John is married to his high school sweetheart, Shauna. They have four adult children and five grandchildren.
After 23 years as a Public Servant, John felt the call into ministry and completed his Bachelor of Ministry at Malyon College in 2009. After two years as Youth and Families’ Pastor at Deception Bay Baptist Church, John accepted a call to Coolum Beach Baptist Church in 2012.
He is passionate about loving Jesus and preaching God’s Word in a way that informs the mind, changes the heart and deepens devotion to following Jesus. Caring for his church family and connecting with the community are very important aspects of his ministry life.
John loves to watch sport and in his younger years played soccer, cricket and tennis and is currently playing ‘walking soccer’. He is also a keen supporter of the NQ Cowboys Rugby League team (don’t hold that against him!). John likes to relax by watching movies, TV comedies from the 90’s and scrapbooking.
P A S T O R S
Harrison Gallagher has been married to Jessica since November 2017. They are proud parents to Elijah (born in October 2020) , Ewan (born in November 2022) and Robyn (born in June 2024).
Harrison came to CBBC in December 2012 with his parents when his father was appointed the Senior Pastor. He began attending regularly, and has found his home here.
Harrison is now Associate Pastor and is passionate about all that goes on in the church. As well as preaching regularly, he has a particularly strong passion and involvement in the children, youth and soccer ministries.
E L D E R S
David and Dianne Eden have been members of CBBC for 11 years after completing 15 years of Ministry at Bongeen Church of Christ and 5 years of Ministry with the Church of the Outback. During David and Dianne’s Ministry at Bongeen, David taught graduate degree Theology to many members of the congregation. He also completed 5 years as an Elder of Hume Ridge Church of Christ in Toowoomba prior to becoming an Ordained Minister. He has also, in the past, been a Board member of Churches of Christ Aged Care and the Australian College of Ministries theological college.
Prior to Ministry, David completed 20 years of full-time service as an Air Movements Officer (Airport Manager) in the Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF) at Wagga Wagga, Richmond (Twice) Melbourne, Amberley, Butterworth (Malaysia), Toowoomba and an Operational Deployment to Somalia. During these tenures, Dianne completed 10 years as a Disability Support Worker in NSW & Qld.
After service in the RAAF, David completed post-graduate university courses in Theology and Education, while part-time Primary and Secondary teaching and part-time lecturing at University. Therefore, Bible knowledge & understanding remains an important focal point for him.
David and Dianne are retired and attempt to visit their two sons and four grandchildren whenever possible, with one son living in Oakey but working in western Qld on the gas fields, while the eldest son and family are currently living in Maryland, U.S.A, working for the US Navy.
Greg became a Christian just before his 16th birthday, whilst attending a non-denominational church in Sydney. He then taught Sunday School and ran a Boys Club for local kids for 17 years. Due to undertaking some Moore College courses and attending numerous Biblical conventions, his Christian knowledge grew. He spent 25 years at his original church before moving to a local Baptist church where he stayed for 15 years. He undertook leadership roles in both churches. Greg and Lorei moved to Queensland in 2008. He considers it a privilege to have preached in a number of churches and also to lead Home Study Groups both in Sydney and on the Sunshine Coast.
Greg and Lorei were married in 1975 and have 4 children and now 11 grandchildren.
John and Phyllis have been involved with Coolum Beach Baptist church since 2020 when they retired to the Sunshine Coast. John was the senior pastor at the Broken Hill Church of Christ for 39 years. Recognised as somewhat entrepreneurial, he has been involved in businesses that include a commercial radio station, Hungry Jacks and managing a funeral home for almost twenty years. While he was senior pastor his church purchased and restored a former fire damaged convent, operated a tourist mine, a car carrying company and a school bus run. As a pastor as well as a funeral director he has handled “hatches, matches and despatches.”
Having been widowed in 2013, after 46 years of marriage to Judith, he married Phyllis in 2015, who was also widowed after 42 years of marriage to Ray. Phyllis came to Australia from Northern Ireland when she was 14. So, it was quite a few years ago – but she still has that lovely Irish brogue.
John has been a director and chairman of a number of Christian organisations and enjoys, preaching, teaching and thinking outside the square. He was involved in the largest drop-in-centre in Australia, mobile drop-in-centres in double decker buses and grew Carols by Candlelight in Broken Hill to become a major public event. His passion now is in helping people to handle their grief and he has conducted more than two thousand funeral services as the officiating minister. He loves to make Bible reading in public come alive.
L E A D E R S
Steve was born in Toowoomba and resided there until he joined the Queensland Police Force. He went from being a long haired teenager protesting apartheid with the arrival of the Springboks in the early seventies, to a young Constable struggling to hold the line in the scuffles of the Right to March days. He has served in a number of country and coastal locations including Warwick, Dalby, Landsborough, Nambour, Wandoan and Murgon, and has retired after 15 years as the Officer in Charge of the Noosa Heads Police Station.
God has protected and lead him through a career of 40 years with many highs and some lows. From escorting royalty and Prime Ministers as a motor-cycle policeman to being shot at on several occasions. Steve is now retired to Noosa Heads with Maree his wife of 40 years. They have three children, David, Lauren and Samuel and two grandchildren. He committed his life to Christ in 1974 after an ISCF Study Camp directed by Keith Drinkall and has been a member of the Coolum Beach Baptist Church since 2003.
Kristy has lived in Coolum since 2004, moving up from Sydney with her parents and sisters. She and husband Zach met at the church, and were married there in 2008, and have since had 2 boys, Charlie and Lucas. They have attended Coolum Beach Baptist Church for many years, becoming members in 2019. Kristy and Zach have both been part of the worship team since 2018 and Kristy took on the role of Worship Leader at the beginning of 2021. With a background in dance and performing arts, Kristy has enjoyed bringing her creative experience to the team.
Kaden has lived on the Sunshine Coast since his parents moved here from Maleny in 2009. He would attend church here with his family and since then, has been a valued member, as he volunteered in church ministries and coached in the associated soccer club. He became a member of CBBC when he was baptised in 2019. He is now married to Elizabeth and they live in Twin Waters with their dog Marlie. Kaden’s roll as a Deacon is overseeing and assisting with our technology and lighting.
Christopher Hampton is the Treasurer and has been part of the leadership for 10 years. Chris also serves Queensland Baptist on the Finance Support Group advising on many aspects for Queensland Baptist and entities.
Chris and his wife Judy are actively involved in many areas of the church, and in particular the church’s Crusaders Soccer Club.
Recently retired, he has been led to serve in this way as the Lord has equipped him in financial affairs: having spent more than 46 years in various roles in Banking, Investments and Insurance, and lastly as a stockbroker and superannuation specialist.
Married for 47 years to Judy he enjoys time with family and grandchildren and you might find Chris in lycra cycling the streets of the Sunshine Coast.
Nikki grew up in Gippsland, Victoria and at “20-something” left her job as a secretary, moved to the ‘big smoke’ and completed a 3yr Diploma in Ministry at the Bible College of Victoria. There she met and married her husband Rick who studied a Diploma in Missions. Following the birth of their 2 daughters Lauren and Carolyn, they joined Wycliffe Bible Translators and spent a year in Wewak, PNG as support workers.
After returning from PNG, they decided on a ‘sea-change’ and moved from Melbourne to Coolum and began attending Coolum Beach Baptist Church, becoming members in 2008. Over that time, Nikki and Rick have always played an active part in the church family; Nikki was involved in the Sunday School for many years, served on the leadership team as a Deacon and is currently fulfilling the role of Church Secretary, and is also part of a weekly women’s bible study.
Nikki has worked for many years in the Community Services Sector, first volunteering at the Coolum Community Centre which led her to complete a Diploma in Community Services and then to working in a crisis accommodation centre for many years.
In 2016 Nikki and Rick had a ‘tree-change’ and bought a small farm just out of Ararat, Victoria, close to Rick’s family farm where Nikki worked in Human Resources at the local prison.
Sadly the Lord called Rick home in 2018, and in 2020 Nikki moved back to the Sunshine Coast where she currently works as an Employment Consultant with a Disability Employment Service and is completing a Diploma of Counselling.
In her spare time you’ll find Nikki with her head buried in a good book, pottering in her garden, or playing with her new little granddaughter…not necessarily in that order!!
Sue moved to Coolum Beach from Brisbane in 2016.
Prior to relocating here to be near family, she had worked for several years with Blue Care in the community as a personal care worker and was an active member of a large Presbyterian Church.
Sue became a Christian in her late teens. She has been a high school teacher, attended Bible College, and worked alongside her then husband with a missionary society in Peru for nearly 4 years.
Since joining Coolum Beach Baptist Church, Sue has been a Playgroup leader and currently leads a ladies’ homegroup as well as being Convener of the Missions Committee.
Sue has 3 children – a daughter and son living on the Sunshine Coast and a son and daughter-in-law in Brisbane. She also has a young granddaughter and 2 step granddaughters.