villages Without Walls”, on this topic.
He now runs a life coaching/supervision and training business called Vox Humana, and is also employed part-time by Emmaus to organise the curriculum and lecture.
He writes a newspaper column on fatherhood.
Nigel has been a committed part of church unity in Palmerston North for twenty years and has taught in a wide range of denominations, networks and nations.
Ken Benn Ken Benn -  was the youngest in a colourful family. Large portions of his early childhood were spent locked up in a hot car parked somewhere in Africa with an empty coke bottle for company. He had to develop a wild and fertile imagination. Ken continued to soak up stories from all corners of the planet having travelled to every continent before coming to rest in 1993 on the best piece of land the universe has to offer. He loves to share these experiences and seldom allows truth to wreck an entertaining story.
When questioned under oath or threat of inflicted pain, he will confess to being a teacher of mathematics and physics; once a door to door salesman in Birmingham selling second hand dentures; happily married to Cheryl; proud father of James and Ceridwen and owner of a nyctophobic cat, Nugster.
Ken has written several books, the most recent being “Lethal Deliveries,” a young adult novel. He is also known as a biblical storyteller and solo theatre performer impersonating Leonardo da Vinci, Darwin and Galileo.

 
 

Rob Yule is a recently retired Presbyterian minister.  Married to Christene, they have five children and 12 grand children.

Rob has had an interesting and varied career.  He studied at Auckland, Otago and Edinburgh Universities, and was Chaplain at Victoria University in the 1970s.  He served in churches in Hornby Christchurch, St Albans Palmerston North and Greyfriars Mt Eden, Auckland.  He played a key role in charismatic renewal in the Presbyterian Church and was Presbyterian Moderator in 2000-2002.

Rob was convener of the Presbyterian Church International Relations Committee, and was involved with Keston College NZ in supporting Jews and Christians in Communist societies.  He is interested in Jewish-Christian relations, and helped found the NZ branch of the International Christian Embassy, and Prayer for Israel (NZ).

He has lectured in the Manawatu Branch of the Bible College of NZ and - in mission trips from St Albans after the fall of communism - at Harvest International Ministries Bible School in the Czech Republic. 
  Dr Susan Maiava is a former lecturer in development studies at Massey University and has worked for NZAID. She has lived and worked in developing countries and is currently on the International Board of the Leprosy Mission.
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