Grant Harris is Chair of the Carey Baptist College Board, as well as Lead Pastor at Windsor Park Baptist Church in Auckland.
Change is ahead for both Dr John Tucker, our college Principal, and Carey Baptist College.
John was appointed Principal of Carey on the 10th of November 2017 for an initial four-year term. At the National Hui in 2021, John's term was extended for a further three years (as per the Constitution of the Baptist Union of New Zealand). John's reappointment would be due at the upcoming National Hui in Rangiora (November 2024).
After much thought and prayer, John has decided to not seek reappointment as Principal. Thus, his tenure will conclude in November. This explains why there is no reappointment of John in the upcoming elections at our National Hui.
As a Board, we have much for which to thank John. His leadership and character over the last seven years have been exemplary. His leading the College through the COVID years has provided stability and strength. The faculty we now have is world class. I could go on (and in due course, I will!).
Essentially, John wants to get back to his first love – teaching. Many of us have experienced John’s passion and skill in this area, either in the lecture room, online, behind the pulpit, or in a small-group setting. John has a natural ability to educate and inspire. During his tenure as Principal, he has continued to teach as part of Carey’s faculty, and we as a Board support his desire to move back into this space.
We are therefore happy to share that the Board envisages John being retained as a full member of the teaching faculty at Carey, a role he occupied prior to becoming Principal. We believe this would be an excellent way for John to continue to make a wonderful contribution to the Baptist Churches of New Zealand. Details will be finalised by the time we gather as a family of churches at Rangiora Baptist Church in November.
John writes: I love Carey, and I’m very excited about our future. I think about the outstanding faculty that God has assembled at the College. I think about the new campus that we will be moving into in just over a year. I think about the exciting new programmes that we have been developing. I think about the government’s recent glowing assessment of the College’s performance. I think about the encouraging lift in enrolments that we are witnessing. It feels like the COVID winter is giving way to spring. Green shoots are springing up everywhere!
The Carey Board will now start working closely with the Carey Management Team to explore next steps and will communicate again over the next few months as the process evolves.
In the meantime, please join me as I thank God for John – the work he has done for our college, and all that lies ahead for him and his family.
Image credit: Collage of clips taken from the Encounters with Jesus video sermon series Episode 2: Our true hero.
