New Director of The John Owen Centre

March 22, 2009

London Theological Seminary (LTS) is pleased to announce the appointment of Dr. Garry Williams as full‐time Director of the John Owen Centre. Dr. Williams will take up his appointment on 1st July, 2009.  Dr. Williams studied theology at Oxford and worked as a school teacher. Since 1999 he has served as Lecturer in Church History and Doctrine at Oak Hill Theological College in London. He has published popular and academic works on subjects ranging from The Da Vinci Code to the doctrine of the atonement.

The John Owen Centre was established by the Board of LTS to help equip evangelical churches in the U.K. to address contemporary theological issues. The Centre provides high‐level theological teaching for ministers of the Gospel and other church leaders and teachers, as well as opportunities for in‐depth theological study. Its aim is to refresh and enrich their ministries for the nourishment and strengthening of the people of God.

The distinctives of the Centre are its consistently Reformed theology, its nonconformist identity, its
international connections, its commitment to working with men already in ministry, and its offering both demanding formal academic programmes and more easily accessed shorter blocks of high level teaching and study.  Since its inception, the Centre has offered a two‐year part‐time Master’s program from Westminster Theological Seminary (Philadelphia) in Historical & Systematic Theology and has organized a number of conferences on significant theological issues of the day. It runs a theological study group as well as advanced classes in Hebrew and Greek.

Dr. Williams will continue this work and seek to develop new activities, including: guided study‐leave periods for ministers. These will provide an opportunity for ministers to spend time in private study at LTS. Guidance will be given on a programme of reading, together with one‐to‐one or small group tutorials. Study days on particular theological topics. These will involve one day intensive lectures and seminars with small groups of ministers on important and currently live theological topics.

Robert Strivens, Principal of LTS, comments:
"This is a very exciting development for the John Owen Centre (JOC). We have for some time wanted to find a full time Director for the Centre, to lead and develop the work to its full potential. We are delighted that Garry will be taking up this post in the summer. His learning and experience make him admirably qualified for the role and we look forward enormously to his joining the team here."

Garry Williams comments:
"I am hugely excited about directing and developing the already excellent work of the John Owen Centre. The role of the Westminster faculty in teaching the Th.M. places its formal academic programme among the best in the world. And yet alongside that, the JOC has the flexibility to offer high level theological teaching that does not require registration on a long‐term programme. This gives it an unusual agility in meeting the needs of ministers who are already serving churches. I am praying that the work of the JOC will glorify the Lord Jesus Christ as His under‐shepherds are strengthened in their care for His flock."
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If you would like to receive details of the John Owen Centre’s forthcoming activities, please email: johnowen@ltslondon.org.

LTS ‐ 17th March 2009