Leadership Team

We welcome Rev. Michael Ridge as the next Priest in Charge of the Parish of Lower Macleay – South West Rocks and Hat Head.

Mike became  a Christian 41 years ago at Billy Graham mission England at Liverpool Football Ground in 1984 at the age of 14. He was a Geography teacher in Preston Lancashire for 14 years and a Licensed Reader in his home church from 1998-2007. He also represented his home village of Ainsdale as a local councilor from 2002-2006. After accepting the call to ordination the family moved to Nottingham where Mike trained for a Masters in theology at St John Nottingham. After Ordination in 2009 Mike served in two Curacies (Assistant Priest) in the Liverpool diocese. He then made  the life changing decision with the family to emigrate to Australia and took up the position of Rector of Dorrigo in 2014, a position he held for 11 years. He is delighted to be joining the fellowship here at LMAC. 

Mike’s passions in ministry include teaching and preaching, ministry to children, youth and families, strategic leadership and helping parishes to reflect on the spirituality of giving. He has two children at University in Newcastle and Sydney, Ben and Sophie, and an elder daughter Emma and two grandsons back in the UK.

We also have three Licensed Lay Ministers, Sue, Joanne and Bev.

Our church is administered by the Parish Council, made up of people elected by the church and people appointed by the rector.

PARISH COUNCIL MEMBERS for 2025 are:

Priest in Charge - Rev. Mike Ridge
Elaine Brown - Churchwarden
Jo Horton - Churchwarden Sue Tyrrell - Rector’s Warden

John Foran - Parish Councillor
Ally Hinchcliffe- Parish Secretary/Councillor
Mark Hincliffe- Parish Councillor Fiona Hutton - Parish Councillor Kathryn Langthorne - Parish Councillor

OUR SYNOD REPRESENTATIVES:
Stan Deveridge
Catherine Sullivan

OUR PARISH NOMINATORS:
Stan Deveridge
Sue Tyrrell Shirley Washbourne

OUR PARISH TREASURER: Jo Horton