News update Wycliffe Hall Oxford

WYCLIFFE HALL – STAFF UPDATE EASTER 2008

 I wanted to write to you personally to inform you of some exciting new staff appointments here at Wycliffe Hall. Firstly, we have an excellent new Tutor in New Testament Studies, Dr Justin Hardin, joining us in September 2008. In addition, over the past academic year, a number of improvements have been made to our staff structure, to ensure that we, as a leading theological college, continue to uphold the highest level of academic standards, whilst equipping men and women for modern Christian Ministry.  I am therefore taking this opportunity to introduce you to some of the new and existing members of the Wycliffe team. If, however, you have further questions, require additional information, or indeed would like to visit us here at the Hall, then please do not hesitate to contact us.  

Tutor in New Testament: Dr Justin Hardin

 Wycliffe Hall is delighted to announce the appointment, from 1^st September 2008, of Dr Justin Hardin to be a Tutor in New Testament Studies. Justin’s doctoral research (2002-2006) was conducted under Professor Graham Stanton at the University of Cambridge and his research monograph, Galatians and the Imperial Cult, has just been published in the prestigious WUNT series (Tubingen). As with several of our biblical tutors over the years, such as Philip Johnston, David Wenham and Peter Walker, Justin pursued his research at Tyndale House, Cambridge. Dr Bruce Winter, Tyndale’s Warden at the time has described Justin as the “most gifted PhD student in New Testament studies to be seen in the last 20 years”. So we look forward to Justin’s continuing our longstanding commitment to vigorous academic study of the New Testament within a committed evangelical perspective.  

Internal management improvements

 In addition to Dr Hardin’s arrival, Wycliffe has strengthened its internal management and administrative structures to take account of the Hall’s considerable expansion in recent years. This growth has seen the number of full-time students rise from around 100 in 2000/01 to 140 in 2007/08, with part-time students rising from 33 to 138 over the same period. To reflect this, recent internal appointments have included Revd Jenni Williams (who joined Wycliffe in 2005) who takes on a new role as Dean for Women, while Revd Dr Peter Walker (joined 1996) becomes Director of External Relations and Development and Revd Dr Benno van den Toren (Joined 2005) has been appointed Dean of Faculty.  From September this year, Dr Philip Johnston (Old Testament tutor at Wycliffe since 1995) will take over as Senior Tutor Designate from the Revd Peter Southwell, who retires this summer after 38 years of continuous and much valued service to the Hall. By way of a reminder, other appointments during this academic year have included: 

• Revd Dr Simon Vibert as Vice-Principal and Director of the School of Preaching – an exciting new initiative to restore confidence in the preaching of God’s Word;
• Revd Will Donaldson as Director of Christian Leadership with overall responsibilities for training and nurturing the leaders of tomorrow’s church;
• Revd Dr Elizabeth Hoare as Tutor in Prayer, Spirituality and Mission, responsible for one-to-one spiritual formation.
• Revd Dr Andrew Atherstone, tutor in History and Doctrine and Latimer Research Fellow.

 We also have two new ‘associate’ members of staff who are: 

• Dr Cathy Ross, lecturer in mission (in conjunction with CMS and Regents Park College)
• Revd Andrew Baughen teaching on church growth and helping our ‘pioneer’ ordinands, who joins others such as the Revd Simon Walker whose renowned ‘Spiritual Formation for Leadership’ course has become an integral part of all our teaching on spirituality since last September.

Poised for the future

Wycliffe thus stands unashamedly committed to the task of evangelical theology, and to developing this in every aspect of college life – in our biblical teaching, in our ministerial training and in our spiritual transformation. Within that, our calling is to reflect and honour a wide variety of approaches – whether ‘conservative’, ‘charismatic’ or more ‘contemplative’ in style – and to be a place marked by both clarity of conviction and charity of heart.

 I am delighted with our committed team of tutors – with their proven academic competence and extensive publications, and our support staff – with their professional and administrative skill. Along with their significant experience of local church leadership and with their passion for the Gospel of Jesus Christ and I am confident that Wycliffe is in a strong place to build on the past for the future. It is, we trust, a good, faithful, yet challenging place for a wide variety of students to come and learn with us to, ‘love the Lord, treasure his Word and serve his people’. Yours sincerely, 

Richard Turnbull (Principal) together with the Senior Management Team

(Simon Vibert, Peter Walker, Benno van den Toren, Will Donaldson, Helen Mitchell and Graham Robinson)