Meet the BYM Team
Kathy Dwyer
BYM Admin Support
Kathy is the admin support person for the Baptist Youth Ministries team 2 days per week. Her role includes coordinating Revive Youth nights each year, the logistics side of the annual BYM State Conference as well as supporting the State Youth Camp team.
Kathy works the other 3 days per week for the Baptist Association as PA For Gen1K Discipleship and Leadership Development Associate Director Craig Corkill. Kathy is married with 2 married adult son’s and 1 grandson and attends New Vine Baptist Church in Newcastle.
She has a heart for supporting youth & young adult’s pastors & leaders as they serve the youth & help them come to faith & then grow in their faith.
Sarah Alarcon
BYM State Youth Camp Director,
IMPACT Gap Year Director
Sarah serves as the State Youth Camp Director and IMPACT Gap Year Director. Sarah attends Erina Community Baptist Church where she serves on the leadership team and hospitality.
With 11 years experience as a youth evangelist and internships coordinator, Sarah is deeply passionate about young people meeting Jesus, being discipled, equipped and released to lead.
When she is not working she loves to cook and bake, work on home renovations and spend quality time with her family.
Fiona Gardner
BYM Youth Mental Health Coordinator
Fiona serves as the Youth Mental Health Coordinator. Her role is to come along side local churches and youth ministries, to equip and resource youth pastors, leaders and young people in how to deal with mental health in regards to themselves and those around them. Fiona also works as the administrator for accreditation and recognition within the Baptist Association.
She attends Glenbrook Baptist Church with her husband and 3 sons. In her spare time she enjoys spending time with her 3 dogs, drinking coffee in the sun and getting creative by making her own candles, soaps and bath bombs.
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Rachel Stuhr
Regional Youth Support and Engagement
SYC Church Engagement Coordinator
Rachel serves one day a week as a Regional Support Worker. Her role is to ensure youth ministries across NSW and ACT have access to resources and training to maximise their impact in their local communities. When she’s not at BYM, she serves part time as the Youth and Young Adults Worker at Glenbrook Baptist Church. She is passionate about youth ministry and the part it plays in so many people’s faith journeys.
When she’s not at work, she loves to cook, travel, and spend time with friends and family.
Lysander Lawrence
Regional Youth Support and Engagement
Lysander lives and works in the Hunter. For many years now he has been teaching school Scripture across a whole heap of high schools + works for BYM Hunter.
He loves engaging young people with the teachings of Jesus and HE LOVES seeing the next generation of leaders come through. He believes that we are a part of something bigger than ourselves, that collectively we are making a difference and that through prayer, encouragement, challenge and faith in Jesus we will see the fruit of our labours.
Lysander & his family attend New Vine Baptist Church.
Mandy Gray
Youth Ministry Support – ACT
Mandy has been in the Pastoral Team at Mosaic Baptist church since 2020 and is currently the Generations Pastor. She has been actively involved with Kids and Youth in the Canberra Region for almost 20 years working in various settings including foster care, youth homelessness services, the education setting and special Government projects.
Mandy has a Degree in Social Work and is passionate about the Church coming alongside people and seeing lives transformed through relationship with Jesus. She has a special interest in inter-generational ministry, and loves to see the Church engaging as the Body of Christ, seeing all age groups working together.
Mandy has a passion for Safe Church and has been facilitating the Creating Safe Spaces course around the Canberra region for several years. She also enjoys the gym and loves creating spaces where people feel welcomed, loved, and supported to be all they can be.
Ben Wilson
Youth Ministry Support – Sydney North/West
Ben is the Youth Pastor at Parramatta Baptist Church and has found great joy as Jesus has moved in and transformed young lives in Parramatta. His two strongest passions in ministry are seeing leaders developed into Jesus’ likeness and young people being formed into healthy disciples who make disciples who make disciples who make…
Ben has been a part of the PBC pastoral team since 2018 and is excited by the opportunity to further connect with, support and grow alongside the other leaders in our Baptist Association.
Annie Hunter
Youth Ministry Support – Sydney West/Blue Mountains
Annie has been in youth ministry for the past 13 years working both in church youth ministry, as the Youth Pastor at Springwood Baptist church as well as in high school SRE ministry.
Annie is passionate about seeing young people and young leaders know Jesus deeply for themselves and become disciples of his who live the gospel and multiply it into others.
Annie lives in the Blue Mountains with her husband Tim and cat, Luna. In her free time loves to be in nature, go to the theatre, watch documentaries and paint with water colours.
Will Tugwell
Youth Ministry Support – Sydney North
Will is the Youth Pastor at Thornleigh Community Baptist Church. He has a Bachelor of Business and is now studying at Morling College.He loves his sport, plays football, likes coffee and weekends at the beach.
Will has been at TCBC for six years and is passionate about young disciples loving Jesus at School and where they do life!
Emma Donaldson
IMPACT Gap Year Coach
Emma loves sharing the gospel with young people and seeing them grow in their knowledge and relationship with Jesus.
She has worked in children, youth and young adults ministries across various church and camp settings. She currently attends Carlingford Baptist Church where she co-leads the young adults group.
Emma loves photography. You will often find her in the early mornings at the beach with a camera in hand.
Eliseo Jaun Ramirez
IMPACT Gap Year Coach
Eliseo is currently the Youth and Young Adults pastor at Mortdale Oatley Baptist Church. He has four children, Jesiah, Gabriel, Myah, Abigail and is married to Laura.
Eliseo was only supposed to be in Young Adults ministry for a short while, yet he has developed such a love and passion for it that he has never left and now has over 10 years of experience. Eliseo knows that it’s a fantastic privilege to get beside someone, disciple them, and see them develop as a follower of Jesus.
In his spare time, Eliseo enjoys coaching his son’s football team, watching sport, going to the movies, and having people over for a meal.