Worship Leaders
Ashgrove West enjoys a preaching roster of four regular worship leaders. Throughout the year we also invite guest-leaders from the wider church or our network to share or lead worship. Each preacher brings a unique flavour to services. The format usually follows a fairly traditional style of liturgy, following the UCA lectionary. The services adhere to the doctrine, values and principles of the UCA. All the preachers craft worship to be Christ centred, spirit-led, seeking to inspire the realisation of God’s kingdom on earth.
Joshua Blake started preaching 2008, under the mentorship of Rev. Bob Warwick. After completing the Moreton Rivers Presbytery lay-preachers course, Joshua was commissioned as a lay-preacher of the Uniting Church of Australia (Queensland) in 2024. Joshua studied Music and History (hons), with a subsequent major in Psychology. He since completed certifications in Youth Work, Celebrancy, and Bereavement and Loss Support. From 2014 to 2023, Joshua worked as a School Chaplain at Pullevale State School (2014 to 2016) and Kelvin Grove State College (2014 to 2023). Over the course of this time, Joshua ministered and provided pastoral support to hundreds of students, staff and community members. As part of this role, Joshua connected with over a dozen different church communities of various denominations. Joshua is on the roster of regular roster of preachers at Pilgrim People Church, and has led worship at Bulimba Uniting Church and St. Luke’s Uniting Church. Joshua is passionate about Gospel Justice and liberation theology.
Roland Lubett has been a ministry and community development educator for over four decades (?). Roland has taught internationally, including courses in Uganda, Papua New Guinea, the United Kingdom and Australia. Now semi-retired, Roland continues to teach and mentor, particularly with the Christian Leadership Training College in Papua New Guinea. Drawing on diverse experiences, Roland brings an array of different perspectives of biblical texts. Roland holds a particular emphasis on the interrelationship between community and discipleship. His services, while following a traditional format, are filled with guitar-led choruses and a relaxed demeanour.
Lyndal Reid is a life Elder of the Church and a founding member. Lyndal was a teacher for most of her career, spending the early part of her career teaching in Zambia. Much of her professional life, Lyndal taught in migrant education and owned a bookshop ‘the Language People’ for many years. Lyndal is dedicated in her study of the bible, constantly exploring new ways to approach and understand the Gospel. Lyndal places a particular emphasis on how we encounter God in the everyday, exploring how Christness is experienced and revealed.
Dr. Thom Blake is a former Uniting Church Pastor, beginning his career shortly after union. Graduating from the University of Queensland with a Bachelor of Divinity, his first placement was in Cunnamulla, approximately 900kms west of Brisbane. The son of a Methodist minister, Wilf Blake, Thom has some exposure to the life of rural ministry, but living it himself was formative. Thom also ministered at the Urban Aboriginal Mission in Paddington and Stafford Methodist Church. Thom decided to change tac and returned to study, earning a PhD in history. Thom’s work in communities with a large percentage of First Nations people infused a passion for story-telling and amplifying the voices of the oppressed and marginalised. Thom approaches worship and preaching with an emphasis on reflection and challenging thinking on how the Gospel can be lived in our lives. This is often explored through the use of narratives or references to real world experiences.
Ashgrove West Uniting Church 