Moore College has announced two new faculty members after a series of staff changes in recent months.
The Governing Board of the College has agreed to the Principal’s nomination of Peter Orr and Andrew Leslie, who will join the faculty over the next six months.
The college has seen significant change recently. Apart from the retirement of Dr John Woodhouse, who's contribution to the college spans four decades, Dr Robert Doyle, a lecturer since 1982, recently retired.
Other staff members have left to take up important ministry positions elsewhere, including Dr Brian Rosner, who is now Principal of Ridley Melbourne, Dr Con Campbell who will shortly join the faculty of Trinity Evangelical Divinity School in Chicago, and Dr Michael Jensen who has just accepted the position of Rector of St Mark’s Darling Point in Sydney.
“We have benefitted greatly from the faithful ministry of these men and at that level are very sad to see them go”, says the incoming Principal Dr Mark Thompson. “Nevertheless, we are excited at the new avenues of service God has opened up for each of them and expect our fellowship with them to continue long into the future.”
Dr Peter Orr, who's 41, will lecture in New Testament. He currently lectures in that subject at Melbourne School of Theology. Originally from Northern Ireland, Dr Orr attended St Helen’s Bishopsgate in London and completed the Cornhill Training Course in London in 2003. He has a first class honours BD from Moore College in 2007 and received a PhD from the University of Durham for a thesis entitled Christ Absent and Present: A Study in Pauline Christology. A college statement says Dr Orr "brings to the College expertise and experience in the teaching of New Testament, a broad and deep knowledge more widely in the field of theology, and considerable skill in preaching". He and his wife Emma have four young boys.
36 year old Rev Andrew Leslie has submitted his PhD thesis entitled "The Glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ: Divine authority, scripture and the life of faith in the thought of John Owen (1616–1683"). A graduate of Moore College with a first class honours BD (2005), Mr Leslie was ordained deacon in 2006 and served as assistant minister at St Thomas’ North Sydney (2006–8) and St Anne’s Strathfield (2009). Mr Leslie and his wife Felicity have two infant children. The college says Mr Leslie has "acknowledged gifts in preaching, a measure of pastoral experience and expertise in historical and systematic theology with an explicit anchor in the Reformation".
“I am delighted that Peter and Andrew will be joining the faculty" Dr Thompson said. "They are both very gifted men, combining strong academic ability with a passion for gospel ministry. We very much look forward to their fellowship and their contribution to the College’s life”,
