Our team
Stephen Larkin
Minister of the Word
Stephen.Larkin@NedlandsUniting.com
Stephen grew up on a dairy farm in the Hunter Valley of New South Wales. He initially trained as a Science teacher and began teaching with the Anglican Church in PNG, and then the Summer Institue of Linguistics. On returning to Australia he worked as a Youth Worker on the Central Coast of NSW before candidating as a minister. Upon being ordained in 1987 he served in a parish in the Snowy Mountains, NSW for 4 years and at Tuggeranong Uniting in Canberra for 6 years. He moved to Western Australia in 1998 to assist congregations make strategic decisions for their future health and to develop and grow new congregations He established a new congregation at Carramar at St. Stephens School. He worked for the Red Cross for a period as a Youth Development Officer and then served at YouthCARE for 7 years providing both training and management of the chaplaincy program. He recently worked with The Fathering Project. Stephen is married to Glynn and has two adult children, Merinda and Amy.
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.