Tom began his professional career as a Science/Mathematics teacher in NSW Government High Schools. He undertook theological training at Moore Theological College in Sydney and was ordained in the Diocese of Armidale. Following initial parish experience he became a specialist Christian educator in the Diocese of Sydney. During this period of seven years Tom was responsible for the training of teachers and leaders in the educational ministry of parishes. He then spent four years as Director of Religious Education in the Diocese of Perth before returning to Sydney to become Director of Education, a position he held for 17 years. Prior to retirement Tom was the Director of the Anglican Schools Commission in Western Australia.

He has had a distinguished career as a Christian educator and his contribution to Anglican schooling and to education generally through his work on values in education was recognized in the Queen's Birthday Honours awarded in 2004.

Tom has contributed scholarly articles on Christian Education and Values to a number of Journals and Books.

He has maintained a particular interest in the area of values in education and the implications of Christian knowledge and wisdom for the church's educational ministry. He maintains an active "retirement" and is presently Educational Advisor to the Bishop of Tasmania. He lectures in Christian Education and New Testament at Tabor College Hobart and serves on the Board of St Michael's Collegiate School.

Tom is married to Judith and they have three children (two of whom live in Tasmania) and seven grandchildren.

Qualifications

• Th.L (Hons) Australian College of Theology
• BA University of New England
• Dip RE Melbourne College of Divinity
• MEdAdmin University of New England (Thesis on the Administration of Christian Education in the Diocese of Sydney)
• PhD University of Newcastle (Thesis on the Implications of the Nature of gnosis and Sophia in the Pauline Corpus for Contemporary Theory in Christian Education)
• FACE (In recognition of outstanding contributions to Education)