The Rev’d Dr Don Owers

Biography

Don is the Ministry Development Advisor for St Barnabas College. Prior to this he was Acting principal at SBC for two years after serving for almost ten years as the Principal and CEO of Tabor College of Higher Education,  Adelaide – a multi-denominational higher education and theological college with just under 1000 students. Before moving to Tabor in 2006 he spent over twenty years in parish ministry serving curacies in West Tamworth NSW and Kensington SA and then as Rector of the Parish of Magill SA until 2005.

Don trained for ministry at Ridley College under the great Leon Morris, undertook his doctoral studies at Fuller Seminary and also holds a Masters in Community Management from UTS. In 2007 he was made a Member of the Order of Australia for service to survivors of church related abuse and his current research interest relates to the lived experience of the families of survivors.

In addition to his work at St Barnabas College Don has continued his work, begun while at Tabor, to work in the broader field of higher education for equitable funding for undergraduate students who choose to study at independent higher education providers (which include many faith based institutions). He has been Chair of the Council of Private Higher Education since 2012 and in that capacity has served on a number of high level advisory groups culminating with his recent appointment to the Federal Government’s Higher Education Standards Panel.

Don is married to Elizabeth, they have two children and three grandchildren. He views the chief role of grandparents as being to mitigate the effects of parents and puts this responsibility into practice by constantly indulging his grandchildren – an endeavour in which Elizabeth is an enthusiastic ally. Don enjoys landscape photography and travel and prior to his current appointment had been looking forward to doing more of that!