Rev Steve Francis, BA DipTh
Moderator
The leader of the Uniting Church in Australia, Synod of Western Australia, Rev Steve Francis was installed for a second term as Moderator on Friday, 8 September 2017 for a three-year term. Steve previously served as Moderator from September 2014 to 2017.
Steve’s Moderatorial theme for the triennium is ‘Deep and Wide’ Ephesians 3: 17-18, “I pray that you, being rooted and established in love, may have the power, together with all the saints, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ.”
Steve is an engineer and worked in a chocolate factory and with a mining company. He has studied engineering, theology through Murdoch University and the Melbourne College of Divinity (now known as University of Divinity) and has a double major in Philosophy and History from the University of Western Australia. Steve is married to Rev Kim Francis, a deacon and has two adult children.
Steve was ordained in to ministry in 1980 and served in a range of roles including congregational ministry at Scarborough Parish and Nedlands Uniting Church, as well as Assembly, Synod and Presbytery roles.
He represents the Uniting Church as a member of the World Methodist Council.
“I love the Uniting Church and have energetically served the Uniting Church as an ordained minister for over 35 years. I have boundless hope and zeal for this church. I continue to believe that the best is yet to be,” said Steve.
Steve regularly blogs on the Uniting Church WA blog. To read Steve’s blog posts and his diary of events, click here.
Rev David de Kock, BCom MBA BTh GAICD
General Secretary
Rev David de Kock was appointed as General Secretary, for the Uniting Church Western Australia in March 2016. He has a passion to see the Church as a transforming agent in the life of the community.
David was ordained to ministry in 1993 in the Presbyterian Church of Southern Africa after many years in the business world, primarily as an economist but also as a Chief Executive Officer of a currency trading business.
His first congregation in South Africa was a new church plant. Later, he was called to a congregation in the Natal Midlands which became a significant church centre. He has served as the minister of a rural parish in the Eastern Wheatbelt and in one of our largest congregations at Lighthouse Church in Geraldton.
He and his wife, Margaret, emigrated to Australia in 2009 and were followed shortly thereafter by their three children and their families. David rides a Honda VTX1300 over the weekends with the Christian Motorcycle Association, paints, cross stitches and grows bonsai trees as hobbies.
He has a deep prayer life and posts prayers regularly on Facebook and Twitter. David also regularly blogs for the Uniting Church WA, which you can read here.
Rev Mark Illingworth
Deputy General Secretary
Rev Mark Illingworth was appointed as Deputy General Secretary, for the Uniting Church Western Australia in May 2018.
Mark loves Isaiah 61:4, which challenges all Christians to be involved in rebuilding and restoring every aspect of life.
He has worked as an engineering project manager, consultant and company director. He was ordained to ministry in 2000 and with his wife, Deb started The Billabong Uniting Church in Canning Vale which they led for 15 years.
Mark enjoys setting people up for life and is an accredited leadership coach. For fun, he likes having a go at things that might strategically bring good to the world such as aquaponics and plastics recycling.
Like every pioneer, he keeps doggedly piloting new ideas searching for breakthroughs.
Robert Locke
General Manager (Resources)
Robert Locke heads up the Resources Division of the Uniting Church Western Australia. The Resources Division is responsible for the Property Services Unit, Business and Financial Services Unit and the Investment and Corporate Finance Unit. In addition, the Resources Division services the Property Trust WA.
Robert has a background in banking and financial planning and has worked for the Uniting Church since 2000. He is the Chair of the Assembly’s Commission for National Co-operation and serves on the Policy and Employer Committee of the Beneficiary Fund. He is also a Council Member of Trinity Residential College of the Uniting Church.
