My job had been as a clearance diver for the Australian armed forces. We took the lead in things such as anti-terrorism, and worked with ships and oil tankers – anything to do with maritime.

Looking back, I guess it was a little frightening at times.

My name is Brent Brittliff. My father was a minister and I come from a Maori-Anglican tradition – Te Hahi Mihinare.

I ended being part of the Special Forces but at the peak of my career I was diagnosed with a heart condition. Two weeks after that I was on an operating table having open heart surgery.

But I could no longer work in the profession I thought I was going to be in for the rest of my life.

So I explored my faith. I wanted to learn from the experts. Not that you need a university degree to do this. But I wanted to look at my faith journey critically and academically, developing and setting the foundations for my spirituality and remaining active in my ministry calling.

When I learned of Whitley I found a free-flowing dialogue with the college. Signed up for a Bachelor of Theology course. I think one of the biggest misconceptions is that you have to be an academic scholar to do a degree in theology.

Each lecturer is an expert in their particular theological field, bringing scholarly subject knowledge and lived experience. They can ‘talk the talk’ because they have ‘walked the walk’. Some of their pearls stand out. One that sticks with me is: “Yes, the reading is hard! What are you going to do? Complain? And play your Play Station? Or dig in and do the work? The choice is yours”.

I love the multiculturalism and realness of the staff and students. There is no ego or competition—a space where you can share and ask questions without judgement. If I had to recommend a unit of study I would say the transformational units. Units which expand your mind while remaining open to different interpretations and thoughts. I have walked into a class thinking I know something about the subject and walked out with an entirely different view – which is brilliant.

After graduating, I’m not sure what the Lord has in store for me. Ordination is a possibility, for sure. Some of my friends who have left the armed forces have committed suicide. Most haven’t done that well transitioning to civilian life. I am passionate about sharing this message with others who have gone through a similar experience.

I guess, if I could press the metaphor a bit more, the driver of the bus would be Jesus – I just get off whenever he opens the door!

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Within six weeks of starting, all of the pastors at Narre Warren Baptist Church resigned. That was February 2020. A month later, I had to close the church down due to COVID-19 and we went online.

I needed a support network and had a number of fellow pastors in the region come alongside. This led me to looking at becoming ordained.

I already have a degree in theology from another college but found there were some Baptist-centric subjects that I hadn’t done. So last year, I did an ethics toolbox subject which I loved. This year I’m doing STFE (supervised theological field education).

I’ve been surprised at how engaging STFE is. I’ve done theological studies and I have peers that I talked to, but it’s surprised me at how much I really appreciate that extra level of camaraderie in ministry.

As a group of students doing STFE, we’re all reasonably qualified in our fields. It allows each to speak into each other from a pastoral, biblical and spiritual perspective. It’s a guided case study or reflection that is supporting us in our ministries.

I’d say that I have found Whitley to be welcoming and friendly. They deliver what they promise.

Theological studies generally tend to feel out of reach for the average person, in the sense that people don’t know why they would reach for it. Or, what relevance it would have to their lives.

The misconception about studying at Whitley is that it’s not something for them, but I think it’s because they don’t understand what it could bring. Plus they think they need to be some kind of super-spiritual person to go to bible college.

I’m married to Richard and we have three adult children.

I would like to give a shout-out to both of my lecturers: Lynn Moresi, last year in ethics; and Asher Kirby for STFE, and breaking down what can in some ways be a complex process.

Throughout my education I just love the way God parallels what I’m learning with what I find I’m suddenly talking about with people in my congregation.

Good stories from Whitley are what I like. Hearing that what you’re studying has relevance in your day-to-day life.

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I thought it would be very controlled around what units I needed to complete for the Masters but Whitley has provided a great pathway to build and progress an award without having to do units that I’m not interested in.

I thought that I was just going to be a number.

My undergraduate was at a large university in the South of England and, returning to study almost 20-years later, I thought that as a part-timer I would be lost in the system and ‘left to it’.

What I found was that the staff and lecturers really work hard to make all students feel welcome.

Indeed, I’ve been impressed by the pastoral care and the effort of the staff to help and support students. Small groups in the classroom make sure everyone has the opportunity to share, learn and engage.

As a mandatory unit for ordination, my expectations for the Toolbox for Ethical Pastoral Leadership unit were not high. But I found the scenarios and the case studies brought by fellow students were insightful and applicable to real situations.

Every week I felt I learned something that was highly practical for my ministry.

When I first applied, I would say that I was overwhelmed. Navigating that path in the beginning was a little laborious. However, since then, I have been thoroughly impressed with how easy it has been to get through the administration and focus on completing my studies.

I have just completed my first online unit which I found more difficult to engage with than the face-to-face units.

So a special thank you to Rev Carolyn Francis, who was very responsive over
email, helping me with additional readings and generally ensuring I didn’t fall through the cracks.

In a nutshell, Whitley is a great place to learn highly practical content in small and friendly groups, in a welcoming environment. I’m surprised that I actually want to do more units than the course requires – or even that I have time to do.

The range of topics and help from everyone keeps me coming back – it makes learning fun.

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Before I arrived in Australia, I made a choice to study theology. After about a month I enrolled at Whitley. I Googled all the colleges and gathered feedback from people, as well as searching online. After all my research I chose to study at Whitley. A friend suggested it was a good college, especially for someone from a non-Anglo background. I’m doing face-to-face mode of learning. I’m a LOTE (Language Other Than English) student and face-to-face is the best option. Although, I do have one unit on Zoom.

I am also an associate pastor in a church, working part-time. Teaching the Word of God is very rewarding. Len and I also do cleaning jobs in the evenings.

There are a few units that have helped me in my daily life and ministry. In particular, Cultural Intelligence and Introduction to New Testament.

My experience at Whitley has been amazing. Beyond my expectations. I think the college is distinctive because of the diversity, the unity and the relationships that are formed. It seems like every background from all over the world has come and met at Whitley – it feels like I’m part of a big warm family.

I’d like to give a shout-out to Dorothy Morgan in administration. She has always been kind and ready to help. And Keith Dyer who is an amazing man with a kind heart. I really like the way he lectures his units.

What does my week look like? They differ but about 70% of my week is already on the (Whitley) timetable! The rest comprises family, work, study and self-care.

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