President of the Conference 2014-15. Born in Bolton and educated at primary schools in Bolton and Shrewsbury and at the Priory Boys' Grammar School Shrewsbury, he graduated BA in Classics from Selwyn College, Cambridge in 1973, and gained the University's Postgraduate Certificate in Education before teaching Classics and Religious Education at King Edward's School,Birmingham from 1974 to 1980. He took his MA in 1976. He became a Local Preacher in 1977 and in 1980 entered Wesley House, Cambridge, to prepare for ordained ministry. There he gained the University's Certificate in Theology in 1981 and the MPhil degree in 1983. Ordained in 1984 he served in the West London Mission (Hinde Street) from 1983 before being appointed Ecumenical Lecturer in New Testament Studies and Senior Methodist Tutor at Lincoln Theological College in 1988 until its closure in 1995. A series of connexional appointments followed: Secretary for Initial Ministerial Training 1995-2000, Secretary for Presbyteral Ministry and leader of the Formation in Ministry Office 2000-2004, and Assistant Secretary of the Conference 2004-2011, a post combined with Co-ordinating Secretary for Conference and Communications 2004-06 and thereafter with connexional Ecumenical Officer. In the latter capacity he became co-convener of the Joint Implementation Commission under the Anglican-Methodist Covenant (2008-2014). In 2011 he was appointed minister of the Ponte Sant' Angelo Methodist-Waldensian church in Rome, charged with the development of a World Methodist ecumenical office in the city. On his return to Britain in 2014 to assume the Presidency he was appointed to the Birmingham circuit. He was Fernley-Hartley lecturer in 1991 and Peake lecturer in 1998.
Publications: 'Experiencing Grace' in I H Jones & K Wilson, ed., Freedom and Grace 1988 ,'Ministerial Roles in Methodism' in Luscombe & Shreeve, ed., What is a Minister? 2002, 'Moving Forward in Covenant', 2011 (with Paul Avis), The Challenge of the Covenant: Uniting in Mission and Holiness 2013 (with Roger Paul), Glimpses of Love and Praise 2014, and contributions to numerous Conference reports.