Daz Farrell
Executive Ministry Director
Daz Farrell - Executive Ministry Director
Growing up as a 'preachers kid', at 27 Daz was brought from dark to light through an encounter with Jesus in Egypt. Daz has worked in multiple environments from leadership in investment banking, on-camera acting, and serving alongside Sydney's most vulnerable as a welfare worker. In the last decade Daz has served as an itinerant preacher and leader in local church and para church ministries, creating a start-up cafe as a 'third space' in 2014. In February 2021, Daz was appointed Executive Ministry Director and provides the spiritual and cultural leadership of Churches of Christ in NSW and ACT.
Victor Tee
Conference Executive President
Victor Tee - Conference Executive President
Victor is the senior pastor at Kingsford Church of
Christ. He has previously worked as a finance and
banking professional for more than a decade for
Canon Finance Australia, CommBank and HSBC. He
has also held numerous ministry roles including senior
pastor (volunteer) at Harvest Indonesian Church for 15
years and lecturer at the Indonesian Mission Institute.
Victor holds an M.A. in Christian Leadership from
ACOM, a B.Sc from Sydney University, and has
completed a Cert IV in Christian Leadership Coaching.
He is the current Conference President, has been a
member of Conference Executive since 2009 and was a Mission & Ministry board member.
“My desire is to serve the current generation and
prepare the next generation in this movement.”
Tom Altobelli
Board Member
Tom Altobelli - Board Member
Tom lives in Sydney with his wife of 39 years. He is father to two adult, married sons. Tom came to know the Lord personally at the 1979 Billy Graham Crusade. God powerfully used the message that night (If it were a crime to be a Christian, would there be evidence to convict?) to draw him by grace to Himself. His life was forever changed.
Tom has a passion for the Church and for pastoral care and chaplaincy and am training for post-retirement ministry in this field. Professionally he has been blessed with an amazingly diverse career within the Law for 41 years. Family law is his passion and calling. For the last 16 years, by the grace of God, he has served as a Judge, currently on the Family Court of Australia.
Jenni Gainer
Board Member
Jenni Gainer - Board Member
Jenni treasures her rich Christian heritage and is a long-standing member at Epping Church of Christ. She has served on our DCE Committee and Women’s Ministry Team helping to organise ANEW day conferences and pastors’ wives retreats. Jenni has taught mathematics in both public and private schools. As a mature-age student, she attained an
M.A. in Pastoral Care at ACOM and was employed by NSW Health for 10 years at RPA Hospital, pioneering the ICU Pastoral Care Worker role. Jenni holds a Ministry Endorsement and in her retirement actively volunteers as a chaplain in the Disaster Recovery Chaplaincy Network. She has trained as a Spiritual Mentor and is enjoying mentoring seven younger women. Jenni values family and is married to Les with three daughters and nine young grandchildren.
“I love that our movement is firmly founded in the life and love of Christ with its mission aligning with God’s heart to see lives transformed and faith enriched. It is my prayer that in our complex and ever-changing world our churches would remain relevant, at the growing edge, bearing kingdom fruit in ministry and mission.”
Colette Harrison
Board Member
Colette Harrison - Board Member
In January 2020, Colette and her husband, Greg, joined
the Bowral Church of Christ community, where Colette
serves as pastor.
Before that, she served in several leadership roles at
York St Church of Christ in Ballarat, Victoria, completing
her time there as associate pastor. She was ordained in
2018.
Colette’s background is in teaching, primarily working
alongside refugee families in inner-city Melbourne.
She has also spent much of her adult life serving in
voluntary roles in the community and churches.
“I see this role as an opportunity to listen, learn,
connect, and contribute to the wider movement,
as together we seek God’s wisdom and guidance in
continuing to live out the ongoing mission of God’s
church. I’m excited to see where God will lead us
as we faithfully follow Jesus in our uncertain and
changing context.”
Mike McGarrity
Board Member
Mike McGarrity - Board Member
Mike has been a passionate follower of Jesus since
coming to faith in Christ in 1989. He has been married
for 30 years with two daughters who are passionate
about their faith. He has been in church leadership for
over 25 years.
Mike has a collaborative approach to leadership, which
included working as a team pastor in a large church,
being part of church-planting teams, and leading a
team to plant a church in Engadine in 2000. In 2015, he
was part of the leadership of a successful merger with
Engadine Church of Christ, rebirthing the church as
Connect Church, and continues to lead the church
today. Mike has a Masters in Missional Leadership
(SCD), B.A Hons in Creative Arts (Reading University).
B.Min (Tabor) and a qualified facilitator for Dynamic
Church Planting International and Evangelism Shift. He
joined the Conference Executive board last year.
“I believe I can continue to contribute positively.
I’d love to see Fresh Hope churches reaching out
and connecting people to Jesus, fostering a culture
that leads to disciples who make disciples.”
Ian Phillips
Board Member
Ian Phillips - Board Member
Ian is attached to Tweed Heads Church of Christ, and
ministers in Lismore, Northern NSW. In 1988, he and his
wife, Marie, began to pastor Lismore Church of Christ
and served there for nine years. Born in Bangalow,
Northern NSW, Ian is proud to live on Bundjalung
country and honours his Indigenous friends and their
families.
He is a chaplain with a volunteer organisation that
serves Lismore’s community at ‘The Winsome’ (soup
kitchen), providing a great lunch 365 days of the year,
along with affordable accommodation. He currently
serves as chair of a community refugee resettlement
association. Ian has also served for several years as
company secretary for a church and school and has
developed a technology business.
“I am inspired by the followers of Jesus in the first
century and the amazing movements that have
flourished over millennia as disciples have lived out
the good news in their own generation. I love our
attachment to not only the first-century source but
to the living source of Jesus himself.”
Stephen Toomey
Board Member
Stephen Toomey - Board Member
Stephen is a founding partner of Toomey Pegg Lawyers. He commenced practice in 1974 and has over 45 years of legal experience specialising in all aspects of commercial law. He has expertise in the drafting, administration, negotiation and implementation of contracts, structuring commercial transactions, and establishing and conducting commercial enterprises and not-for-profits.
He has extensively advised and regularly advises large Christian organisations and other not-for-profits regarding governance, constitutional, and operational matters. Stephen has been a long-term member of Conference Executive and a legal advisor to Churches of Christ NSW, both professionally and pro bono, for over 40 years. He is also a member of the Commercial Law Association.
Vieralisa Tan
Board Member
Vieralisa Tan - Board Member
Vieralisa Tan was born in Indonesia and migrated to Australia in 1999. She has served alongside her husband for 22 years in ministry, currently at Hope & Harvest church in Auburn where her husband is pastor. Vieralisa has been involved in various areas of ministry and church life including the leadership team, discipleship, teaching ministry, preaching, counselling, mentoring, and administrative duties.
Vieralisa has worked at Wesley Mission since 2011. Her current role is as a Workers’ Compensation & Injury Management Specialist. She has a Bachelor of Science, a Diploma of Financial Services, an Advanced Diploma of Theology, and certificates in Human Resources and Organisational Psychology (candidate). Vieralisa has two adult children.
“I’m motivated to glorify God through the gifts, abilities, experiences and unique propositions given to me – a professional in the Workers’ Compensation area and a pastor’s wife serving in the leadership team for 22 years. I believe this role will enable me to serve the wider community of churches at a local and state level.”
