SENIOR PASTORS
Terry & Rowena Bradley
Terry & Rowena are our Senior Pastors. They arrived in the late 80’s, becoming the senior leaders in early 2001. Terry carries a master’s degree in Christian Leadership, and in 2017 he completed training as a Level 5 Christian Life Coach, through Dr’s Sam and Brenda Chand’s Dream Releaser Coaching USA. Both Terry and Rowena are the Directors of the New Zealand arm of Dream Releaser Coaching Company, ´Dream Releaser Coaching NZ Limited´ www.dreamreleaser.com/new-zealand In 2023 he was accredited by the International Coaching Federation as an Associate Certified Coach. With the Assemblies of God New Zealand Executive Presbytery he now is into his seventh term, and serves as its General Superintendent.
Both Terry and Rowena have a vibrant family, which includes ten beautiful grandchildren. They both feel strongly about the need to be a meaningful help in the life of the local community. Partly, this being expressed through a well-established, and strong working relationship with the Number Twelve Youth Hub, which includes the governance oversight capacity. This is their web page: Home - Number Twelve. They also are engaged in the running of the church’s Te Kūiti food bank. Terry’s default setting is to champion hope, no matter how terrible things seem to get, he will look for the teaching or the grace to push through, and to always consider the possibility of ‘what if?’ He loves mobilizing for missions be that national or overseas having travelled regularly to Rwanda, India, Nepal, and Fiji. His recreation is golf, watching a movie/crime series, or a good book.
Rowena lives to help others. Be it the Te Kūiti food bank, church building maintenance, or, endlessly helping someone with their garden, or renovating, or taking stuff for them to the local dump. And being a grandparent, her delightfully busy grandchildren certainly keep her on her toes. She has an amazing level of energy, and this is a real source of encouragement to both those in the church, and those in the community. Her faith and language of love, is helping others.
ASSISTANT PASTOR
Elizabeth (Liz) Brandon
Liz is our Assistant Pastor. Liz has been a part of Journey church since the late 90’s with much of that time in a leadership role. She has also completed training as a Level 5 Christian Life Coach through Dream Releaser Coaching NZ, the first cohort to complete with the N Z arm. Coming along side people to support them to grow and grasp their destinies is one of her passions.
Liz provides active and ongoing support where required in many of the varied streams that Journey church is engaged in. Her tasks are varied from preaching and pastoral care, helping the children’s ministry team, to getting stores and supplies as needed. Her can-do attitude is what gives the church an ability to under promise, and over deliver.
Liz has worked in the Health Sector for quite some time now and loves being able to connect with her local community and champion them in any way possible. She enjoys the richness in relationships that comes from calling Te Kūiti home for many years.
She thoroughly enjoys being a Grandma and loves hanging out with her growing brood of grandkids.
The church’s Trust Board comprise Terry Bradley as Chairperson, Liz Brandon as Secretary/Treasurer, and Board members Willie Ioane, Joel Bradley and Josua Ralulu.
Their primary role is to ensure the integrity of the operations executed by Journey church, the contractual work of the Number Twelve Youth Hub, and the Te Kūiti Food Bank. It safeguards the reviewing and implementation of policy and procedures, its finances and the safety and well-being of all church meetings.
It ensures that the church property and its vehicles are well maintained, and compliant with current Government regulations.
The Trust Board team also serve as elders and provides spiritual leadership and ministry support, as needs arise in the life of the local church.
THE TRUST BOARD and ELDERS
From left to right, Josua Ralulu, Willie Ioane, Terry Bradley, Liz Brandon, and Joel Bradley
WORSHIP DIRECTORS
John & Emma Hunt
John & Emma oversee our music/worship team. Their commitment to excellence has brought together a multi-faceted team with a great heart. John and Emma are both teachers at our local high school. They live on their farm, with their beautiful daughter Joni and Johns parents, overlooking Te Kūiti.
ACCOUNTS TEAM
Paul Vesseur, Mere Vono and supported by Jean Hunt
The accounts team is made up of several part time staff whose job it is to ensure that all church and Number Twelve finance are entered in Xero accurately, and are reconciled to both the budget, and to any contracts that we may currently hold.
Their goal is that accounts should be settled as soon as possible, that excellent communication exists with the Trustees through regular financial reports and budget tracking information. They are supported by our external accountants Smith Mitchell.
Paul Vesseur and Jean Hunt both bring a lot of experience to the job, and Mere Vono is growing by the day through the work she does with the Number Twelve Youth Hub, and in supporting our Food Bank.
CHILDREN'S MINISTRY
Joel and Deeanna Bradley
Joel and Deeana Bradley, supported by John Hunt have led the children’s Sunday programme for a couple of years now. They operate with a set theme each term around the life of Jesus, and a life of faith. They have developed fun ways for the children to understand the parables and teachings of Christ, plus explore the well-known bible stories.
Adding to that, they ensure that the safety of our children remains an ongoing priority by practicing 'Safer Churches' which is the Assemblies of God in New Zealand (AGNZ) constitutional requirement. All that to say, they love working with children, keeping them safe, and providing an exciting opportunities for young ones to explore a life of faith.
The men’s ministry is an informal gathering of men who meet each Thursday, 11am, at the back part of the Tiffanies Café in Te Kuiti. It is a place for men to come and share a coffee or tea, and just share life together. Brian Watson has led this now for well over a year now, and He’d love you to join with him and the others that gather there. Brian, and his wife Margo also hold a life group in their home on a fortnightly basis.
MEN'S MINISTRY
Brian Watson
LIFE GROUPS
Josua Ralulu and Mere, Des and Hermie Pettersen, Brian and Margo Watson, supported by Ps Liz Brandon.
Journey church has five informal life groups that generally occur on a fortnightly basis excluding holidays. Overall, they are led by Josua Ralulu and his wife Mere. Further support comes from Ps Liz Brandon, Des and Hermie Petterson, and Brian and Margo Watson. The aim is to have and informal place during the week to grow as disciples and followers of Christ, and to mutually support one another. Reach out to the administration if you are interested in joining. officejourneynz@gmail.com
As part of being a member of the Assemblies of God in New Zealand Movement, we are committed to the safety and well-being of our children and young people who attend church. As such, and in line with our Movements Constitution, we have appointed Zera Vesseur to be our Child protection officer. Zera has many years’ experience as a teacher at a local primary school here in Te Kuiti. She is dedicated to keeping our children safe, and ensuring that Journey church is always a safe space.
Further information regarding Safer churches can be found at https://www.agnz.org/safer-churches
CHILD PROTECTION OFFICER
Zera Vesseur
FOOD BANK
Journey church Food Bank has operated since pre-covid days. It is staffed by Mere Vono, Deeana Bradley, Leone Kretschmer, and led by Rowena Bradley (Absent, Gloria Soundy).
The Te Kuiti Food Bank pioneered a range of innovative practices that allowed it to flourish in its purpose through covid. It had a peak of over 200 food parcels during the pandemic. Since then the Government has greatly reduced funding, and so the team has had to work harder to ensure that the right people in need receive food support. This has led to a wonderful and deepening collaboration with the other Food Bank, Korowai Aroha, plus with our funders and front-line social services.
Te Kuiti Food Bank is here for as long as the need presents itself, and we have the volunteers to staff the distribution point at 4 Sheridan Street Te Kuiti. They report that it has been very humbling to meet, support, and be encouraged by many in our local community.
Presently it is open Monday and Friday, 11am to 1pm. Excluding public holidays.