Bishops’ Community Development Trust creator Keryn Martin steps down for sabbatical

In 2014, Bishop Justin was approached by a man with a plan. This man was a community-builder-for-Jesus extraordinaire, who had orbited the Diocese and could see the opportunities available for strategic kingdom partnerships.

In May of 2015, Keryn Martin established the Bishops’ Community Development Trust. As an entity, the Trust supports community organisations and innovative initiatives around the Diocese. This week, Keryn steps down from his role for a sabbatical period, and it is timely that we recognise the incredible achievement that has been made by Keryn, supported by his colleagues Adele, Annelies, and the trustees.

Keryn is an expert in setting up organisational infrastructure, governance, funding and financial systems so that organisations are able to thrive and enable the frontline workers to do what they do best. In the last 5+ years, through the work of the Trust, over 20 organisations have received start-up and ongoing support, both within our Diocesan family and beyond, including:

• Trade School Kitchen

• Whanganui Coffee Pop-Up

• Changemakers Resettlement Forum

• Whanau Trusts (Wairarapa, Lower North and Hapai Te Hapori, supporting youth work and worker initiatives within our Diocese)

• Hutt City Senior Citizens

• Capital Zone Basketball Trust

• Citizens Advice Bureau-Otaki and Energise Otaki

• Kapiti Coast District Council

In total, Keryn and the team have created $6.8 million worth of funding through donations and grants from individuals, philanthropic funders and other government grants.

More than all of this, however, is the way that Keryn approaches his mahi. During his time, he has been entirely self-supporting, acting with humility to connect and support those with a heart for making their communities a better place.

He and his team recognise that the infrastructure of governance and accounting is needed so the frontline people are released to do what they do best. The work that Keryn does is not often glamorous, but he uses his deep experience and network within the philanthropic sector to make the most of potential funding opportunities. One colleague has described him as a “vacuum cleaner for possibilities”.

As Keryn enters his sabbatical period as a Diocese we thank him for all he has done for God’s Kingdom in this place and pray God’s blessing over him as he enters this new season.

By Rebecca Apperley