Established in 2012
Our story
Captivated by Christ, grounded in the gospel, and growing in maturity and number.
Our mission
Our mission is to magnify God's glory, seen most clearly in Jesus. Everything we do flows from this Christ-centred purpose.
We exist to connect authentically with both the world and the church, share the good news of Jesus with the lost, mature in our love and knowledge of God, equip the next generation of gospel workers, and plant a network of grounded and growing churches throughout Auckland and New Zealand.
We anticipate that God's word will transform the hearts and minds of many Aucklanders, forming the basis of a growing church that equips and trains gospel workers, supports and plants more churches, all for the glory of God.
Every member ministry
At Ev Church, the ministry team is never just the paid pastors and staff. We believe that God has given every Christian the gifts and opportunities to serve their fellow Christians and the community around them. You could even say that we are all gifts to our fellow brothers and sisters in Christ here at church.
The phrase we use is "every member ministry". We want to see everyone at Ev Church, week-in and week-out, use who God has made them to be to love one another, pray for one another, serve, provide, train, and teach. Ev Church is a church where everyone is part of the ministry team.
While every member of Ev Church is called to serve, God has also set apart a team to lead, equip, and support the church family. These are the people who give their working week to shepherding, teaching, and building the life of the church so that every member can flourish in their gifts.
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Our people
Meet the team
Pastors
Rowan Hilsden
Senior Pastor
Rowan grew up in Sydney in a newly Christian family and saw early that Jesus is at the centre of everything. After working in design and IT and running his own software business, he trained at Moore Theological College. In 2012, Rowan and Sarah planted Ev Church. They enjoy life with their four children and walking their dog on the beach.
Andrew Coombridge
Pastor
Andrew grew up on Auckland’s North Shore. Originally trained as a merchant seafarer, he left the ocean to pursue full-time ministry. After studying at Queensland Theological College, Andrew joined the staff team in 2018. He is married to Christie and they have three children.
Ryan Green
Pastor
Ryan was born in Palmerston North, raised in Hawke’s Bay, and has spent the past few years in Auckland. He worked in film and television production before joining the Ev Church staff team in 2019. He completed his ministry apprenticeship in 2022 and joined the pastoral team in 2026. Ryan is married to Claudia and they have three children.
Austin Ibarra
Pastor
Austin grew up in Auckland and completed a PhD in Applied Mathematics at the University of Auckland. While working as a graduate teaching assistant in mathematics, he discovered his love for teaching. He completed his ministry apprenticeship in 2021 and joined the pastoral team.
Ming Yong
Pastor & Kids Coordinator
Born and raised in Auckland in a traditional Asian family, Ming studied medical physics and began a PhD before hearing the gospel and becoming a Christian. He completed a ministry apprenticeship, studied at Moore Theological College, and returned to Ev Church in 2022. Ming is married to Angela and they live on the North Shore with their three children.
Staff
Steve Mullins
Executive Manager
Steve has a background in law and general management. He is married to Anna and has two daughters. His prayer is that God would use his skills to support Ev Church’s ministry team as they share the good news of Jesus with the community.
Jared Stevenson
Captivate Music Director
Born and raised in Rotorua, Jared moved to Auckland after completing a Bachelor of Media Arts and a Graduate Diploma in Secondary Teaching. A qualified secondary teacher, he has been involved in a wide range of musical projects. Jared completed his ministry apprenticeship at Ev Church in 2023 and is married to Ashley; they have two children.
Ioana Selea
Design and Social
Ioana was born and raised in Sweden and has lived in New Zealand since 2019. She is married to Josh and is part of Ev North. She runs her own photography business and has a passion for all things creative. At Ev Church, she oversees social media, photography, videography, graphic design, and more. Ioana has been part of Ev Church since 2020.
Tim Thang
Executive Assistant
Timothy was born and raised in Singapore. A public servant for 10 years, Timothy moved to Auckland and Ev Church in 2025. Timothy is married to Colleen and they have 2 children.
Apprentices
Liz Halliday
Apprentice
Liz is a qualified hairdresser who worked in a city salon. Challenged by the need for the gospel in Auckland and beyond, she began an apprenticeship to grow in sharing the gospel clearly, equip others more effectively, and explore vocational ministry.
Man Long Cheung
Apprentice
With a background in engineering, Man Long wants to help people stand firm in Christ amid the brokenness of the world. He hopes the apprenticeship will equip him to serve faithfully and bring clarity about how God might use him in ministry.
Tina Mao
Apprentice
Tina moved from China to New Zealand in 2017 with her husband and son. After nearly 20 years in education, she became convinced that the gospel is the true hope for lasting transformation. In 2026, she began a ministry apprenticeship to be trained and equipped for long-term gospel ministry.
Serena Lau
Apprentice
Serena graduated with an engineering degree and worked in software for two years. As she considered how best to steward God’s gifts and the gospel needs of New Zealand, she began an apprenticeship in 2026 to grow in ministry, share the good news faithfully, and explore full-time ministry.
What we believe
Ev Church is an evangelical church grounded in the gospel of Jesus Christ. We hold the Bible to be the supreme authority in all matters of faith and conduct, and we stand united with Christians around the world and throughout history.
Read more about our core beliefs, including what we believe about God, Jesus Christ, the Bible, salvation, the Holy Spirit, and the church.
Come and see for yourself
The best way to get to know us is to join us on a Sunday. We would love to welcome you.