People
The Australian Centre for Christianity and Culture is governed by a Board of Directors (under delegation from the Council of Charles Sturt University) consisting of representatives of the Christian churches.
The ACC&C also has Centre Ambassadors, including its Patron, the Governor-General of Australia.
Staff
Interim Executive Director
Dr Jonathan Cole
Jonathan Cole has a PhD in Christian political theology (Charles Sturt University, 2019), an MA specialising in Middle Eastern politics and Islamic theology (Australian National University, 2007) and a BA Hons in Modern Greek language and history (La Trobe University, 2000).
Prior to embarking on an academic career in 2014, Jonathan spent 13 years working in a number of Australian federal government agencies (2001–2014), including the Department of Immigration and Multicultural Affairs, Medicare Australia, the Defence Signals Directorate and the Office of National Assessments.
His research is primarily in the area of Christian political theology. Recent publications include: Christos Yannaras, On the "Meaning" of Politics, translated and with an introduction by Jonathan Cole, foreword by Rowan Williams (Routledge, 2024); Jonathan Cole, The Reign of God: A Critical Engagement with Oliver O'Donovan's Theology of Political Authority (London: T&T Clark, 2022); Peter Walker and Jonathan Cole, eds. Theology on a Defiant Earth: Seeking Hope in the Anthropocene (Lanham: Lexington, 2022); Jonathan Cole, "The Trinity: Prototype of Real Existence or Danger to Political Wellbeing? Tanner, Volf, and Yannaras in Conversation," Religions 12, no. 998 (2021); and Jonathan Cole, "The Addition of Orthodox Voices to (Western) Political Theology," Studies in Christian Ethics 33, no.4 (2020).
Bishop Philip Huggins
Director of Centre for Ecumenical Studies
Bishop Philip Huggins was appointed Director of the Centre for Ecumenical Studies (CES) in 2019.
Bishop Huggins’ appointment follows the retirement earlier in 2018 of the former Director Rev’d Dr Ray Williamson OAM.
Bishop Huggins coordinates key activities of the CES including an annual roundtable event, an ecumenical course held on average every two years and annual event to mark the Week of Prayer for Christian Unity.
Bishop Huggins recently retired from his position as an assistant bishop in the Anglican Diocese of Melbourne. He brings a wealth of experience and networks to the role. He has held senior positions in a range of diocesan, national and international bodies including social responsibilities, refugee taskforce, Brotherhood of St Laurence, Jewish, Christian Muslim association and Centre for Dialogue La Trobe University.
Dr Lauren Bartley
Corporate Services and Events Officer
Lauren job shares with Sarah Stitt as the Corporate Services and Events Officer at the Centre and was appointed in December 2017.
Miss Sarah Stitt
Corporate Services and Events Officer
This is Sarah’s 7th year job sharing with Lauren Bartley in the position of Corporate Services and Events Officer. She came to the Centre with prior experience in event management and many years working within the arts. Sarah was previously employed in both private and public art institutions. She sings with A Chorus of Women who have been artists-in-residence at the ACC&C for some years, singing up the need for wisdom for the common good with their concerns for peace, social justice and the environment.
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Mr Badri Rimal
Bible Gardener
Introducing our new Bible Garden gardener, Badri Rimal, who joined us in April 2021. Badri describes himself as grass loving, tree-hugging, outdoorsy and ‘committed to the Bible Garden and creating a perfect reflection as scripted in the Bible’. He sees the garden as a way of reading the bible texts in a different way, and the layout assisting in understanding some of the symbols in the texts. Badri has a deep love of the garden and the way people can be refreshed and connect with faith in different ways.