Staff
Rev David Esdale
Lead Pastor
Dave is married to Carol and they have 4 children: Maggie, Kai, Gil & Poppy.
Dave loves Jesus, his family, Wilberforce and the Panthers.
Dave claims his perfect day would involve cruising along a twisty road on his bike with Carol and his mates, or chilling out with some good tunes (depending on the mood – classic rock or modern folk).
Alex Browne
Assistant Pastor
Alex joined the team at the start of 2023 after finishing his studies at Bible college. Alex is married to Lavinia and they have a son called Nicholas.
Alex loves nature, a good book and the Lord of the Rings movies. He also can’t say no to a cup of tea!
Part of Alex’s responsibilities are overseeing the youth and children’s ministries. He loves seeing the young and the not so young come to know Jesus and grow in their love and knowledge of him.
Alicia Bates (currently on Maternity Leave)
Office Administrator
Alicia is married to Greg and has three school aged children. She has been at St John’s for over 20 years and has been involved in many different ministries during that time.
Alicia has a love of history, especially local and family history. She also loves going on adventures with her family, reading and jigsaw puzzles.
Having always worked in administration, Alicia is now studying a degree in history to further her passion.
Alicia enjoys supporting the work of the gospel through administration. Through her abilities in the office, she can free up the ministry team to further the gospel throughout the community.
Alicia’s favourite bible verse is one that offers comfort and hope for the future: “He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away.” Revelation 21:4
Alicia commenced in September 2020 but is currently on Maternity Leave for 12 months (from 1 July 2023 to 30 June 2024).
Parish Officers
Wardens – St John’s Wilberforce
- Ralph Bennett
- Kevin King
- Graham Thomas
Wardens – St Mark’s Freemans Reach
- Vacant
- Harry Terry
- Richard Lloyd
Parish Councillors
- Jen Daly
- Alison Broker
- Brian McCaull
- Lisa Connally
Parish Nominators
- Cassie King
- Brian McCaull
- Sandra Casson
- Ken Fairfax
- Alison Shiner
Synod Representatives
- Matt Daly
- Matthew McCaull
Missionaries
God calls all Christians to take the saving message of Jesus Christ to all nations. For this reason, we support and are in partnership with the following missionaries:
Malcolm & Leanne
Pete & Kathryn
Safe Ministry
Zero Tolerance for Abuse
We and the Sydney Diocese of the Anglican Church have a zero tolerance policy for misconduct and abuse.
We’re committed to the physical, emotional and spiritual welfare and safety of all people.
Safe Ministry Representative
Our Safe Ministry Representative is Alicia Bates.
Alicia is a member of our Church and has been appointed by our Senior Minister & Parish Council to oversee compliance with the legal child protection and diocesan Safe Ministry requirements.
Report Abuse
To report abuse to the Anglican Church in Sydney please call the Abuse Report Line on 1800 774 945.
Alternatively you may send an email to abusereport@safeministry.org.au or submit a form via the Safe Ministry website.
The Sydney Diocese of the Anglican Church has rules and protocols that our staff and volunteers must follow and adhere to in order to be able to participate in ministry.
Working With Children Check
Everyone over 18 years of age involved in ministry to young and vulnerable people must have a verified Working With Children Check. It involves a National Police Check (criminal history record check) and a review of reportable workplace misconduct.
The result of a Working With Children Check is either a clearance to work with children for five years, or a bar against working with children. Cleared applicants are subject to ongoing monitoring and relevant new records may lead to a clearance being revoked.
Safe Ministry Training
The Sydney Diocese of the Anglican Church is an endorsed training partner under the Safe Church Training Agreement which is a nationally agreed standard for Safe Ministry training. The diocesan Professional Standards Unit is responsible for the administration of this training.
Everyone involved in ministry to young and vulnerable people (both paid staff and those volunteering) is required to complete the Safe Ministry Essentials course, and then every three years do the Safe Ministry Refresher course. There is also a training course for Junior Leaders (designed for 14-17 year olds).