We are the Education Department in the South Pacific Division of the Seventh-day Adventist church, one of 13 divisions operated by the church’s General Conference. Barry Hill is our Director of Education, and Ken Weslake is our Associate Director of Education. (View their profiles below).
Within our Education department there are two union conferences; the Australian Union Conference, and the New Zealand Pacific Union Conference; and two union missions, the Papua New Guinea Union Mission, and the Trans-Pacific Union Mission. The four union conferences and missions are themselves divided into local conferences and missions. For more information on the four union conferences and missions and thier education directors, read the following profiles.
- Australian Union Conference
- New Zealand Pacific Union Conference
- Papua New Guinea Union Mission
- Trans-Pacific Union Mission
Australian Union Conference
The Education Director of the Australian Union Conference is Dr. Daryl Murdoch and Peter Cameron is the Associate Director. Other personnel include, Mrs. Nina Atcheson (Secondary Curriculum Officer), and Mrs. Georgina Winzenried (Primary Curriculum Officer). Within the Australian Union Conference there are nine regional conferences. The Education Directors and associates of those conferences are as follows:
Greater Sydney Conference
-
Dr. Peter Kilgour (Executive Director) - Dr. Jean Carter (Associate Executive Director)
- Mr. Ralph Luchow (Executive Director)
- Mrs. Marilyn Hansen (Associate Executive Director)
- Mr. Robert Randall (Director)
- Mr. Carel Neuhoff (Director)
- Dr. Peter Kilgour (Executive Director)
- Mr. Tony Kent (Director)
- Mr. Royce McMurtrie (Associate Director)
- Mr. Peter Cameron(Coordinator)
- Mr. Brian Mercer (Director)
- Mrs. Margaret Fox (Schools Development Officer)
- Mr. Mark Hansen (Director)
To contact your regional education director in the Australian Union Conference, visit the Adventist Schools Australia website by clicking here.
New Zealand Pacific Union Conference
- Mr. Strickland Upu (Director)
- Pr. Giles Teaotea
Papua New Guinea Union Mission
- Mr. Frank Matapoa (Director)
- Mr. Zebedee Aile (Director)
- Mr. Koma Barry (Director)
- Mr. Lemech Sokaripa (Director)
- Mr. Peter Iga (Director)
- Mr. Sevau Taitarae (Director)
- Mr. Brennen Nennek (Director)
- Mr. Gordon Kual (Director)
To contact your regional education director in the Papua New Guinea Union Mission visit their website by clicking here.
- Mr. Savenaca Ramakosoi (Director Primary)
- Mr. Tengon Taabuke (Director)
- Mr. Seiuli Paul Wallwork (Director)
- Mr. Francis Leovania (Director)
- Mr. Cleveland Ngatulu (Associate Director - Western Region)
- Mr. Billy Leta (Associate Director - Eastern Region)
- Mr. Siosaia Vaihola
- Mr. Joses Seth
Meet the Team
Dr Barry Hill
Director of Education
Barry has served the church as an educator since accepting a secondary teaching position in Christchurch, New Zealand, in 1967. He then served as director of secondary teacher training at the church's Suva, Fiji-based tertiary institution, Fulton College, before lecturing at the church's Cooranbong, New South Wales-based tertiary institution, Avondale College. He began working in secondary curriculum development at the church's head office in 1988, and moved to administration in 2001.
Barry has a Bachelor of Arts degree in education from Avondale, a diploma of education from Massey University and a Master of Curriculum Studies and a Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) from the University of New England. His PhD asked questions such as, What does it mean to be academic and relevant in education? and, How relevant is HSC for students in NSW?
In 1995, the Federal Government provided three months' funding for Barry to serve as a research consultant for a project that examined how Christian schools taught key competencies.
Mr Ken Weslake
Associate Director of Education
Ken has served the church as an educator since graduating from Longburn Adventist College, New Zealand, in 1972. Ken has been a school principal and education director most of his working life. He spent four years as a primary school supervisor and pilot in Papua New Guinea before returning to New Zealand where he served as principal and then later as education director for the South and North New Zealand conferences and finally as education director for the New Zealand Pacific Union Conference. 
Ken enjoys the opportunities his current position gives him to impact the Adventist education system in a positive way, to serve and meet the needs of the Pacific region and to strategise creatively in order to meet the many challenges faced by the system.