MT&D Director announced

Anglican Diocese of Sydney

Announcement from Archbishop Kanishka Raffel

Ministry mentor takes on training role 

 

Archbishop Kanishka Raffel has announced that the Rev Mat Yeo will be the new Director of Ministry Training and Development, starting in 2026.

“I’m delighted that Mat has accepted my invitation,” Archbishop Raffel said. “Mat has been involved with recently ordained clergy as a Ministry Mentor and has a passion for seeing people recruited, equipped and supported in local church ministry in our Sydney Anglican fellowship.

“He has been a fruitful and much-loved pastor at Hurstville Grove for over twenty-two years and will bring to this role a wealth of experience in training and equipping people for ministry.”

In 2024, Synod gave in-principle approval to the creation of a new ministry ‘engine’ to be known as Evangelism and Ministry Partnerships, which is planned to incorporate the existing Ministry Training and Development.

“I am looking forward to Mat contributing to the development of new pathways and resourcing to see more people engaged in evangelism, church planting and local church ministry across the growing suburbs and diverse sub-cultures of Sydney and the Illawarra,” the Archbishop said.

“It has been the most enormous privilege serving God’s people in parish life in the 31 years since I finished College,” Mr Yeo said. “I look forward to helping prepare the next generation of men and women to do the same in our churches.”

In paying tribute to MT& D Director Gary O’Brien, who retires at the end of the year, the Archbishop said “I’m deeply thankful to the Lord for the work that has been done by Gary O’Brien over the last 11 years. His deep love of Christ’s church, and the Lord’s servants has informed his approach to recruitment, selection, training and support of local church ministers. We have been wonderfully well-served by Gary and I wish him and Carol the Lord’s blessing and continued guidance in the next chapter of their service of him and his gospel.”

Archbishop Kanishka Raffel

26 May, 2025