A phrase that has stayed with James for 25 years is one spoken by John Stott, based on his observations from around the world: "The health of the Church depends on the health of its colleges." James has a passion that Oak Hill is "healthy" - faithful to the Scriptures, fostering Christlike character, a place where everyone flourishes - for the sake of a healthy Church.
That longing to see Scripture shape all of life has been reflected in his research and his ministry. His PhD was on Word and Spirit in Ezekiel. Since then, he has written chiefly on the book of Deuteronomy. He has taught many students Hebrew and Old Testament at both Oak Hill and Wycliffe Hall, Oxford. He was also Senior Tutor at Wycliffe Hall. Many of those students are serving in different pastoral ministry contexts around both the UK and the world.
Before coming to Oak Hill, James was Ministry director of Keswick Ministries, leading them through a paradigm shift in their ministry. In addition to stints at Oak Hill and at Wycliffe Hall, at different points in his life he has completed a degree in Experimental Psychology, worked with IBM, and served a curacy at Christ Church, Cockfosters.
He is married to Bridget and they have two adult daughters, Anna and Naomi. He and Bridget are glad to be part of Grace Church, Highlands. He enjoys golf, mountain-biking, growing vegetables and armchair cricket.