Draft:Merrill Kitchen

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Rev. Merrill Kitchen
OAM
Born
Melbourne, Australia
OccupationsAcademic, theologian, principal
Known forFirst female Principal of Churches of Christ Theological College in Australia
Fellow and former MCD Council President

Rev. Merrill Adele Kitchen OAM is a medical scientist, a New Testament scholar and an ordained minister of the Churches of Christ in Australia. She served as Dean of the Evangelical Theological Association from 1991–1999, Principal of the Churches of Christ Theological College (CCTC) from 2000–2009, and as President of the Council of the Melbourne College of Divinity (MCD) (now the University of Divinity from 2003–2005.[1] She was the first woman appointed to lead CCTC, the first woman to be elected as MCD President, and the second woman to ever be appointed to lead a theological institution in Australia.[1]

Career

Medical scientist

Kitchen initially trained as a medical scientist and worked in hospitals in Melbourne.[2] In 1972, after hearing of the work of the Nazareth Trust at a medical conference in Scotland, she and her husband, Paul Kitchen (a surgeon), decided to work at the EMMS Nazareth Hospital, a Christian community hospital in Nazareth, Israel.[3] While Paul was working as a surgeon, Merrill undertook roles in microbiology and nursing education in addition to schooling their young family.[3] Several years later, Merrill was involved in the development of the Nazareth Village, an open-air museum that recreates village life in Galilee in the first century A.D. For almost 2 decades, the Kitchen arranged for many Australians to undertake short-term roles to assist with the establishment of the Village.[3]

Theology

Returning to Australia in 1986, Kitchen continued to teach in the medical sciences, while also commencing formal studies in theology at the Melbourne College of Divinity. She tutored at the University of Melbourne Medical School and lectured in health science units at the Australian Catholic University.[2] Commencing theological studies was largely the result of the challenges and questions that she encountered while working as a missionary in Israel.[3][4] Kitchen eventually completed a postgraduate degree in theology with her studies focused on social, political, and cultural readings of the New Testament.[2][3][5] She also became an ordained minister of the Churches of Christ in Australia.[2]

Kitchen's theological studies ultimately led to a career change. For ten years, she was the Dean of the Evangelical Theological Association.[2] From 2000 to 2009, she became the first and only female Principal of the Churches of Christ Theological College, which was a constituent college of the Melbourne College of Divinity.[2] She was the second woman, after Joan Nowotny, to lead a theological institution in Australia.[1] During her time as Principal, Kitchen developed and taught units in New Testament studies, including 'Women, Men and Ministry in the New Testament', 'Power, Wealth and Purity: Ethics in the New Testament', and 'The World of the New Testament'.[4] She has published in these subject areas and also contributed to science-faith discussions throughout her career.[6]

During Kitchen's twenty years in leadership positions in theological institutions, she also participated in the governing body of the Melbourne College of Divinity, serving as its Council President in 2004-2005.[2] She was elected a Fellow of the Melbourne College of Divinity University in 2011.[7] Kitchen retired in 2009.[5]

Honours

In 2007, Kitchen was awarded a Medal of the Order of Australia (OAM) in recognition of her services to religion and to the community as a leader of volunteer work groups to the Nazareth Hospital, Israel, and as a contributor in the field of theological education.[8]

She is included in Graham Joseph Hill's list of 160+ Australian and New Zealander Women in Theology You Should Know,[2] and has appeared several times on ABC radio to discuss matters of faith and spirituality.[9][10][11]

Personal life

Kitchen was married to her husband Paul from 1966 until his death in 2011,[12] and they have three adult children.[4]

Select publications

Books

Book chapters

Journal articles

References

  1. ^ a b c "MCD - MCD Staff and Contact Information". web.archive.org. Retrieved 15 February 2026.
  2. ^ a b c d e f g h Hill, Graham Joseph (15 December 2023). "160+ Australian and New Zealander Women in Theology You Should Know". Graham Joseph Hill. Retrieved 15 February 2026.
  3. ^ a b c d e "A conversation with Merrill Kitchen". The Nazareth Trust. 7 June 2023. Retrieved 15 February 2026.
  4. ^ a b c "Welcome to CCTC". www.cctc.edu.au. Archived from the original on 13 September 2009. Retrieved 15 February 2026.
  5. ^ a b "Dr. Merrill Kitchen OAM". ABC listen. 12 October 2010. Retrieved 24 April 2026.
  6. ^ Kitchen, Merrill (August 2008). "What is Real? Seeking Realities in Understanding Faith: Astronomy, Astrology and the Kingdom of Heaven". ISCAST: Christianity & Science in Conversation. Retrieved 8 April 2026.
  7. ^ "History". University of Divinity. Retrieved 7 April 2026.
  8. ^ "Australian Honours Search Facility". honours.pmc.gov.au. Retrieved 15 February 2026.
  9. ^ "Spirit Matters - Australian Spirituality and Well Being". ABC Listen. 4 September 2010. Retrieved 15 February 2026.
  10. ^ Kohn, Rachael (20 April 2014). "What Did Jesus Say ?". ABC Radio National - ABC Listen. Retrieved 15 February 2026.
  11. ^ Kohn, Rachael (17 October 2010). "What Makes a Saint?". ABC Radio National - ABC Listen. Retrieved 15 February 2026.
  12. ^ "KITCHEN, Paul Rex Balfour | Death Notices | Melbourne". My Tributes. Retrieved 6 March 2026.


Category:Living people Category:Australian women academics Category:Academics from Melbourne Category:Australian biblical scholars Category:Academic staff of the University of Divinity Category:Recipients of the Medal of the Order of Australia

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