Major Christian Tyson is the former head of the New Zealand Salvation Army Media Unit and the ‘Patron’ - type person to help the Kiwi young writers establish themselves as a separate entity to the Australian young writers ministry.
Recently Christina Tyson checked out existing discussions around the legal entity and is in the process of reaching out to the group to agree a time to chat online.
Journalism and communication
In 2000, Christina Tyson decided to pursue the opportunity to serve in a specialised area of vocation: journalism and publishing. Christina started a BA in Journalism and Mass Communications with Monash University in Melbourne, graduating in March 2007.
From 2002 to 2017, Christina Tyson worked at The Salvation Army’s head office in a number of communications roles, including editing its fortnightly magazine ‘War Cry’. Since 2018 Christina was working to support local Salvation Army churches and recruit future leaders. In 2020 Christina is returning to Corps ministry with her husband Keith. In recent months, and over the next few years, she will be involved in The Salvation Army's response to the New Zealand a Royal Commission of Inquiry into Abuse.
Christina encourages more young people to consider journalism and communication as exceptionally fulfilling careers and areas where Christian values of compassion and creativity have much to offer.
Recently Christina Tyson sent out a circular to New Zealand Salvation Army networks for additional young writers and two additional young people have joined the Kiwi young writers.
Kiwi young writers
Christina Tyson was a foundation Panellist for the Kiwi young writers, a senior writer in the program which supports the younger writers and coordinated the 2014 Wellington Kiwi young writers conference.
The original link with the Kiwi young writer program was through the Australasian Religious Press Association (ARPA) when Christina Tyson as the Salvation Army Media representative met Press Service International's Dr Mark Tronson (Australian young writers) at the ARPA conferences.
When the Kiwi young writer program was being envisaged in 2011 to commence mid year 2012, Dr Mark Tronson wrote to each of the New Zealand ARPA member “Christian media” seeking their support to provide young people 18-30 years.
Christina Tyson as head of the Salvation Army Media Unit responded with a young writer and has since over all these years recommended quite a number.
One of those was Wellington's Salvation Army young writer Rebecca Howan who received the 2019 NZ Basil Sellers Award. Rebecca Howan is also a member of the NZ Youth Choir and travels extensively with the troupe.
The role of this fresh undertaking as Patron, is to guide the Kiwi young writers to their own legal entity apart from the Australian young writer program.
2020 will be Kiwi young writer's ninth year and these young people have so many talents that to establish their own entity should follow.
Blake Gardiner is from Auckland, sounds American, looks Swedish, but grew up in Laos. As an introvert, Blake lives life on the edge by socialising. When he isn’t putting his life at such risk, he enjoys reading theology and debating whether Interstellar is truly the greatest movie of all time.
Hailing from North Auckland, Blake Gardiner sounds American, looks Swedish, but grew up in Laos. As an introvert, Blake lives life on the edge by socialising. When he isn’t putting his life at such risk, he enjoys reading theology and debating whether Interstellar is truly the greatest movie of all time. Blake is married to fellow young writer Jessica Gardiner.
