Meet the Team

With a congregation of over 200 people, strong leadership is important to us. Meet the pastoral team serving on staff at Australind Baptist Church and our ministry leaders.

Pastoral Staff

Richard Foster

Senior Pastor

Geoff Harrison

Associate Pastor – Pastoral Care

Steve Cressie

Next Generation Pastor

SENIOR PASTOR:   RICHARD FOSTER

Born: England

Family: I am married to Roslyn, and we have six adult children.
Experience: I have served as the senior pastor of Australind Baptist Church since 2014. Before pastoring full-time, I was a lecturer and academic advisor in business and management and in Biblical studies. My work history also includes periods of employment as a public servant, administrator of a maximum-security prison, company director and manager of a number of companies, as well as a dishwasher, delivery driver, process server, building labourer and groundsman. I worked in many of these latter positions while being bi-vocational in the religious and not-for-profit sectors. I have served in a volunteer capacity as a pastor to ex-prostitutes, and as the founder of an eating disorder support network. I have also served on a number of boards and committees in conjunction with my passion for social justice. I am the founder and a board member of Jambo!, a cooperative endeavour between Australind Baptist Church and community and church leaders in rural Kenya, seeking to advance the kingdom of God by sustainable business practices.
Passionate about: The integration of faith and work.

ASSOCIATE PASTOR – PASTORAL CARE:   GEOFF HARRISON

Born: Western Australia

Family: I am married to Jenni, and we have two adult children.
Experience: I began my working life as a qualified photographer, before spending many years volunteering in young people’s ministry and camps. I have a Certificate IV in Pastoral Care and am qualified in Youth Mental Health First Aid and Gatekeepers. I’m currently working for YouthCare as a School Chaplain two days a week, studying Pastoral Care, and serving on pastoral staff two days a week at Australind Baptist Church.
Passionate about:  Making disciples for Christ by encouraging, empowering and equipping our church family to reach into our community and share God’s love through events such as Alpha, Dinner Church and Australind Family Carols.

NEXT GENERATION PASTOR:  STEVE CRESSIE

Born: Western Australia

Family: I have a beautiful wife Rachel, no kids at this stage.

Experience: I have worked most of my adult life in Retail. I started out at Woolworths in Fruit and Veg and spent many an early morning stacking shelves. Following this I decided to give camping stores a go. This work was more enjoyable (besides the hours being better); there was a lot more customer engagement. During this time I was volunteering at my local church, leading worship, helping with youth groups, preaching, working on the leadership team and everything else involved in being part of a loving community. Then in 2017 I felt the call to do some Biblical studies and in 2019 I completed a Bachelor of Ministry specialising in the Pastoral stream. From there I got married and received a call to come to Australind to serve as the Next Generation Pastor a role which I started in July 2021.   

Passionate about: The need for our identity to be grounded in Christ. It is very easy to be swayed by the world when we place crucial value on approval from others. If we are secure and satisfied in the spiritual blessings we have in Christ our insecurities won’t hinder us serving others.