Our team
Rev Dr Sonny Rajamoney
Minister of the Word
sonny.rajamoney@nedlandsuniting.com
Rev Dr M S Sonny Rajamoney hails from Penang, West Malaysia, where he was born, grew up and schooled. He comes from an Anglican Church background and worshipped with his family at the St Mark’s Anglican Church, Butterworth, West Malaysia until 1976.
Responding to the Call of God, whilst studying Law at the University of London in 1974, Sonny returned to Malaysia to prepare for the Ministry. He has worked as a Government Census Supervisor, Sports Journalist and Regional Music Director with Youth for Christ, prior to commencing theological studies.
In 1976, Sonny embarked on formal theological studies at Trinity Theological College Singapore, when he joined the Methodist Church in Singapore and Malaysia. In 1980, he graduated with a Bachelor of Divinity (Hons) and married Stella later that year. He commenced pastoral Ministry with the Methodist Church in Malaysia in November 1980. They have three adult children and four grandchildren. He and his family emigrated to Perth in March 1990, when he commenced Ministry with the Uniting Church in Australia.
In 2000, Sonny completed post-graduate doctoral studies in Ministry and Missiology at San Francisco Theological Seminary(Graduate Theological Union, California USA). He was invited by the Seminary and taught a Frontier Seminar for the advanced pastoral studies doctoral program in 2005. He has had a broad experience in preaching and teaching overseas – Los Angeles, Skid Row, San Jose, San Francisco, New York, Toronto, Honolulu, Malaysia and Singapore. His passion in Ministry is preaching, teaching, pastoral care and counselling, mission and music.
Sonny commenced a full time and long term Supply Ministry at Nedlands on
1 February 2020.
Julie Ridden
Children & Family Pastor
Julie has grown up in the Uniting Church and has served in ministry with children or young people since a teenager. She is passionately committed to passing on our faith to the next generation, thankful and appreciative of the firm grounding in Christianity that she received from her parents and extended church family.
Julie has had a 23 year career as a primary school teacher, and left teaching a couple of years ago to discern her call to ministry.
Julie has been attending Carramar Uniting Church and has been the secretary of their church council, Presbytery and Synod representative, lay preacher, Bible study leader and youth leader. In the wider Uniting Church, she is a member of the Synod Standing Committee.