Brunswick Uniting Church has a Ministry Team of ordained and paid lay leaders,
and many other volunteer leaders who share their gifts on Church Council, committees and other groups.
Ministry Team
Ian Ferguson
Minister of the Word
Children Youth and
Young Adults Committee
Discipleship and Education Committee
Pastoral Care Committee and Teams
Worship Committee
Hello, I am Ian Ferguson. I have been the Minister of the Word at BUC since 2013. This means I help lead worship, and preach, I share in our pastoral ministry of hospitality, care and compassion, and I help us listen for Christ’s call to us and envision God’s mission for us.
My life before ministry was in dance – I worked in various professional dance companies, and bring to my ministry a love of “embodied” worship and artistic creativity. I love delving into the bible, finding a word for today in its ancient strangeness, and exploring creative and engaging ways to express that word.
At BUC I am delighted to be part of a church that is Christ centered, inclusive, open, compassionate, justice oriented, creative, passionate about worship and community engaged.
Ph. 0438 547 842
Peter Blair
Olive Way Co-ordinator
Olive Way Steering Committee
Hello, I am Peter Blair. I have spent the past 15 years involved in local mission in Melbourne’s South-East exploring what discipleship on the margins looks like, and finding it in a group of passionate Jesus followers, living in Melbourne’s South East called Urban Neighbours of Hope (UNOH). I came to love this group for their passionate desire to see the forgotten of our world brought in to loving community, and seeking to challenge the injustices that forces people to the margins.
UNOH profoundly shaped my faith and the way I view the world. It is difficult to not notice the poor and marginalised of the world once your eyes have been opened, and this is what led me to seek out the a place where I could continue to work with those considered the least and lost by the world.
Brunswick Uniting has long provided the space where people who are similarly excluded and marginalised by the community around them are welcomed into loving community. This is what Olive Way is all about, a place that begins with openness and hospitality but provides bridges to so much more. My hope is that all who come to Olive Way will be enriched by their encounter.
Ph. 0431 193 810
Janet Watson Kruse
Children & Families
Co-ordinator (Interim)
Children Youth and
Young Adult Committee
Sunday Morning Program
Greetings! I’m a creator, performer and educator.
As a performer, I work across film, TV, theatre and roleplay. You might have noticed me as a judge on Neighbours recently, or caught a glimpse of me in a film.
As an educator, in addition to being a registered Secondary Teacher I have worked extensively in adult education. (I also have a couple of degrees in Philosophy and Theology.) I am also lucky enough to do experiential roleplay based workshops with professionals on challenging issues in communication.
As a creator, I write scripts and seek to bring creativity to all of my endeavours.
I have volunteered as a teacher with the kids’ program for over 20 years…
It gives me joy to work with children and young families, honouring their stories and helping them experience spaces that are inclusive, safe and fun.
Ph. 0425 71 71 79
Janet Hogan
Youth Support Worker (Interim)
YUCY (Youth of the Uniting Church – YAY!) youth group
YUCYOG
Hello! I’m Janet Hogan. I’m the Youth Leader here at Brunswick Uniting, which means I’m in charge of organising, facilitating and leading YUCY, our Youth Programme every second Friday night at the BUC Youth Hall during school terms, and building relationships with and between the older youth of our church community.
I’m a full time student, moving here from my home in Sydney to study Osteopathy at Victoria University. Prior to this I’ve been a remedial massage therapist for some years, and I absolutely love working with and helping people.
This community is a place of such great faith and mission, actively bringing the Christ into our everyday lives and actions. Providing a space for young people to mingle and mix and be, supported by a faith family while they learn and grow, is such an important priority in our church, and I am proud to be able to facilitate this part of our ministry.
Ph. 0423 338 674
Valentina Satvedi-Leydon
Student House Support Worker (Interim)
Student House Management Committee
Hello, Valentina here!
I work alongside the Student House Committee in facilitating the Student House Program of Brunswick Uniting Church (BUC). My role is to provide student support, fill vacancies as necessary, assist students to manage conflict and manage their participation in the life of BUC.
I am an ordained Anabaptist. My ordination rests with the Mennonite Church, USA, one of the historic peace churches.
When not in my student supporting role, I am facilitating training and resourcing individuals, communities and organisations towards addressing racial and gender-based oppressions. This is approached through an intersectional lens, grounded in an Anabaptist ethic.
In my previous roles I worked with Mennonite Central Committee USA; Center for Anabaptist Leadership in Pasadena, CA; preceded by pastoral ministry with Anabaptist Congregations in the Pacific Southwest of the US.
As a pacifist within the peace church tradition, I acknowledge that I live on the traditional land of the Wurundjeri People of the Kulin Nation.
Ph. 0456 099 448
Shawn Whelan
Council Chair
Communications (liaison)
Music team
Property (liaison)
Sacred Harp Singers
Web Team
Linda Wannan
Treasurer
BUC Arts
Finance Committee
Daniel Broadstock
Church Council Secretary
Congregation Chair
Liturgist
Mulling Group
Music team
Helen Rowe
Culture of Safety
Contact Person
Discipleship & Education
Food Co-op
Out & About Group
Kate Scull
Presbytery Representative
Music Team
Steph Gesling
Presbytery Representative
Pastoral Care
Hospitality Team
James Balsillie
Mulling Group
Music Team
Student House Committee
Gwen Arnold
Justice & Mission Committee
Pastoral Care
Compassion Team
Claire Foley
CYYA (liaison)
We organise and oversee the many ministries, communities and activities at BUC with a central guiding Church Council, made up of our Minister Ian Ferguson and our Elders, and committees that enable and do the necessary work. If you’re interested in learning more about Church Council or any of these committees, contact the person listed here:
- Church Council (Shawn Whelan, 0418 613 898)
- Children, Youth and Young Adults (Anita Brown-Major, 0424 034 096)
- Communications (Saide Cameron, 0407 096 743)
- Discipleship & Education (Daniel Broadstock, 0479 039 640)
- Finance (Linda Wannan, 0405 470 568)
- Justice & Mission (Meredith Budge, 0412 051 574)
- Pastoral Care (Jane Allardice, 0419 385 544)
- Property (Ray Cameron, 0407 883 654)
- Worship (Saide Cameron, 0407 096 743)
