Meet The Uphold Team

Martin became a Christian through the witness of a school Scripture teacher whose character adorned the gospel in every way. He and his wife and four kids live in Newcastle, where he has served in university ministry since 2007. Martin has been an active member in Anglican, Presbyterian and independent churches, and he loves serving the wider church body through an interdenominational platform (AFES) and now also Uphold. He has experienced and witnessed some painful things in ministry teams, and wants to help us all do better at practising the grace and truth we proclaim.

Michael is a commercial lawyer who specialises in competition and consumer law. He has run his own law firm since 2008. He previously worked at the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission for fifteen years in a variety of roles. Relevantly, Michael has also completed the Intermediate Theology Certificate through Moore College and a Masters in Dispute Resolution through the University of New South Wales. Michael attends New Life Christian Church in Blacktown. Prior to attending New Life, Michael attended various Presbyterian churches. He has served as a director/company secretary of Tyndale Christian School and undertaken pro bono legal work for various religious groups including Presbyterian Youth, Generate Ministries and Ministry Training Strategy (MTS). Michael sees his legal ministry as being focused on assisting Christian organisations to comply with relevant secular laws.

Emma became a Christian in a Baptist church in England that was started by American missionaries. Since moving to Australia she has been part of Uniting, Presbyterian, Baptist and Anglican churches, and now serves with the saints at All Saints Anglican Church in Petersham, Sydney. Emma lives in Sydney’s inner west with her black cat, Henri, and is the Managing Editor at Matthias Media. She loves her job, and can’t quite believe that she gets paid to be an annoying pedant.

Natalie is an Anglican minister currently serving in Toongabbie in western Sydney. She is married to Jason and they have two sons. Natalie has experience working in churches and parachurch organisations, both in Australia and overseas, as well as significant experience in governance. Natalie has sadly experienced and witnessed misconduct in a previous workplace. She is therefore committed to advocating for systems that increase accountability and acknowledge the power differentials that exist in many ministry workplaces. Natalie is deeply concerned that those who experience abuse and misconduct in Christian workplaces be supported and upheld before our kind and righteous God.

Deryck has been married to Glenda for over 50 years and is a father of five, grandfather and great grandfather. He became a follower of Jesus in his early teens and has served in vocational Christian ministry in the Sydney Anglican diocese for decades. Deryck spent 20 years as an associate minister of St Matthias. From there he moved to be the Archdeacon of South Sydney, then became a Senior Minister of Rosemeadow/Appin in the South West of Sydney, ministering amongst public housing communities. Deryck is particularly passionate about ministry amongst and with First Nations peoples, and interim pastored the Shoalhaven Aboriginal Community Church. He currently serves as a part-time assistant minister at Fairy Meadow Anglican Church. When it comes to dealing with bullies and mistreatment of ministry workers, Deryck has runs on the board. Deryck was the inaugural chairman of the Professional Standards Committee, and has been helping assistant ministers for decades. He is known as a problem-solver and local church advocate. Deryck has a deep love and respect for the Sydney diocese, and is deeply saddened to hear of misbehaviour by leaders and others that causes pain and distress to the Lord’s sheep.

Andrew Laird is part of the Executive leadership team at City Bible Forum, where he has worked since 2014. He has a passion for discipling Christians in their life and witness in their daily work. Prior to City Bible Forum he worked as a radio journalist, and as an assistant minister at Leichhardt Anglican Church, Sydney. He has been involved with several Anglican churches in Sydney and Melbourne, and now attends an independent evangelical church in Canberra. He is married to Carly and has three school-aged children. He is passionate about caring for those who experience spiritual abuse, as well as seeing structures change to ensure ministry workers are protected.

Kim is wife to David and Mum to a primary school teacher, a professional cricketer, a barista and a teenager still at school!  She lives and works on the outskirts of Sydney’s west, in Penrith.  After becoming a Christian later in life, Kim has attended TOMS Anglican Church at Cranebrook for over 20 years.  She is currently on the church's parish council, is a Synod representative, and helps lead a youth Bible study. Sadly, in the past while employed in a Christian workplace, Kim witnessed misconduct that resulted in one of her colleagues sustaining a severe psychology injury and several others being subject to unacceptable abuse of power.  Learning from this experience, Kim has committed to supporting and advocating for people who find themselves in similar situations.