Mike Webb (pastor)
Encyclopedia
Mike Webb was born in London on 21 September 1956, and migrated to Australia at age 11 in 1967. Mike is most known for his appearances on Channel NWS-9 in Adelaide in the 1970s, and later finding the Christian faith, eventually becoming a pastor and the South Australian state leader for the Apostolic Church
Australia
. Mike also serves on the National Eldership of the movement.
found a passion for music at a young age which eventually led them to appearances and performances on local television channel NWS-9 in Adelaide
.
The brothers initially received the "Encouragement Award" alongside Faye Nelson and Deborah Kirk on SAS 10's New Faces
in 1971. This was a unique event as it was the first occasion that three acts had received the award in the same show. They later went on to win the grand final of the series, and became guest presenters on numerous TV Telethons, a popular form of raising funds for charity in the 1970s. They also appeared regularly on NWS 9's Stars of Tomorrow
and were popular guests on Ernie Sigley's Adelaide Tonight
in the 70's. In particular, Mike and Keith became teen hosts on Adelaide's version of the popular television show Hey Hey It's Saturday
in 1973.
Unfortunately for the brothers, the show only lasted a single season before the format was changed, and within a few years the Melbourne
show hosted by Daryl Sommers was syndicated throughout the Nine Network Australia Wide. Both Mike and Keith
have appeared alongside the likes of Lisa Edwards
who later went on to be one of John Farnham's
backing singers. Interestingly, Mike & Keith performed as one of the support acts for Farnham during an Australia Day concert at Memorial Drive
in 1973.
Their performances also included a number of "live" appearances on local radio stations.
Mike & Keith formed the band Web in the late 70's, performing at various Adelaide venues, eventually recording a number of their original songs at the ABC studios in Collinswood, showcasing their talent on ABC radio.
Mike went on to play in numerous bands and cover acts in the Adelaide area including Stiletto, the Michael Hunter Band, No Moving Parts and The Works.
. They later had their second son Luke in 1985. During this time, Mike continued to play in bands and write music with no real return to the limelight.
) eventually teamed up again to begin work on a Rock Opera
based on the prophecies of Nostradamus
. It was during research for this project that Mike first became a Christian
, initially worshiping at the Noarlunga Corps Salvation Army
in Morphett Vale. It was at this point in time that Mike put down the guitar and pulled out of the project with brother Keith, focusing instead on his faith.
Mike, Chrys and the family moved to Berri, South Australia
in 1994, where they started a small home fellowship group that eventually became Riverland Shekinah, and in a later name change, Riverland Central Christian Church, a member of the Apostolic Church Australia. It was here that Mike once again began singing and playing guitar as both Pastor and worship leader for the church and Mike was officially ordained as a minister of religion in the Apostolic Church. The church initially met in Berri
but eventually moved to Glossop, South Australia.
After planting Riverland Central, Mike Webb became the National Church Planting Director for the Apostolic Church, which included the beginning of churches across Australia, including a church plant in Gerard
, an Australian Aboriginal
mission in South Australia, and a church and orphanage in Kerala
India. Mike later passed on the role for "church planter" to become the state leader of the Apostolic Church for South Australia and the Northern Territory.
In 2006, Mike and his wife Chrys returned to Adelaide to take over Gateway Community Church
in Morphett Vale, but remained the Senior Pastors for Riverland Central until handing over the reins to Ps. David and Joella Crossfield in January 2007.
Apostolic Church
The Apostolic Church is a Pentecostal Christian denomination which can trace its origins back to the 1904-1905 Welsh Revival. Despite the relatively recent origin of the denomination, the church seeks to stand for first century Christianity in its faith, practices, and government.The purpose of the...
Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
. Mike also serves on the National Eldership of the movement.
Background
Mike Webb and his brother KeithKeith Houghton-Webb
Keith Houghton-Webb was born 5 February 1959 in London, England to John and Shirley Webb.Webb moved from England to Australia in 1967. Within a couple of years of arriving in Australia, Keith joined school-mates to form a small music group and entered a number of junior talent shows in Adelaide...
found a passion for music at a young age which eventually led them to appearances and performances on local television channel NWS-9 in Adelaide
Adelaide
Adelaide is the capital city of South Australia and the fifth-largest city in Australia. Adelaide has an estimated population of more than 1.2 million...
.
The brothers initially received the "Encouragement Award" alongside Faye Nelson and Deborah Kirk on SAS 10's New Faces
New Faces (Australian)
New Faces was an Australian talent show that preceded the British show of the same name, produced at GTV-9 Melbourne. The program began in 1963 under the name Kevin Dennis Auditions, sponsored by Kevin Dennis Motors, running on Saturday mornings...
in 1971. This was a unique event as it was the first occasion that three acts had received the award in the same show. They later went on to win the grand final of the series, and became guest presenters on numerous TV Telethons, a popular form of raising funds for charity in the 1970s. They also appeared regularly on NWS 9's Stars of Tomorrow
Stars of Tomorrow
Stars of Tomorrow is an Aruban reality-drama television series that premiered on ATV on May 5, 2010. The series was created and is largely written by Ben Steel and explores the life of a group of young actors in Aruba with acting aspirations....
and were popular guests on Ernie Sigley's Adelaide Tonight
Adelaide Tonight
Adelaide Tonight was a nightly variety show, running four days a week at 9.30pm on NWS-9 Adelaide. The show was broadcast live from Studio 1 between 1959 and 1973...
in the 70's. In particular, Mike and Keith became teen hosts on Adelaide's version of the popular television show Hey Hey It's Saturday
Hey Hey It's Saturday
Hey Hey It's Saturday was a long-running variety television program on Australian television. It initially ran for 27 years , debuting on the Nine Network on 9 October 1971 and broadcasting its last episode on 20 November 1999. Its host throughout its entire run was Daryl Somers, who would later...
in 1973.
Unfortunately for the brothers, the show only lasted a single season before the format was changed, and within a few years the Melbourne
Melbourne
Melbourne is the capital and most populous city in the state of Victoria, and the second most populous city in Australia. The Melbourne City Centre is the hub of the greater metropolitan area and the Census statistical division—of which "Melbourne" is the common name. As of June 2009, the greater...
show hosted by Daryl Sommers was syndicated throughout the Nine Network Australia Wide. Both Mike and Keith
Keith Houghton-Webb
Keith Houghton-Webb was born 5 February 1959 in London, England to John and Shirley Webb.Webb moved from England to Australia in 1967. Within a couple of years of arriving in Australia, Keith joined school-mates to form a small music group and entered a number of junior talent shows in Adelaide...
have appeared alongside the likes of Lisa Edwards
Lisa Edwards
Lisa Edwards is an Australian singer and musician, who had an Australian Top 5 hit with the Godley and Creme song Cry.Born in Adelaide, she is the daughter of a Jazz pianist and a stage performer. She made her stage debut aged seven with her father, who would then regularly take the young girl on...
who later went on to be one of John Farnham's
John Farnham
John Peter Farnham, AO, formerly billed as Johnny Farnham , is an English-born Australian pop singer. He was a teen pop idol from 1964 to 1979, and has since forged a career as an adult contemporary singer. His career has mostly been as a solo artist although he briefly replaced Glenn Shorrock as...
backing singers. Interestingly, Mike & Keith performed as one of the support acts for Farnham during an Australia Day concert at Memorial Drive
Memorial Drive Park
Memorial Drive Park, more generally referred to as "Memorial Drive", is a tennis venue, located adjacent to the Adelaide Oval, in the park lands surrounding the centre of Adelaide, South Australia...
in 1973.
Their performances also included a number of "live" appearances on local radio stations.
Mike & Keith formed the band Web in the late 70's, performing at various Adelaide venues, eventually recording a number of their original songs at the ABC studios in Collinswood, showcasing their talent on ABC radio.
Mike went on to play in numerous bands and cover acts in the Adelaide area including Stiletto, the Michael Hunter Band, No Moving Parts and The Works.
Marriage and children
Mike married wife Chrys (Christine Ann Webb) in 1976 and had their first child Lauren in 1979. Mike's love of music led him to name their first son, Marc, born in November 1980, after T-Rex front man Marc BolanMarc Bolan
Marc Bolan was an English singer-songwriter, guitarist and poet. He is best known as the founder, frontman, lead singer & guitarist for T. Rex, but also a successful solo artist...
. They later had their second son Luke in 1985. During this time, Mike continued to play in bands and write music with no real return to the limelight.
Conversion to Christianity
Mike and brother Keith (who had since moved to QueenslandQueensland
Queensland is a state of Australia, occupying the north-eastern section of the mainland continent. It is bordered by the Northern Territory, South Australia and New South Wales to the west, south-west and south respectively. To the east, Queensland is bordered by the Coral Sea and Pacific Ocean...
) eventually teamed up again to begin work on a Rock Opera
Rock opera
A rock opera is a work of rock music that presents a storyline told over multiple parts, songs or sections in the manner of opera. A rock opera differs from a conventional rock album, which usually includes songs that are not unified by a common theme or narrative. More recent developments include...
based on the prophecies of Nostradamus
Nostradamus
Michel de Nostredame , usually Latinised to Nostradamus, was a French apothecary and reputed seer who published collections of prophecies that have since become famous worldwide. He is best known for his book Les Propheties , the first edition of which appeared in 1555...
. It was during research for this project that Mike first became a Christian
Christian
A Christian is a person who adheres to Christianity, an Abrahamic, monotheistic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus of Nazareth as recorded in the Canonical gospels and the letters of the New Testament...
, initially worshiping at the Noarlunga Corps Salvation Army
Salvation Army
The Salvation Army is a Protestant Christian church known for its thrift stores and charity work. It is an international movement that currently works in over a hundred countries....
in Morphett Vale. It was at this point in time that Mike put down the guitar and pulled out of the project with brother Keith, focusing instead on his faith.
Mike, Chrys and the family moved to Berri, South Australia
Berri, South Australia
Berri is a town in the Riverland region of South Australia. It is 238 kilometres north-east of Adelaide, the capital of the state of South Australia. It is primarily an agricultural and viticultural town on the north bank of the Murray River...
in 1994, where they started a small home fellowship group that eventually became Riverland Shekinah, and in a later name change, Riverland Central Christian Church, a member of the Apostolic Church Australia. It was here that Mike once again began singing and playing guitar as both Pastor and worship leader for the church and Mike was officially ordained as a minister of religion in the Apostolic Church. The church initially met in Berri
Berri, South Australia
Berri is a town in the Riverland region of South Australia. It is 238 kilometres north-east of Adelaide, the capital of the state of South Australia. It is primarily an agricultural and viticultural town on the north bank of the Murray River...
but eventually moved to Glossop, South Australia.
After planting Riverland Central, Mike Webb became the National Church Planting Director for the Apostolic Church, which included the beginning of churches across Australia, including a church plant in Gerard
Gerard (Aboriginal Council)
The Gerard Community Council is a small, aboriginally controlled local government area located in The Riverland, South Australia. The community is dependent on the River Murray, with some horticulture and grazing in the district...
, an Australian Aboriginal
Indigenous Australians
Indigenous Australians are the original inhabitants of the Australian continent and nearby islands. The Aboriginal Indigenous Australians migrated from the Indian continent around 75,000 to 100,000 years ago....
mission in South Australia, and a church and orphanage in Kerala
Kerala
or Keralam is an Indian state located on the Malabar coast of south-west India. It was created on 1 November 1956 by the States Reorganisation Act by combining various Malayalam speaking regions....
India. Mike later passed on the role for "church planter" to become the state leader of the Apostolic Church for South Australia and the Northern Territory.
In 2006, Mike and his wife Chrys returned to Adelaide to take over Gateway Community Church
Gateway Community Church
Gateway Community Church is a diversified denomination and one of the few churches in Baguio City, Philippines that focuses its ministry in purposeful community engagement in fulfilling the Great Commission...
in Morphett Vale, but remained the Senior Pastors for Riverland Central until handing over the reins to Ps. David and Joella Crossfield in January 2007.