Mark Simon
About Mark
Role: Associate Minister
Background: Arts Law (Hons) ANU, MDiv from BCV, MTh from Ridley, PhD (almost finished) from Ridley.
Family: I am married to Louise, and we have two sons, Joshua and Lachlan.
Passionate about: Helping people grow in Christ.
Hobbies: DIY, travel, TV, movies, books, tennis (if I’m going to be more active than walking the dog).
Mark’s Story
I grew up a C&E Christian (Christmas and Easter). When I was 15 I turned away from even that small amount of church, preferring the teenage pursuit of pleasure. By the time I was 17 I’d realised that I couldn’t find satisfaction that way, and began investigating Jesus. I was attracted by the peace, purpose and love that Christians had, and which I lacked. After a few weeks at my local youth group, God’s love broke through my cynicism and doubts, and I gave my life to God to remake me and set me on a new trajectory with Jesus front and centre.
I’ve been privileged to serve Christ as an Anglican minister in Melbourne since 2006, and as a New Testament lecturer in Indonesia from 2009 to 2015. Resettling in Melbourne in 2016 gave me the opportunity to work on a doctorate exploring mission in Ephesians, and to lead a local church through a season of seeking new directions. I’m excited by the opportunities at St Alfred’s in partnership with St Luke’s, to share Christ with our community and cultivate an ever-growing faith among existing members.