Last Friday, Pathways Bible College celebrated 23 graduates from the New Zealand Diploma in Christian Studies (Levels 5 and 6).
The evening also marked a moment of appreciation for outgoing principal Dr Francine Bennett, who was presented with a custom-carved bone taonga and honoured with a musical tribute. Long-serving lecturers Emma Stokes and Craig Ashby were acknowledged for their years of service, and CCCNZ Board Member Shannon Samuels (Tāmaki Community Church) delivered the graduation address. Assistant Dean for Learning and Teaching, Rosie Devery, led a multilingual rendition of “What a Beautiful Name”—sung in Japanese, Tongan, and Tagalog—reflecting the diversity of this year’s cohort.
Among the graduates was Joy Fountain of Eden Church in Auckland (above, on the left, alongside Dr Bev Norsworthy), recipient of the Level 6 Academic Achievement Award. Joy was part of a small Auckland cohort of church leaders who studied alongside ongoing ministry commitments and were able to apply their learning directly in local church contexts.
A JH Baldwin Scholarship Fund recipient, Joy says the support meant a great deal: “I’m so grateful to be part of a supportive church environment and a wider church movement.”
Her study has changed the way she reads Scripture: “Whenever you do theological study you end up with much more depth and understanding… I’ll read a verse now and get greater depth and breadth, and it sparks all sorts of connections for me.”
Joy has also seen her preaching strengthened and her ministry shaped through what she learned. “The Level 6 study really suits people who’ve been doing leadership without ever naming it as such, or those who are already involved in church life. It’s incredibly valuable… it helps you name leadership in your life—you’re forced to look at what you do as a leader, how you walk and talk alongside others, and how you’re being shaped.”
She deeply appreciated the classroom environment and her lecturers: “We got the cream of the crop when it came to Level 6—Dr Richard Goodwin, Dr Francine Bennett, and Dr Bev Norsworthy in particular… I can still hear Dr Bev’s words in my head: ‘how are you going to embody what you’re learning?’”
