Jonathan
North
Wendy
Gregory
Murray
Hirst
Monty
Chandra
Rick
Holt
Administration Team
Jonathan
Wendy
Murray
Monty
Rick
Leonie Tonkin
Leonie joined the Scots’ Church Choir in May 2003 while studying Reformation history and writing her honours thesis on the hymns of Martin Luther. She an accomplished recorder player and has sung with the Choir of Ormond College, the Australian Chamber Choir, the Melbourne Octet and Ensemble Gombert.
Leonie works for the public service in a policy role, and spends her limited spare time baking, running and helping her daughters with piano practice.
Vaughan McAlley
Vaughan joined the Scots’ Church Choir as a 17-year-old music student in 1988. After becoming Principal Tenor in 2001, he sang the part of the Evangelist in the Scots’ Choir’s first performance of JS Bach’s St John Passion in 2003, and was renowned for his enraged performance of Thou shalt break them from Handel’s Messiah. As a composer, he has written a number of pieces for the choir, including anthems for his wedding with Leonie Tonkin, and for the baptisms of their daughters Eleanor and Genevieve. He has also arranged hymns for choir with brass, timpani and organ. He is a long-time member of the chamber choir Ensemble Gombert, and enjoys working on the perfect espresso.
Jennifer Chou
Jennifer Chou began her role as the Associate Organist at Scots Church in 2023, after having been the Director of Music at Toorak Uniting Church for 11 years. She had taught the organ for the Australian Catholic University, since 2015 she teaches the organ for Melbourne High School.
As a recitalist, Jennifer has given organ concerts in major Australian town halls and Cathedrals. Overseas, she has appeared as soloist in places including the Notre-Dame Cathedral in Paris and the Westminster Abbey in London, the Hong Kong Cultural Centre, the Esplanade Concert Hall in Singapore, and many more.
After having obtained a Master of Music degree in organ performance and church music at Northwestern University USA where her teacher was Wolfgang Rübsam, Jennifer studied in Paris and Toulouse for 5 more years with world sought after teachers including Susan Landale, Michel Bouvard and Jan Willem Jansen. She concluded her studies in the Cycle de Perfectionnement with Premier Prix d’Orgue à l’unanimité in Toulouse.
Douglas Lawrence
Douglas Lawrence AM has been Director of Music at Scots’ Church since 1984. He teaches organ at the University of Melbourne and was Master of the Chapel Music at Ormond College from 1982 to 2006. He has been awarded an AM for services to music.
Douglas plays the organ most weeks for the Sunday 11am worship service, as well as training and conducting the choir.
Throughout the year Douglas is responsible for producing, directing and conducting many concerts and performances with the choir and with various instrumental ensembles, both in Scots’ Church and beyond.
The Rieger Organ that was installed in 1999 was built to Douglas’ specification and it has proven to be a wonderful continuation of the musical tradition and standard that has been the hallmark of Scots’ Church since its foundation.
Michael Dunn
Michael has worked at Scots’ Church since 2003, he currently serves as the Scots’ Church Concierge every Sunday, making all church attendees feel welcome, safe and appreciated.
In his spare time Michael enjoys spending time with his family, reading and being active.
Rick Holt
Rick has served as our building officer since 2010, he cheerfully and willingly serves all those around him. He enjoys working with people and especially with the staff at Scots’ Church. Rick says, “working with the Church is like working with family”. He is married to Denise, they have five grandchildren.
Likes: People, fishing, Hawthorn Football Club and his dog “Snoop”
Dislikes: Summer, crowds
Murray Hirst
Murray started working at Scots’ Church in 2012 and handles all the financial matters related to running the Church. He has worked for not-for-profit organisations for over 20 years. Murray is married to Jo and they live on a 3 acre property on the Mornington Peninsula with three horses, a dog and a cat.
Likes: Morning coffee, karate, travel.
Dislikes: People who don’t respect the world we live in.
Ken Bowden
Ken has served the Church faithfully since 1984, and is currently serving the role of Welcome Desk Attender. He enjoys meeting interesting people as he fulfills day to day practical tasks in the Church. After an engagement of 15 years, Ken Married Eileen, they have been married for 30 years.
Likes: Meeting interesting people, Movies and Carlton Football Club
Dislikes: Crowds, Hot Weather
Monty Chandra
Born in Jakarta, Indonesia, Monty started working at Scots’ Church in 2019. He has been living in Melbourne since 2005 and has since considered Australia his first home. He enjoys being able to work with the Church while contributing his expertise in Web Programming to maintain the Scots’ Church website. He also enjoys meeting people through his work as Administrative Assistant. Outside of his work with the Church, he enjoys tinkering with computer hardware, playing video games, and taking care of his pet cat.
Likes: D&D, Cooking, Coffee, Gaming, Zoos
Dislikes: Lateness, Full public transport
Wendy Gregory
Wendy joined Scots’ in August 2013 and hasn’t had a dull moment since. She enjoys the variety that working in a Church offers along with the interesting people that she meets on a daily basis. She has three adult children plus the added bonus of three adult stepsons’ and their families.
Likes: Family, Scots’ Church, gardening, and knitting.
Dislikes: People who do not obey the rules of life.
Jonathan North
Jonathan has been working with the administration team since January 2011. Before joining Scots he worked for twenty five years in mission work both here in Australia and abroad. Jonathan enjoys being able to contribute to both the admin team and ministry team through his work. He is married to Suzanne and has three children.
Likes: Family, people, travel, experiencing different cultures, cashews
Dislikes: shopping, waiting, especially waiting at shops