The Vaughan Park Resident Scholarship Programme supports theological and creative work that aligns with our Christian ethos. It offers dedicated time and space for focused research, writing, and reflection in a peaceful retreat environment overlooking Long Bay, Auckland.

We welcome applications from ministers, scholars, writers, and artists — both lay and ordained — from Aotearoa New Zealand and around the world.

JANUARY & FEBRUARY - Rev. Dr. Ellen Clark-King (United Kingdom)

Ordained as a priest in the Church of England in 1994, Rev. Dr. Ellen Clark-King is currently Dean of King’s College London. She has served in parish, cathedral, and university ministry across England, Canada, and the United States. Her writing centres on spirituality and feminist theology, alongside several children’s books. During her time at Vaughan Park, she will be working on Liberating Purpose: or How to Be Hopeful in a World of Hurt, a project bringing Christian theology into conversation with the challenges of contemporary life.

MARCH - Gillian Cameron (Aotearoa New Zealand)

Gillian Cameron grew up in Tairāwhiti Gisborne and later moved to Wellington, completing a BA and MA in German at Victoria University, alongside studies in creative writing and religious studies. She and her husband Alan are members of St Michael’s Parish in Kelburn. Her project focuses on completing a poetry collection that explores Jesus’ hidden lordship through the seasons of the church year, engaging world events and inviting reflection on God’s creation, beauty, power, and love.

MAY - Sainimili Nabou (Fiji)

Sainimili Nabou is a PhD candidate whose research centres Indigenous Fijian knowledge within early childhood education. Her project explores culturally grounded approaches to education policy and practice, weaving traditional wisdom with contemporary pedagogy to inform future development.

JUNE - Rev. Alex Czerwonka & Jocelyn Czerwonka (Aotearoa New Zealand)

Born in Whanganui, Alex and Jocelyn Czerwonka trained as Registered Nurses before entering full-time ministry. Alex was ordained as an Anglican priest in 1986 and served in the Wellington and Waiapu Dioceses, while Jocelyn was Diocesan Youth and Families Leader in Waiapu for 16 years. Since 2012, they have been deeply involved in Messy Church and now lead the National Messy Church Team. Their joint project is a co-authored book exploring the theology, history, and uniquely Aotearoa expressions of Messy Church, including hospitality, intergenerational worship, cultural context, and Māori integration.

JULY - Rev. Cari Willis (USA)

Rev. Cari Willis spent 20 years in the corporate world before responding to a call into ministry, leading her into long-term prison ministry with those on death row. She now has close to two decades of experience in this work and maintains pastoral relationships with more than 70 incarcerated individuals across nine states. Her project, A Gift of Silence, A Gift of Tears, reflects on the transformative power of presence, silence, and compassion in pastoral ministry. Cari holds a Master of Divinity from Duke Divinity School and a Doctor of Ministry from Campbell Divinity School and is a trained chaplain and spiritual director.

AUGUST - David Morris (Aotearoa New Zealand)

David Morris is a New Zealand–based Christian singer, songwriter, worship leader, and celebrant. After 15 years living in the UK, he returned to New Zealand in 2001 and has since combined music ministry with pastoral and creative work, including funeral ministry and digital storytelling. He has released 17 albums and is internationally known for collaborations with artists such as Gloria Gaynor and Graham Kendrick. His 2018 album Aurora Wonder was inspired by his wife Liz’s 15-year cancer journey. David’s project at Vaughan Park, Restoring the Heart of Ministry, focuses on rest, reflection, and creative renewal, as he writes new music and digital reflections shaped by lived experience, biblical faith, and a desire to offer hope and encouragement to others facing hardship.

SEPTEMBER - Robyn Wrigley-Carr (Malaysia)

Robyn Wrigley-Carr is Associate Professor in Spirituality and Spiritual Care at Whitley College, University of Divinity, Australia. With more than a decade of experience leading retreats and Quiet Days internationally, her current research draws on archival work undertaken at Haverford College, USA. Her project shapes the unpublished retreat writings of Quaker ecumenist Douglas Steere into two scholarly articles offering practical resources for contemporary retreat leaders.

OCTOBER - Rev. David Jackson (Aotearoa New Zealand)

Rev. David Jackson explores the power of storytelling and imagery in shaping children’s faith and spiritual imagination. Whakapapa to Ngāti Whātua and Te Tiriti, he reflects on the weaving together of Indigenous and Christian narratives. With over a decade of experience as a school chaplain working with children and young people aged 5–18, his project focuses on the theological value of story—particularly Genesis 1–11—as a tool for meditation, meaning-making, and faith formation in a contemporary New Zealand context.

NOVEMBER - Dr. Tony Siew (Malaysia)

Dr. Tony Siew is a pastor serving an Indigenous church in Kota Kinabalu, Sabah, and has worked among the tribal peoples of Borneo for over 20 years. He previously lectured in New Testament at Trinity Theological College, Singapore. His doctoral work on the Book of Revelation was published by T&T Clark, and he has authored several theological texts in Malay. His current research focuses on Christian spirituality as expressed through the Psalms.