Connect 2025 Main Session Speakers
Our Main stage theme for Connect 2025 is “Good News”: Encountering the Gospel of Jesus Christ and exploring what it means for us, the church and the world.
The Gospel of Jesus Christ is the greatest news we will ever receive—but how well can we truly explain it? Many of us might summarise it in a few key points, yet the Gospel is far richer, deeper, and more powerful than we often realise. That's why we have invited a great lineup of trusted speakers to help unpack and expand our understanding of the good news of the Gospel and what it means for us, the church and the world.
Together, we will worship, learn, and pray—celebrating the life-changing power of the Gospel and sharing stories of how it is transforming our ministries and communities.
Terry Pouono
Terry is a Pacific lecturer in the Theology Programme at the University of Otago. Terry loves teaching theology and having ‘talanoa’ (conversations) with his students. This dialogical approach to learning, he believes, enriches theological education by integrating theory and practice. At Otago, he will be teaching Pacific courses - Moana Pasifika Theology, Pastoral Theology: Pacific Perspectives, and History of Pacific Christianity. Additionally, he supervises Pacific students undertaking thesis writing at the postgraduate level.
Terry was raised in the Congregational Christian Church of Samoa, but his family has been attending the Presbyterian Church in recent years.
Outside of his lecturing responsibilities, Terry enjoys getting involved in community projects. He is a member of the Board of Trustees at Roscommon School and South Auckland Middle School and has volunteered for Cancer Society projects.
Shireen Chua - Third Culture Solutions
Shireen has lived and worked in Aotearoa New Zealand for 35 years. Her journey between Eastern and Western cultures has shaped her deep interest in cultural complexity and its impact on teams, leadership, and organisations. This personal journey led her to complete an MBA from Southern Cross University and a PhD titled "Making Sense of Cultural Diversity’s Complexity: Leadership Agency for Diversity Management."
As a long-time member of Auckland Baptist Tabernacle and OMF New Zealand, Shireen brings a unique lens to intercultural mission and ministry. She speaks and teaches on intercultural church, marketplace mission, leadership, and organisational development. Her work explores how cultural identity and worldview shape relationships, community, and faith.
Professionally, she leads Third Culture Solutions, a consultancy focused on leadership and organisational development. She co-designs learning experiences, facilitates workshops, and coaches leaders and expats. Shireen also teaches in leadership programmes at Laidlaw College, Carey Baptist College, Waikato University, and Massey University.
In her free time, she enjoys dog park visits with Wynston the Wauzer, reading, and playing strategic board games. She’s also a budding gardener—this summer she’s proudly grown tomatoes, courgettes, passionfruit, cucumbers, and over 100 berries.
