Interests

Personal

Hometown: England
Spouse: Jane

My wife, Jane, and I traveled around the world for one year after marriage (1971–72). We have been married for 39 years and have three daughters, a son, two sons in law, one daughter in law and seven grandchildren. All except our eldest daughter, her husband, and her son and daughter, live in England. Jane is a floral designer and has a business doing weddings and parties (see her Web site at http://www.wildflowersstl.com/).

More About Me

I originally studied medicine and psychiatry in England and as a young resident was involved in teaching medical students the basics of psychiatry. We were then invited to help teach and counsel at the English L’Abri Fellowship (a study center and community) for one year. My wife and I and our three (it quickly became four) young children enjoyed living there so much that we stayed for 14 years! There I was able to pursue my interest in the interface between psychology, medicine, theology, and the life of the Church. There I also began to write—first on medical ethics and then on depression. Not only was I helping teach and counsel the students who came to live and study with us, I was an elder and associate pastor in the local International Presbyterian Church.

In approximately our eleventh year there, I received an invitation to explore the possibility of moving to St. Louis, Missouri, to help to develop the Master of Arts degree in counseling at Covenant Theological Seminary that would be approved for state licensure. I resisted for two years, but gradually the Lord loosened our roots in England. In 1992 we uprooted our family and moved across the ocean. It was a difficult and painful move for us all, and learning to teach in the American academic system was a major challenge for me. But we were welcomed very warmly by the seminary community, and I have come to love and deeply respect my fellow professors with whom it is a great privilege to work. There is a remarkable unity of belief and purpose among us and a deep care for one another. In recent years we have been challenged to think more about how we teach, and we have learned much from each others’ creativity in the classroom. All of us teach from a biblical and Reformed perspective, and this gives a solid theological foundation to the different departments and disciplines. All of us are deeply grateful for the grace of God in our imperfections and weaknesses.

The counseling students are taught to appreciate and critique the secular theories of our day from a biblical perspective. Most of our counseling graduates go on to obtain state licensure and to practice in churches and Christian counseling practices. Approximately 35 percent of them work in secular agencies and are deeply respected for their integrity and ability. I am thrilled that they can be salt and light in this way. A few students have gone on to PhD work, and some Master of Divinity students who have also earned the counseling degree say how invaluable it is in their pastoral work. One even said that it has improved his preaching enormously!

I believe that students who come to Covenant Seminary will greatly benefit from the community life, the transparency of the staff members, the quality of teaching, the pastoral care, and the constant challenge and encouragement to walk in a close relationship with our Lord who delights in us.