Diocesan Leadership Team
As well as the Bishop, up to six other clergy serve on the Diocese’s leadership team.
Geoff Hearne
Before commencing training for the ministry at Moore Theological College in 1989, Geoff worked as an optometrist having graduated from the University of New South Wales in 1984. After serving as a curate at West Tamworth between 1993 and 1995, Geoff became Vicar of Lightning Ridge in 1996 and ministered there until appointed Vicar of Quirindi in 2000. He was appointed Archdeacon of the Namoi in 2008 and relinquished that role in early 2017 to become the Bishop’s Assistant and Archdeacon of the New England. In 2021 he returned to parish ministry as Vicar of Moree and took on the role of Vicar General.
Geoff and his wife, Catherine, have four children. When not involved in ministry, Geoff likes to spend time with his wife and family, read books and relax watching movies.
David Robinson
David grew up in Western Sydney, the son of Christian parents and the eldest of four children.
When David’s wife, Jenna, took on a teaching role in the Goldfields region of Western Australia, the family not only discovered a love of rural living but also the great opportunities for Christian Ministry that exist in country towns. Hoping to be part of what God is doing beyond the cities, David began training at Moore College in 2010 and has since served as a curate in Moree (2014-15), and as the Vicar of Glen Innes since 2016.
David is married to Jenna and they have four children. In his spare time, he enjoys running, reading, and cheering for the mighty Penrith Panthers.
Tory Cayzer
Tory grew up in western Sydney in a Christian family. He completed a Bachelor of Science at the University of Sydney (1999), began a PhD (chemistry) at the University of Sydney and completed it at the Australian National University (2004), and a Bachelor of Divinity at Moore Theological College (2010).
In between, he worked in organic chemistry research, completed the Ministry Training Strategy (MTS) at Crossroads Christian Church, Canberra (2005–2006), and with his wife was Youth Worker at Flo Harris Lodge, Petersham Baptist Church, Sydney (2007–2008).
In 2010, he was ordained in the Diocese of Armidale and served as curate at South Tamworth. He later became Vicar of Walgett and Collarenebri (2013) and Kootingal and Moonbi (2019). He also serves the Diocese as Chairman of Committees, on the Commission for Evangelism and Mission, and was appointed Archdeacon of Peel in 2021.
Tory is married to Jo and they have two children. He also enjoys mountain bike riding, reading and coffee, and volunteering with his local Rural Fire Service.
Simon Waller
Simon left the coast to study at the University of New England where he majored in botany and plant pathology. It was during this time that he “fell in love with the north west, Jesus and then a girl from the region, in that order.” Before entering Moore Theological College in 1990 Simon worked as an industrial chemist and also for two and a half years with the Anglican Youth Department in Sydney (now Youthworks) in its school camping ministry.
Within the Diocese he first served as a Deacon-in-training in the Uralla Parish before moving to Moree as a curate and assistant. He has served as the Vicar of Boggabri (1996-2005) and Warialda (2005-2020), and he is now the Vicar of Gunnedah (2020-). Simon now also serves as the Archdeacon of the Namoi having been appointed to this role in early 2015.
He is married to Jenny and they have four children. He likes to keep sane and relax by attempting to grow anything he can find from seed, cutting up wood and putting it back together and making wooden model ships (that take three years to build). He also has a love of reading, anything from fantasy novels to theology and apologetics.
Ian Millican
Ian grew up in Beecroft, Sydney, and studied Economics at Sydney University. After graduating, he worked as an accountant for Coopers & Lybrand in their offices in Sydney, Darwin and London (the latter with his wife Melinda).
Ian grew up going to the local Anglican Church at West Pennant Hills, where he completed a number of Sunday School Trowel exams, and got confirmed. Soon after that he stopped going to church, and spent 12 years in the ‘spiritual wilderness’. However God was still at work, and in 1986 brought to Ian the gospel of forgiveness through Jesus’ death on the cross (thank you CS Lewis – and ‘Mere Christianity’).
After some years in the accounting world, God opened the door for him to study at Moore College, where he graduated with a Bachelor of Divinity.
Ian then served as Assistant Minister in Shellharbour Parish. 2½ years later, he was appointed Rector of St Mark’s, Berowra, where he and Melinda and their family (4 children) stayed for some 22 years.
In 2021 Ian accepted the Bishop of Armidale’s offer to be his new Assistant (including being Archdeacon of the New England), and he and Melinda moved to Armidale in late September of that year.
Ian enjoys sport (watching and doing – though the AGE disease makes the latter sometimes more difficult), and supporting the awesome Bunnies! He and Melinda love bushwalks and exploring nature, especially if it is followed by a nice quiet café somewhere, and look forward to doing more of that in this wonderful part of the world.
Bernard Gabbott
Bernard grew up in a number of places, as the son of a ministry and missionary family. He completed his high-schooling in Sydney, an Arts degree at the University of New South Wales (1997), a PhD (Political Science) at the University of New England (2003), and a Bachelor of Theology at Moore Theological College (2007). In that time, he also worked at St Mark’s Chapel (UNE), on shearing teams and properties in the New England, in politics, and, after theological training, back on farms on the Liverpool Plains.
In 2010, he was ordained and took up an Assistant Vicar’s position in Wee Waa. In 2012 he became the Vicar of Wee Waa Anglican Church and served there through to 2019. Bernard is currently the Vicar of Narrabri (2019-). Bernard has also served on the Diocesan Commission for Education and Discipleship and as a member of Diocesan Council.
Bernard is married to Anita and they have four children. In his spare time, he reads books and he definitely enjoys his family and being outside.