Citation for Award of Doctor of Theology (Honoris Causa) to Gregory Norman Hammond, 1 August 2025
Gregory Norman Hammond joined the Board (now Council) of the AUT in May 2014 and served for eleven years until May 2025, including a period as Interim Board Chair from July 2018 to September 2019. He was a Member of the Finance, Risk, Audit and Compliance Committee (FRAC) for almost 11 years, having first joined the committee in May 2014 when it was named the Audit and Risk Management Committee. He became Acting Chair of the Committee in June 2018 and was appointed Chair in October 2019, and he continued in that role through to May 2025.
Greg has made an unparalleled contribution to the governance and financial oversight of the AUT. He was a diligent and engaged member of Council, and he actively contributed to many strategic discussions, in addition to his leadership of finance and compliance matters. He was a highly effective FRAC Chair who was able to clearly identify issues, seek the perspectives of FRAC members, and work towards resolutions in the best interests of the AUT. He was very understanding and easy to work with, and shows great wisdom in dealing with complex matters. In Chairing FRAC meetings, he faithfully began each session with a Bible passage and prayer which has helped focus committee members on serving God. He had a particularly positive relationship with the Finance Department of the AUT.
The positive state of AUT governance, and the many good things that have flowed from this, including the achievement of university status, are due in no small part to the tireless public and private work of Greg. Outside of formal meetings, Greg has often taken time to informally provide advice to the Board Chair and Dean/Vice-Chancellor not only on finance, regulatory, governance and legal issues, but also on more general strategic matters, Affiliated College liaison, Consortium health and the spiritual direction of the AUT. He played a crucial role in providing strategic legal guidance during the Administrative Appeals Tribunal process.
Greg’s contribution can be seen in his service to the governance of the AUT, and its wider impact on theological education in Australia. By leading the AUT’s regulatory and governance obligations via FRAC and the Council, Greg has contributed greatly to the smooth functioning of AUT in overseeing a Consortium of Affiliated Colleges fostering theological education in Australia. His contributions to the strategic direction of AUT, including his work on the Constitution and AAT, have been of significant service to the AUT, its stakeholders, and theological education in general.
Regarding the Constitution, Greg’s actions not only initiated the discussion with senior leaders of the Anglican Church, but he played the key role in drafting the proposed revisions, and liaising with the representatives of the Anglican Church regarding refinement of the evolving draft, a process that was lengthy and arduous. Greg drafted multiple iterations of AUT Constitutional change, including the modest amendments in 2021, 2024 and 2025, as well as the major revision of 2022. It is worth noting that the Anglican Church was under no obligation to accept any of the proposed revisions in 2021 and 2022 as it had a controlling interest in AUT governance – it could easily have let the issue sit unaddressed rather than working through the proposed revisions and giving up its controlling interest. The success of this process is due in large part to the confidence that Greg instilled in Anglican Church representatives regarding the proposed changes.
Given that the new Constitution led to the Anglican Church remaining involved in AUT but also agreeing to expanded AUT Membership to a wider range of denominational and other Christian organisations such as missionary societies, Greg’s work has indirectly contributed to leadership of the Christian church. It is worth noting that this leadership applies more broadly than designated denominations. When the Church is viewed holistically, including organisations such as missionary agencies, the Constitutional revisions were of broad benefit to the Church in Australia as a whole.
Greg has been a great support and guide for the Vice-Chancellor, noting that Greg played a key role in encouraging the Vice-Chancellor to first consider applying for the role. The Vice-Chancellor is particularly grateful for his heroic efforts on the revisions to the AUT Constitution. Greg has regularly provided wise counsel amidst the many challenges of AUT governance, including pastoral concern for others. His guidance was done quietly and without fanfare. The leadership of the AUT would have been poorer without Greg’s generous and wise counsel.
First published 16 August 2025