Fr John Fitz-Herbert is a Catholic priest of the Archdiocese of Brisbane, ordained in 1992, and a scholar and practitioner in the field of liturgy for thirty-five years. 

His ministry has combined collaborative parish leadership with sustained engagement in liturgical theology, formation and renewal at diocesan, national and international levels. 

His scholarly interests include ritual, reconciliation, inculturation, and the relationship between Christian worship and Australia’s First Nations peoples. He has contributed to liturgical education, conferences and publications over many years. 

Currently Parish Priest of Moorooka Salisbury, and Administrator of Yeronga parish, Brisbane, John brings together pastoral experience, theological scholarship and a commitment to liturgy as the primary source of Christian life and mission. 

Dr Kieran Crichton is an accomplished Australian choral director, organist, musicologist, and liturgical scholar who bridges the gap between theology, music, and pastoral practice. His research focuses on how the gathered assembly acts as the primary symbol of liturgical prayer, specifically analyzing how embodied human difference influences liturgical theology.

Kieran has contributed significantly to practical liturgy as a chapter convenor for the Australian Academy of Liturgy.

You can access some of Kieran's writing by clicking here.

Dr Jenny Close is a prominent Australian theological scholar, teacher, and freelance liturgical artist based in Brisbane. After earning a Fine Arts degree and working for Brisbane Catholic Education in multimedia, book illustration, and secondary teaching, she turned her focus toward theology. She received her PhD from Griffith University in 2005 with a thesis titled A Feminist Understanding of Liturgical Art.

Dr Close has worked as a sessional theology lecturer at Australian Catholic University. Her digital and physical graphic interpretations of the Sunday Gospels are widely published on LiturgyHelp, providing parishes globally with banners, icons, and clip art designed to foster communal worship.

Dr Adam Couchman is a prominent Australian liturgical theologian, author, and the Academic Dean at St Francis College in Brisbane. Previously serving for 17 years as a Salvation Army officer, his scholarship bridges sacramental theology and ecumenical practice.

Dr Couchman completed his PhD through the University of Divinity, culminating in his book, Liturgia Dei: Worshiping the Worshiping God. His research offers a unique Christological framework, redefining worship not merely as human action but as a process rooted in the divine nature. Heavily involved in liturgical leadership, Adam serves as the Chair of the English Language Liturgical Consultation and Secretary to the Australian Consultation on Liturgy.

David Nelson is an Australian liturgical researcher, administrator, and state chapter convenor for the Australian Academy of Liturgy. Holding a Master of Theology, his academic and pastoral work focuses on active assembly participation and the inclusion  of people with disabilities both into the liturgical space and within the liturgical rite. David also has an interest in the history of Catholic liturgy.

David has dedicated three decades of leadership to regional Catholic communities in New South Wales. He served as the Chair of the Bathurst Liturgy Commission and continues his ministry as the Liturgical Ministries Director for the Cathedral Parish  in Bathurst. David is also a consultor to the National Liturgical Council of the Australian Catholic Bishops Conference.

Dr Jennifer O'Brien is a highly respected Australian liturgy educator, researcher, and pastoral musician who served the Catholic Archdiocese of Adelaide for over 30 years. She holds Masters degrees in Theology and Religious Education, alongside a Doctorate in Sacred Liturgy from the Pontifical Institute of Liturgy (Sant’Anselmo) in Rome.

An expert on post-Vatican II worship, Dr O'Brien has published specialized research on the history of the season of Advent and its hymns and translated Paul de Clerck's masterpiece on the  Universal Prayer in the  Latin Rite.  She has served on the National Liturgical Council and the Australian Academy of Liturgy and  continues in the role of consultant.  She remains an active organist and cantor at her local Brighton parish.

Dr Michelle Eastwood is an Australian Hebrew Bible scholar, liturgical author, and Director of Research at  Australian Lutheran College within the University of Divinity. She earned her PhD with a feminist analysis of the Psalms, exploring intersections of gender, sexuality, and shame in biblical literature.

Eastwood bridges academic research with contemporary pastoral practice, writing on substack at (Not) Rescuing the Text, Women in Theology, and L3. Deeply invested in contextual worship, she is a co-editor of the resource book Modern Australian Liturgies, which provides fresh, inclusive prayer and ritual frameworks for local faith communities.

Dr Angela McCarthy is a prominent Australian theological scholar and an adjunct senior lecturer in theology at The University of Notre Dame Australia in Fremantle. Her academic and pastoral work focuses heavily on the intersection of sacred scripture, liturgical music, and theological aesthetics.

Angela has made extensive contributions to national worship through the Australian Academy of Liturgy. She served as the national President of the Academy and continues to foster scholarly dialogue as the editor of its peer-reviewed publication, the Australian Journal of Liturgy. Angela serves as the West Australian chapter convenor, editor of Pastoral Liturgy, and chairperson of the Mandorla Art Award.

Rev'd Dr Garry Deverell is a trawloolway man from northern trouwerner/Tasmania, a prominent theologian of Country, and an Anglican priest. He operates as an independent scholar and is a director of both Six Rivers Aboriginal Corporation and the National Indigenous Ecumenical Council of Australia. His books include The Bonds of Freedom (Paternoster 2008), Gondwana Theology (ATF 2018/2024), and Contemplating Country (Wipf & Stock 2023). His current research projects focus on advanced contextual theology and the intersection of First Nations spirituality with Christian ritual.