Born at Kings Lynn, he was educated at Culford School, Newcastle University, Fitzwilliam College, Cambridge and Wesley House. He had a distinguished educational career: as Chaplain at Westminster College (1968-69), Assistant Tutor, Wesley College, Bristol (1969-71), Chaplain at Kingswood School (1973-82), Headmaster of Kent College, Pembury (1983-90) and of The Leys School (1990-2004). He was Chairman of the WMC Education Committee and also Vice-Chairman of the International Association of Methodist Schools, Colleges and Universities from 1991 to 2001. He received an honorary DD from Florida South University in 1992. From 2004 he became the first Principal of the Anglo-Chinese International School in Singapore, founded by the Methodist Church in Singapore. He retired in December 2009, but continued as a member of the Board of Directors. He was Chairperson of the World Methodist Council for the 2006-2111 quinquennium. From 2010 -12, he was Chair of the Education Commission, which reported to the Conference of 2012. He was joint author, with John Robinson, of a review of MIST in 2014, and became a trustee of MIST in 2015.