History Makers Radio

Mark Matthews is the Empowered Faith Communities National Manager and Indigenous COACH Lead. Mark has worked in the social welfare sector of Melbourne for 30 years. He holds Diplomas in Social Science and Business and is trained in providing professional supervision and counselling. Mark's work has involved providing direct casework to clients, leading teams of Social Work and Health professionals in service provision, and being instrumental in designing, developing and managing major crisis accommodation centres and housing programs across Melbourne. Since 2007, Mark has been responsible for the ongoing development of the COACH Community Mentoring program. Mark currently leads a community church in Rosebud (Victoria) that is offered to people who don't feel they could easily fit within a mainstream church. Listen in to Mark's story, and about his new Book, co-authored with Toby Baxter called, "Ordinary Mentoring for Extra-ordinary Transformation."

Steve and Ainsley Apirana are Singer/Songwriters based in the Sunshine Coast, Australia. Steve's music career began in the band Butler who shared the stage with bands like Black Sabbath back in the seventies. It was during his days in Butler that he found faith in Jesus and began his career as a soloist. Nowadays he shares the stage with his wife Ainsley, who writes her own songs, has recorded two albums and plays rhythm guitar, whistles and flutes. Together they aim to encourage, uplift and inspire audiences through their stories and songs through their personal experience of 40 odd years of marriage, of life on the road, and of life as a Christian. Steve and Ainsley play anywhere they are invited and are used to a wide variety of audiences from school classes to prisons to the various denominations of churches, to festivals, house concerts, cafes and pubs. Listen in to their story!

Namila Davui (aka Myshon Kyd) was born in Lautoka, Fiji. He's played Rugby League for the Parramatta Eels, the Canterbury Bulldogs and Fiji, playing a handful of test matches and was chosen in the squad for the Fiji Bati in the 2008 Rugby League World Cup. He's also hip hop artist, and is training to be a minister in the Uniting Church. He is the Director of Davui Productions, who specialise in youth development programs and consultation in the Brisbane region. Listen in to his story!

Jason Perkins is the Network Director for the Australian Irresistible Churches Network. Through years of leadership, he's experienced some of the highest highs and some of the lowest lows. In 2015, Jason accepted a lead pastor position at a North Point Strategic partner church in Colorado Springs where after years of growth in attendance, engagement, and giving, he came face to face with burn out. It was in this season that Jason realized the importance of soul care, and how it doesn't have to mean sacrificing your strategy or success. Jason is passionate emotionally healthy leadership and about helping leaders and teams reach their strategic goals without losing their souls. He spends his time outside of the Irresistible Churches Network offering coaching and consulting services to ministry leaders and their staff.

Keren Fuhrmeister is the Hospital director of the African Mercy, the mission hospital ship. The African Mercy is currently in Dock in Dakar Senegal giving life changing free surgical services to the west African nation. Listen in to hear how this amazing ministry brings hope, healing and the love of Jesus to the nations!

Faith Sosene is a Samoan-Australian singer who made it to the top 4 of The Voice Australia season 11. She has the voice of an angel, and has a stage presence that has wowed people all over the world! Listen in to her testimony and the inspiration behind her music.

Darren Bennett is an Aussie author who loves to share a good yarn. In this conversation he shares about his faith journey and about some of his many zany adventures. Darren had to hang on for dear life in a cyclone that destroyed Darwin. He also lived to tell about his experience on a sinking cruise ship in Indonesia and survived an ordeal with wild buffalo in outback Australia. Listen in to his story!

Ian Jones is well known as the cartoonist behind the comic strips, PEARLY GATES and BUSHY TALES. A former schoolteacher, Ian is also the pastor of an international church in Brisbane. He loves travelling and has spent time with the people and cultures of over 50 countries around the world. He is also an award-winning photographer. He has some great stories of how people have been impacted by his cartoons! Listen in to his story!

Peter Shurley is one of Australia's most popular and sought after Gospel artists. This multi- award winning singer, songwriter and instrumentalist continues a busy international touring schedule based from his home in northern Tasmania. Not only are his live performances and recordings highly acclaimed, he is also much sought after as a Christian communicator. This also brings an inspirational, challenging and often humorous dimension to his concerts that is quite unique. As Founding Pastor of Life Christian Church and a family of 5 children, life for Peter is full. Two of his greatest passions are to inspire the next generation of Christian leaders and as an ambassador for the work of Compassion, excite people towards world mission. Listen in to his story!

Patrick Gibney is well-known as the "Dancing delivery driver." A video of Patrick busting some moves went viral in 2020, and he was featured on Breakfast TV and numerous media outlets. He has endured two serious brain tumour operations but can still perform dance moves like a teenager. He's also done some acting alongside his sister, Rebecca Gibney. His life changed forever at age 22 when he became a Christian. Listen in to his story!

William Dumas is the Senior Pastor of Ganggalah Church and CEO of Ganggalah Training Centre and Ganggalah Aboriginal Arts.  He is also the chairman of the ACC (Australian Christian Churches) National Indigenous Initiative. Pastor Will is a well renowned speaker with a mandate to raise up Indigenous leaders.  He has ministered extensively throughout Australia and in remote areas of the Australian outback. He is a respected Pastor, gifted and authoritative communicator and is well known for his fun and easygoing manner.  Operating in multiple aspects of the five-fold ministry, it is Ps Will's passion to see people truly transformed by the love of Jesus Christ and the power of His Holy Spirit. Listen in to his story!

Laurette Chala is a Gospel music singer and songwriter from Congo. She went to primary school in Zimbabwe as a refugee and finished her studies in Australia, where she still resides today. She has a beautiful voice and an electric stage presence! Listen in to the story about her Faith journey and her love for music that moves people!

Daniel Sih is a Pastor, Author, coach and blogger from Tasmania. He is the Senior Pastor of Together Church and is also the founder of the Together Network, an ecumenical network seeking to equip everyday Christians to share the gospel. Daniel is passionate about training disciples, equipping leaders, and launching missional communities across the suburbs of Hobart and beyond. He is Author of the book,  "Spacemaker: How to Unplug, Unwind and Think Clearly in the Digital Age."

Michelle Hamilton has an amazing story to tell! For 3 terrifying days she clung helplessly to her small capsized canoe in the South China Sea. Menaced by hungry sharks, enduring tropical storms and with no food or water, Michelle hovered near death. For Michelle the miracle is not so much that she survived, but how she survived! At critical moments, she heard an audible voice telling her exactly what to do to survive. Featuring world-wide in Readers Digest, this modern day Jonah tale of Michelle's experience with a merciful God and an amazing encounter with angels, is a story that will not only thrill but challenge you to have 100% Faith in God, in the midst of your own storms. In this interview she shares her story of a mother's tireless vigil to find her lost child, of human helplessness and the intervention of a sovereign God.

Dave Adamson was a TV sports reporter in Australia before moving to the US to pursue ministry. In 2008 he became one of the first online pastors in the world. He has grown and led online communities of more than 80,000 people each week at two of Outreach Magazine's largest churches in the US, including Andy Stanley's North Point Ministries, where he was the social media pastor from 2013 to 2020. He is now the "Orange," Director for Australia and New Zealand, partnering with 200+ churches in Australian and NZ. He also loves researching the 1st century cultural context of Jesus and Hebrew words for his daily Instagram devotions, and YouTube channel. He's also released 3 books, 52 Hebrew Words Every Christian Should Know, and Chasing The Light & MetaChurch.

Annette Spurr is a wife, a mum, a business woman, and an author with a great story to tell. In this interview she shares about her faith journey, her ministry in Christian media and about her new book, "Seeing God."

NIFIK is a Brisbane-based Hip Hop creative, rapper, singer, songwriter, and producer. Listen in as he shares about his faith Journey and the heart behind his music!

Leah Chandler is a singer/songwriter from Hawaii. Steve Mckenna caught up with Leah, she shares her testimony and the heart behind her music. She also shares about her time teaching English in Japan, and how God has been faithful in all of the ups and downs in life.

Shaun Hart is a former AFL player who reached the pinnacle of success when he played for the Brisbane Lions and they won the premiership from 2001 through 2003. However, he says that even though he and his team were having success on the field, he was often battling with depression off the field. In this interview Shaun shares about his testimony of how his life has been transformed through Christ and about his current efforts to help prevent suicide.

Ron Simms is the National Leader for Full Gospel Australia. Ron placed his faith in Christ in 1972. He joined the local Methodist church and later a Pentecostal church. Ron joined Full Gospel in 1989 as the pastor of a local fellowship. Ron has, over the years, served in a variety of ministry-focussed positions from youth work to missions, in local churches and para-church organisations. He has taught in Bible colleges and ministry training schools as well as engaging in a number of successful businesses. He currently serves with his wife, Justine providing support and member care for pastors throughout Australia and is the Dean of the College of Ministry Leadership.