Dr. Steve Elers is an Associate Professor of Communication at LeTourneau University. Originally from New Zealand, he brings a diverse background in academia, public service, and Christian ministry.
He holds a Ph.D. in Communication from Auckland University of Technology; a Master of Public Relations and a Master of Learning and Development (Education Leadership) from the University of Southern Queensland; and a Master of Chaplaincy from the University of Otago.
As a communication scholar, he has published in top tier journals including New Media & Society, Management Communication Quarterly, Public Relations Review, and Health Communication, among others.
Before entering higher education, he served as a police officer in Perth, Western Australia. During his tenure at Massey University, he took a one-year secondment after being approached by the then Deputy Commissioner of New Zealand Police to work at New Zealand Police National Headquarters as a senior research advisor in the Evidence Based Policing Centre.
One example of his research is a report evaluating the effectiveness of visual and written communication in police custody cells encouraging arrested persons to attend their court hearings.
Dr. Elers has also contributed to political communication efforts in New Zealand. In the 2023 general election, he chaired an electorate campaign aimed at increasing engagement among Māori (Indigenous people) in national political discourse. His involvement supported efforts to build representation within the National Party, a center-right political party in New Zealand. The election resulted in a change in government from the Labour Party to a National Party-led coalition.
He appears in the top photograph of this article, and can also be seen with then-candidate, now Prime Minister of New Zealand, Christopher Luxon in the embedded video below.
In 2025, he was appointed by the New Zealand government as a Commissioner of the Representation Commission, tasked with determining electorate boundaries for the 2026 general election. Watch his appointment here.
He is an ordained Anglican minister and was the Vicar General (second-in-charge) of his Diocese – Te Hui Amorangi ki Te Upoko-o-te-Ika (the Māori Diocese of the Anglican Church from Wellington to Taranaki) – under Bishop Waitohiariki Quayle.
He also served as Priest-in-Charge of St Michael’s Māori Anglican Church in Palmerston North and sat on the General Synod Standing Committee (the governing body) of the national Anglican Church in New Zealand.
As a Christian leader in a lower socioeconomic area, Reverend Elers was often called upon to mediate conflicts between rival gangs. His ministry emphasized peace, restoration, and the power of prayer.
In one nationally-covered incident, he led a special church service after the killing of a gang member – to restore peace in the community. This service, held at St Michael’s Māori Anglican Church, reflected his belief that the gospel transforms communities. Read the news article here, and watch the service in the embedded video below.
Dr. Elers considers it a privilege to serve at LeTourneau University, where he helps students grow in faith, communication, and intercultural understanding.
