The CAS20 Speakers

Dr Michael Brown is host of the daily, USA nationally-syndicated talk radio show, the Line of Fire, as well as the host of the apologetics TV show, Answering Your Toughest Questions, which airs on the NRB TV network. He became a believer in Jesus in 1971 as a sixteen year-old, heroin-shooting, LSD-using Jewish rock drummer. Since then, he has preached throughout America and around the world, bringing a message of repentance, revival, reformation, and cultural revolution.

He holds a Ph.D. in Near Eastern Languages and Literatures from New York University and has served as a visiting or adjunct professor at Southern Evangelical Seminary, Gordon Conwell Theological Seminary (Charlotte), Trinity Evangelical Divinity School, Fuller Theological Seminary, Denver Theological Seminary, the King’s Seminary, and Regent University School of Divinity, and he has contributed numerous articles to scholarly publications, including the Oxford Dictionary of Jewish Religion and the Theological Dictionary of the Old Testament. [more]

Senator Eric Abetz is a lawyer by trade who worked on farms and driving taxis while at Uni’. A strong and effective advocate for his home state of Tasmania, Eric became the State President of the Tasmanian Liberal Party in 1989 until his appointment to the Senate on the 22nd of February, 1994 to fill a casual Senate vacancy. He has been re-elected for a six year term four times!

Eric’s long Parliamentary career has seen him appointed to many roles such as the Special Minister of State, Minister for Fisheries, Forestry and Conservation and Manager of Government Business in the Senate, Deputy Leader and then Leader of the Opposition in the Senate, and Leader of the Government in the Senate. As backbencher since 2015 he has been an active policy contributor leading the charge on many important issues. [more]

Bindi Cole Chocka was one of the original plaintiffs who prevailed against Andrew Bolt and the Herald Sun in the famous Racial Discrimination Act “Section 18C” court case in 2010. That year Chocka was listed as one of the Top 100 Most Influential People in Melbourne. As an engaging speaker, Bindi makes her audiences laugh and then cry but leaves everyone inspired.

Since then, Bindi miraculously converted to Christ and as a result has spoken out publicly, including with Andrew on the Bolt Report, about how much she regrets that decision. Bindi’s life story is one of ‘beauty for ashes’ in every way. From child neglect, drug abuse & years in prison, to success, influence and national celebrity as an artist, Bindi now speaks against victimhood and identity politics and has much to teach about the power of forgiveness & grace! [more]

Prof Margaret Somerville AO is Samuel Gale Professor of Law Emerita, Professor Emerita in the Faculty of Medicine, and Founding Director Emerita of the Centre for Medicine, Ethics and Law at McGill University, Montreal. Margaret taught there from 1978 to 2016, when she returned to Sydney to become Professor of Bioethics in the School of Medicine at The University of Notre Dame Australia.

An internationally renowned ethicist and known as an academic who’ll readily debate the kind of tough moral questions Christianity speaks directly to, Margaret Somerville has a distinguished academic record and an extensive national and international publishing and speaking record, and is a frequent commentator in all forms of media.

Margaret consults, nationally and internationally, to a wide variety of bodies including governments, NGOs, UN agencies and private corporations. She has received many honours and awards including the Order of Australia and eight honorary doctorates, and is a Fellow of the Royal Society of Canada. In 2003 she was chosen by an international jury as the first recipient of the UNESCO Avicenna Prize for Ethics in Science; in 2013 she was awarded the Queen Elizabeth II Diamond Jubilee Medal for services to higher education; and in 2014 she received the Jean Echlin Award for Ethics in Palliative Care sponsored by the de Veber Institute for Bioethics and Social Research

Dave Hodgson is a former SAS commando in the Rhodesian Army who fought behind enemy lines for four years against two armies in three countries. He progressed to join the highly secretive Selous Scouts fighting undercover and serving as an instructor on trackingand survival with them. He spent another two years as a mercenary after leaving the Special Forces. When forced to leave Zimbabwe and then stateless, Dave became a saturation diver, eventually immigrating to Australia. Here he had an amazing encounter with Jesus at a Reinhart Bonnke crusade.

Dave is the founder and managing director of the Paladin Group of Companies valued in excess of one billion dollars which has interests in mining, telco construction, IT, health and fitness, and investment banking; with businesses in nine countries. A highly sought-after speaker at global summits and churches all over the world, Dave teaches how he learned to do God’s will, God’s way, resulting in meteoric rise from $76,000 credit card debt to a one hundred million dollar business in 31 months.

Bill Muehlenberg has a philosophy degree (Wheaton College, Chicago) and a Master’s degree with highest honours in theology (Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary, Boston). Bill teaches ethics, apologetics and theology at several Melbourne Bible Colleges.

A prophetic & sober voice to Australian culture, Bill Muehlenberg has been featured at one time or another on most television and radio programs. A prolific author of books and articles, Bill’s website explores the major cultural, social and political issues of the day. Bill offers reflective and incisive commentary on a wide range of issues drawing upon the wealth of wisdom found in Christianity, helping to sort through the maze of competing opinions, worldviews, ideologies and value systems.

Dr Alex Deagon is a Senior Lecturer in the Faculty of Law at QUT. His research focuses on jurisprudence, law and theology, and freedom of religion.

Alex has been published in the highly prestigious Harvard Journal of Law and Public Policy, and Law, Culture and the Humanities, the Federal Law Review and has published multiple articles on Section 116 of the Constitution which deal with religious freedom. Alex was also extensively cited in the 2018 Interim Report on the Legal Foundations of Religious Freedom in Australia by the Commonwealth Parliament Human Rights Sub-Committee.

He teaches in Theories of Law, Constitutional Law, and Evidence. Alex has earned a Doctor of Philosophy (Griffith University), Graduate Certificate in Academic Practice (Queensland University of Technology), Bachelor of Laws (First Class Honours) (Griffith University), and a Bachelor of Science (Griffith University). [more]

Prof. Paul Moon is one of New Zealand’s best-selling and respected historians and social commentators. His specialist area is New Zealand history. In 2014 he was shortlisted for the international Ernest Scott Prize in History for his book, Encounters: The Creation of New Zealand, which academics described as ‘powerful’ and ‘truly fascinating’. He also has been a consultant on documentaries about New Zealand history and has appeared on various television news programmes and documentaries, both local and internationally.

Paul completed his PhD at Massey in 2002 on British colonial policy and colonial theory relating to intervention in New Zealand around the time of the signing of the Treaty. He has worked on several Treaty claims and with numerous government agencies on Treaty-related issues. In 2003 he was elected a Fellow of the Royal Historical Society at University College, London, and has since gained fellowships in the Royal Geographical Society and the Royal Society of Arts. [more]

Ps Ian Shelton has been involved in church unity for 40 years in Toowoomba and is the Movement Day leader for the Pacific Region. God laid a message on his heart when he began pastoring in 1974 from 1 Corinthians 3:16 that changed how he viewed the churches in the city and his place in God’s kingdom plans.

One of the biggest ministries of his church in Toowoomba was a Christian school in response to Ian’s burden for the education of the young when he saw the secular and humanist education that was being offered to his own children. Ian now ministers to pastors and Christian leaders all over Australia and the world sharing deep insight into building unity, how to view churches in your city and how God’s glory is the main goal.

James Macpherson is a sought after speaker in Australia and overseas. He is a Vice President of the largest Pentecostal training college in Australia. Prior to that he pastored Calvary Christian Church, expanding it from one location to nine campuses in Australia and South Africa.

Before entering ministry, James worked as a journalist for News Limited writing for Brisbane’s Courier-Mail and Sydney’s Daily Telegraph. He has been interviewed on Sydney’s 2UE with Alan Jones, and his hour-long interview with political commentator Andrew Bolt was screened nationally in prime time on Sky News. He still writes opinion pieces for The Australian newspaper.

Martyn Iles started a successful IT business while just in Year 11, but several years after finishing school decided his future lay elsewhere. He joined a large law firm, went to the University of Qld and got his Bachelor’s degree in law. He was eventually offered a role as Lyle Shelton’s Chief of Staff at the Australian Christian Lobby (ACL). After several years there he pioneered the Human Rights Law Alliance (HRLA), the legal arm of ACL specialising in religious freedom.

Now the Managing Director of ACL, Martyn shot to prominence in the national media spotlight when ACL offered to help Israel Folau by hosting the fundraiser after the footballer was booted from the GoFundMe platform. Under Martyn’s leadership ACL has developed additional energy for coordinating grassroots Christian activism in addition to high level lobbying of the nation’s politicians, and had an undisputed impact on the outcome of the 2019 federal election.

Ps Josh Pellowe is a passionate student and specialist expositor of Biblical Prophecy. His preaching is marked by an ability to make potentially difficult topics accessible and engaging to a diverse audience. With this focus and out of his ministry, Just One Media, he founded and annually hosts the Future Hope Conference and Future Hope Tour of Israel.

Joshua was the campus pastor of Citipointe Pine Rivers for three years until being appointed to the role of senior pastor at CityHope Church. Joshua lectures on Ministry Practice at Citipointe Ministry College as well as Communications. He earned an MBA as well as a Masters of Business in Integrated Marketing Communication from Qld University of Technology.

Fiona Simpson MP was the former Deputy Leader of the Queensland Nationals and Deputy Opposition Leader before helping merge the parties to form the LNP. Following the 2012 state election Fiona was elected to the prestigious position of Speaker, the first female in that role. She currently serves as the Shadow Minister for Employment and Small Business, Training and Skills Development.

Fiona was formerly an award-winning rural journalist. She earned a BA in Japanese language, Journalism & Government, as well as a Masters in Organisational Leadership. Fiona grew up in a Christian family and came to her own belief in Jesus Christ as a young adult while studying in Japan. She has helped support the Parliamentary Christian Fellowship as a non-partisan, interdenominational group which meets in the Name of Jesus. Fiona was first elected to the Queensland Parliament in 1992. [more]

Rev Dr Mark Robinson MP is a former atheist with a science degree majoring in marine biology and zoology from James Cook University. He also qualified for a Masters in International and Asian Studies, and a PhD from the University of Qld’s School of Languages and Comparative Cultural Studies.

Mark’s scientific understanding of issues helped him break free from a dogmatically anti-God worldview. He is an ordained Minister and a currently serving Member of Parliament widely respected for his advocacy of justice issues despite risks to his career. Mark was first elected to the Queensland Parliament in 2009.

Ps Patsy Cameneti has been a teacher and minister of the Word for over 30 years. She began her teaching ministry at Rhema Bible Training Centre in Tulsa, USA, and worked and ministered there for over 15 years. Patsy and her husband Tony have worked in three continents of the world and ministered in many more. Now Australian citizens, they serve as Directors of Rhema Bible Training College Australia and together pastor Rhema Family Church in Logan, Qld.

While Patsy’s ministry focus is to help both ministers and lay people be all that God has called them to be she rarely ministers without touching on the subject of prayer. She is a seasoned pray-er and teaches on the importance of prayer on a personal level, church level and in praying for governments and all in authority. [more]

Ps Alan Vink was a high school teacher before responding to God’s call into ministry. He had Pastoral leadership of three Baptist churches in New Zealand over 23 years. He has also worked in business, bible college teaching, church consultancy and governance including nine years elected as a Community Board Member for the Waikato District Council. More recently Alan served as Executive Director of Willow Creek Association NZ.

Alan talks about the local church as his first love and has dedicated the rest of his life to help the local church reach its full redemptive potential. He is the Executive Director of LeadershipWorx, a ministry focused around encouraging pastors and Christian leaders, mentoring, resourcing and writing. One focus of LeadershipWorx is helping pastors and everyday Christians understand important public issues and have an informed response from a Biblical worldview.

Ps Sam Gunsser leads the Redcliffe location of Citipointe Church alongside his wife Karolina. Sam has many years experience in both government and NGO short term crisis shelters and youth support work.  He moved into a pastoral role at Citipointe Church in 2002. Under his leadership the youth ministry grew to be one of the biggest in our nation. 

Sam believes the church should also have a voice in politics. He personally stood as a candidate in the 2016 local government elections. He is highly respected among local politicians, councilors and community leaders. Since becoming location pastors in 2013, Sam & Karolina have seen the congregation more than triple and now have a number of political leaders attending regularly.

Andrew Dicuwollah has been leading people into the Presence of God through worship for eight years. At just 19 years old he was appointed Director of Worship at Rhema Family Church, and went on to graduate from Rhema Bible Training College Australia. His signature worship songs are brimming full of Old & New Testament Truth and encouraging believers with the reality of our redeemed identity and complete victory in Jesus Christ.

Using his God-given talents with a style and vocals somewhere between Guy Sebastian and Stan Walker and gifts as a songwriter and producer, Andy has recently celebrated the release of his debut EP, Seated. You can preview or purchase Seated on Google Play, Apple Music and Spotify.