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Dr John Tucker
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Dr John Tucker

Principal  

PhD, BTh, BA LLB (Hons)

Bio

As Principal, John leads the college. With the senior management team, he is responsible for setting Carey’s strategic direction, protecting Carey’s culture, nurturing Carey’s staff team, and representing Carey among churches and stakeholders. John also teaches history and homiletics in Carey’s undergraduate programmes. 

John began his working life as a lawyer, practicing in the area of civil litigation. After several years in pastoral ministry, John completed a PhD in the history of the New Zealand church’s engagement in public debate. He has published books and articles in the areas of preaching, Baptist history, and Christian engagement with social issues. 

“I love working in a theological college that is so focused on serving the church, so committed to training leaders for ministry, so oriented towards mission and gospel renewal. I believe deeply in Carey’s integrative approach to theology and in our relational approach to learning. I really enjoy Carey’s rich community life and the Tiriti hikoi that is shaping us into a learning community where students from all cultures can flourish. And I marvel at the remarkable staff team that God has assembled at Carey. It’s such a privilege to work with them as we see students transformed by the gospel, for the gospel.”

Teaching Areas

  • Church History
  • Homiletics

Current Research Projects

  • History of Preaching
  • Practice of Preaching
  • History of Baptist Churches of New Zealand
  • Pastoral ministry in New Zealand
  • Church and sport

Selected Publications

  • Tucker, John. “Baptist Mission among Māori in New Zealand, 1840-1990.” In Baptists Engaging Culture. Edited by Bill Pitts. Macon: Mercer University Press, 2021.
  • Halstead, Philip and John Tucker, eds. Sports and Play in Christian Theology. Lanham, MD: Lexington Books/Fortress Academic, 2020.
  • Tucker, John. “An Enemy to be Fought or a Tool to be Used? Baptists and Sport in New Zealand, 1882-2011.” In Sports and Play in Christian Theology. Edited by Philip Halstead and John Tucker. Lanham, MD: Lexington Books/Fortress Academic, 2020.
  • Tucker, John. “Joseph Kemp, Revivalism, and the New Zealand Baptist Movement.” Pages 355-368 in Baptists and Revival. Edited by Bill Pitts. Macon: Mercer University Press, 2018.
  • Tucker, John, ed. Text Messages: Preaching God’s Word in a Smartphone World. Eugene, OR: Wipf & Stock, 2017.
  • Tucker, John. “Upgrading Our Preaching: Professional Development for Preachers Today.” Pages 200-216 in Text Messages: Preaching God’s Word in a Smartphone World. Edited by John Tucker. Eugene, OR: Wipf & Stock, 2017.
  • Habets, Myk and John Tucker, eds. What We Love: Reflections on Ministry, Leadership, and Mission. A Tribute to Charles Hewlett​. Eugene, OR: Wipf & Stock, 2017.
  • Tucker, John. “We Love Preaching.” Pages 43-54 in What We Love: Reflections on Ministry, Leadership, and Mission. A Tribute to Charles Hewlett​. Edited by Myk Habets and John Tucker. Auckland: Archer Press, 2017.
  • Tucker, John. “The Ancient Word in the Modern World: The Preaching of J.J. North.” Pages 139-153 in Sacred Histories in Secular New Zealand. Edited by Geoff Troughton and Stuart Lange. Wellington: Victoria University Press, 2016.
  • Tucker, John. “History in the Integrative Process.” Pages 51-67 in Doing Integrative Theology: World, Word, and Work in Conversation. Edited by Myk Habets & Phil Halstead. Auckland: Archer Press, 2015.
  • Tucker, John. “Select Annotated Bibliography of Works on Narrative Preaching.” Pages 419-26 in Kiwimade Narrative Sermons: The Drama is the Doctrine. Viva Voce: Carey School of Preaching Series Volume One. Edited by Myk Habets. Auckland: Archer Press, 2014. (Released 2015).
  • Tucker, John. “‘The First Eleven’: Eleven Steps for Researching, Writing and Delivering a Narrative Sermon.” Pages 25-56 in Kiwimade Narrative Sermons: The Drama is the Doctrine. Viva Voce: Carey School of Preaching Series Volume One. Edited by Myk Habets. Auckland: Archer Press, 2014. (Released 2015).
  • Tucker, John. “Sample Narrative: Mark 6:30-44: Limited Resources, Unlimited Possibilities.” Pages 57-64 in Kiwimade Narrative Sermons: The Drama is the Doctrine. Viva Voce: Carey School of Preaching Series Volume One. Edited by Myk Habets. Auckland: Archer Press, 2014. (Released 2015).
  • Tucker, John. “‘As Broad as the Gospel is, and as Narrow’: New Zealand Baptists and Social Issues.” Pacific Journal of Baptist Research 9:1 (May 2014): 1-8.
  • Tucker, John. “Laurie Guy: Select Bibliography.” Pacific Journal of Baptist Research 9:1 (May 2014): 57-59.
  • Tucker, John. A Braided River: New Zealand Baptists and Public Issues 1882-2000. Peter Lang: Bern, 2013.
  • Tucker, John. “Prophets at the Gate? New Zealand Baptists and Social Justice in the 1990s.” Pages 277-91 in Interfaces: Baptists and Others. Edited by David Bebbington and Martin Sutherland. Carlisle: Paternoster, 2012
  • Tucker, John. “A Matter of Life and Death: New Zealand Baptists and Abortion Law Reform, 1960-1990.” Colloquium 43:2 (November 2011): 202-28.
  • Tucker, John. “‘A Many-Headed Hydra’: New Zealand Baptists and the Gambling Monster, 1890-1940.” Pacific Journal of Baptist Research 6:2 (October 2010): 3-30.
  • Tucker, John. “Heads in the Sand: New Zealand Baptists and the Tour Debate.” Pacific Journal of Baptist Research 3:2 (October 2007): 25-40.