Bivin Mathew teaches the book of James at Pathways College of Bible and Mission.
Teaching and preaching the Bible is a passion for Bivin Mathew—who recently joined the Pathways College faculty team.
Bivin was raised in Bahrain before moving to Dunedin in 2005 to study commerce at Otago University. After working in telecommunications, he began pursuing theological studies and last year completed an MA in Biblical and Theological Studies remotely through Western Seminary in Portland, USA.
Bivin is a recipient of the JH Baldwin Scholarship, which supports people from CCCNZ and Open Brethren heritage churches as they are equipped for a lifetime of service in and through the local church, particularly in teaching, pastoral and preaching ministries.
That desire to be equipped for service has continued to shape Bivin’s ministry through study, local church involvement, and wider opportunities across the CCCNZ network.
Bivin and his family—wife Skye, and children Chloe and Darius—are now based in Auckland and are part of Manurewa Bible Church, where Bivin is on the regular preaching team. He also has opportunities to preach at other local churches, including Franklin Bible Church and Whitiora Bible Church.
After hearing some of Bivin’s sermons online, Pathways Interim Principal Dr Richard Goodwin approached Lloyd Vivian and the elders from Manurewa Bible Church to further the conversation. With their encouragement, Bivin joined the faculty to teach James: Faith in Action.
Richard says he has been delighted to have Bivin join the teaching team.
“He came to the role with the ideal blend of academic chops and practical experience—just how we like it at Pathways, and the students really appreciated his teaching. He smashed it out of the park!”
Bivin says he felt unsure at first, but was encouraged by God’s faithfulness through the experience.
“While I have taught in many settings, the classroom was new to me, so I didn’t really know what to expect, and I hadn’t met the students before, so it was hard to know how to pitch it. The two days of six hours of teaching were intense, but the Lord really came through, and I was really encouraged to receive some positive feedback.”
Zack Howe is in the middle of studying towards a Level 5 qualification with Pathways. The study involves an internship with Halswell Community Church in Christchurch alongside block courses. Zack says he really appreciated Bivin’s teaching.
“As well as being super knowledgeable, I appreciated Bivin’s balance of direct teaching and his encouragement for everyone in the class to participate in some great discussions on the topics. For me personally, Bivin went above and beyond: I had asked a question about justification, and Bivin followed up after the block course with some more helpful resources for me.”
Alongside teaching at his local church and Pathways, Bivin and his wife Skye recently started a small ministry called Out of His Fullness Ministries, using social media to share teaching from God’s Word and equip another generation to follow Jesus well.
Join us in praying for Bivin, Skye, Chloe and Darius as they prayerfully consider where God is leading them and how they can continue to serve the wider church.
More info on the JH Baldwin Scholarship.
More info on Pathways.
