Eastwest Staff

BA(Hons), BSc, RGN, PgDip Leadership

Principal/Lecturer

Subjects: Leadership

Martin, together with his wife and three sons, has been in cross-cultural Christian work for almost two decades, mostly in Central Asia. He brings experience in organizational management and governance, and human resource management. Having previously served for three years on staff at Eastwest College, he returned to the Principal role in 2014 with skills in leadership and a passion for seeing Christians equipped to serve in cross-cultural and challenging contexts. Martin loves music and spending time with people.

MA, BA(Hons), RGN 

Residential Host

Joyce comes from the Outer Hebrides of Scotland and trained as a registered general nurse in Glasgow after leaving school. Along with Martin she has lived with their three sons in Central Asia. Sharing leadership with Martin, she has a special interest in the care of mission personnel and has worked and studied in this area in recent years. She enjoys the outdoors, particularly mountains, hiking and cycling. She also enjoys reading and entertaining guests.

BSc(Hons), BD(Hons), DipILS

Librarian/Financial Administrator (Interim)

A former electronics engineer with the British Railways, Mark heard the call to mission service and went to study at Northumbria Bible College in 1983 where he met Joyce. In 1987 they completed their training for cross-cultural service, and after studying French in Paris, they went to DR Congo and taught for six and a half years at a French language Bible institute. In December 1996, Mark & Joyce were forced to leave Congo because of the civil war and so transferred to Eastwest College. Mark loves reading, especially anything to do with British history.

BA(Hons), CertMiss, CertELT, DipCouns

Faculty Administrator/Counsellor

Doreen is from Malaysia and came to New Zealand with her late husband, Gerald and two boys in 2002. The following year, she began work at the college office and now manages the faculty wide administration. She has work experience in human resource management and office administration in multinational and educational settings. Doreen likes personal development and is keen to support people to make changes for themselves and to walk alongside this part of their journey with them. She enjoys walking and a good cup of coffee. She also has a creative side, designing and making beaded jewellery.

MDiv, ThM

International Student Support

ByungRyeol and his wife, Hyelim, with their two lovely sons, Judam and Jubin arrived at Eastwest College in October 2014. He was trained and ordained as a pastor and then served local churches in Korea for about 10 years. He has a passion for worshipping God and leading worship, serving as a worship leader in churches and various events. He also has a zeal for searching God’s will through the Bible and loves the Old Testament.

DipICS

Office Administrator

Hyelim helps out in the office at the reception desk. She has served in a church for Filipino migrant workers and multi-cultural families for ten years in Korea. With her husband, Byung Ryeol, she joined WEC International in 2009 and served in the WEC Korea sending base on the publication team and candidate department for about three years. She likes traveling, the sea, cooking, entertaining guests and reading.

MEd, DipTEFL, DipICS, DipTheol, CertAdultTchg

Lecturer/Vocational Advisor

Subjects: Theology

Tiina comes from Finland where she trained to be a primary school teacher. She served as a missionary kids’ teacher in Turkey before coming to study at Eastwest. In New Zealand, she met her future husband, Peter, and together they served in the Northern Territory, Australia, and in Ghana. In 2022, they joined the Eastwest staff together with their two daughters. Tiina is passionate about people finding their role in God’s big plan, and students receiving training that prepares them well for long-term missions. She likes to read, study, learn and go for walks.

NatDipBusComp, CPL, DipICS

Ministry Co-ordinator/Internships

Peter was blessed as a child to have the experience of being in Tanzania with his parents who were missionaries. After completing his diploma in business computing, Peter joined an IT support company, and simultaneously worked hard at gaining his commercial pilots licence (CPL) in preparation to serve as a missions pilot. In 2006, Peter joined the Eastwest community as a student. After completing his studies, Peter and his wife, Tiina, moved to Arnhem Land to serve the Aboriginal people. In 2017, the family, which now included two girls, moved to Ghana. In 2022, the journey continued back to where it started at Eastwest. Peter loves the outdoor life.

BHortSc(Hons), BTh (Hons), CertAdultTchg

Lecturer/Academic Advisor

Subjects: Interpersonal Relationships, Spiritual Formation, Global Theology

Jenny trained in horticultural science at Massey University, then worked in research and as a junior lecturer before going to BCNZ (now Laidlaw College) to prepare for overseas service. She and her husband Bruce, with their four children, worked in a Tibetan area of China for 11 years with Jian Hua Foundation, returning to NZ in late 2006. She still loves gardens and flowers, China and books.

BA(Hons)

Pastoral Care Dean/Lecturer

Subjects: Intercultural Pastoral Care

Jenn is from Manitoba, Canada. Together with her late husband, Todd, and their three children, she has spent the past 17 years serving in Central Asia. Along with her role as a mother, Jenn spent a lot of time connecting with local women and sharing her faith and life with them. Jenn has a strong desire to be in relationships with women from many cultures, and she also has a passion for mentoring others. She enjoys music, running, and showing hospitality.

Dip ICS, Dip Amenity Horticulture

Assistant Site Manager/Landscaper/Health & Safety Officer

Mike ran his own landscaping business for five years then managed teams and projects in the parks and reserves industry for 15 years before coming to Eastwest College. After spending time back in Auckland during which he and his wife, Linda, trained in Level 1 ‘Restoring the Foundations’, God led them to work with Betel Ministries in the UK, planting churches amongst drug addicts and the homeless for five years. Mike has a passion for the broken and other cultures, to come alongside them and to show them the love of Jesus. Mike enjoys the outdoors, bush walks, the beach and spending time with family and friends.

Kia ora!
Ko Whaiapu Vince Simmonds rāua ko Chrissy Adriana (nee Kraakman) ōku ingoa,
Nō Aotearoa me Tatimana (Holland) māua.
We have experienced 16 years of cross cultural communications in the USA, Philippines and Tajikistan. We returned home in 2003. We’re a whaanau of four tamariki (children) and five mokopuna (grandkids) and are still passionate to keep the “fires” burning of Te Rongo Pai – “The Good News” going in Aotearoa and beyond. So, this year Chrissy and I have been asked to be Kaiwhakamanawa (encouragers, inspirers ,supporters) of the Te Ao Māori journey within Eastwest. It certainly is an honour and privilege to do this.
We love the kaupapa (vision) of Eastwest and of course the people.
Revelation 7:9 says “ Behold, I looked and saw a great multitude that no one could number, from every tongue, tribe and nation shall be gathered on that day” God has ordained all cultures!

BA, DipICS, CertAdultTchg

College Media & Communications/Lecturer

Subjects: Foundations in Language Learning

Sina, along with her husband Aaron and two daughters, joined the Eastwest team in 2020. After completing a degree in Linguistics and French, she worked with international and former refugee students for many years in Palmerston North. She loves connecting with people from different languages and cultures, as well as pursuing all sorts of creative endeavours.

PhD, GradCertTh, MSc, BSc(Hons)

Academic Dean/Lecturer/Deputy Principal

Subjects: Bible Survey

Aaron, along with his wife Sina and their two daughters Alessandra and Evie joined the Eastwest team in 2020. Aaron has a background in ICT & Business tertiary education and has considerable experience working with students from across the globe. Aaron comes from a non-church background having been radically saved at 21 during his third year at University as a result of missionary evangelism. He has studied through Laidlaw and has a deep passion for the Bible, pancakes, and inappropriately hot chillies.​

BA, DipEd, BMin

Lecturer
Subjects: World Religions, Leadership, Missions & Church History

Carl was born in Taranaki and grew up in Porirua. After a couple of years of primary school teaching and a Bible college degree, he and his wife, Sharlene, went to West Africa (via France) from 2002-2009 with SIM Mission. On his return, Carl led the Wainui Beach Vineyard Church in Gisborne for 11 years. Sharlene and he have three children aged 12-18 years. Carl enjoys books, history, sports, languages and cultures. Carl joined the teaching staff at Eastwest in 2023.

DipMin

Residential Host

Sharlene grew up in Taranaki and Wellington. She is Pakeha on her father’s side and Māori on her mother’s side (Muaūpoko). She trained and worked as a court stenographer in the Wellington courts where she came to faith as a young adult. She met Carl through the Youth for Christ organization. After their marriage, she and Carl went to Laidlaw College and then the mission field in West Africa with SIM Mission. She co-led Wainui Beach Vineyard Church in Gisborne with husband, Carl, from 2012 -2022.They have three children aged 12-18 years. Sharlene likes to chat with people, languages, cultures and the occasional boogie.

TradeCert Amenity Hort, DipMiss, MDM

Site Manager/Lecturer
Subjects: Community Development

Grahame, with his wife Katy and three children, have served in missions and community for over 20 years. Grahame has a background in horticulture, building, management, and community development. Using all these skills in missions has been his passion, especially in remote parts of Cambodia. Coming back to New Zealand in 2015, Grahame has worked for Hauraki District Council in the management of parks and reserves. Grahame has a passion to serve God cross-culturally and encouraging others to find a niche in God’s plan for their lives. He enjoys having adventures with his family and loves the great outdoors and all that brings.

CECE, CertMiss, NZDAP

Catering Manager

Katy with her husband Grahame are both from New Zealand, but since meeting in missions in Australia, they have spent most of their married life in ministry. They served in the South Pacific and Cambodia with their three children. Katy has a background in early childhood education and more recently worked as an emergency medical technician (EMT) in New Zealand. She enjoys being in a place where she can help others make a difference and encourage them to reach their God-given potential. Katy loves spending time with her family and making lifelong memories.