Steering Group

John is an ex-parish priest in Carlisle, an ex-seminary professor, ex-missionary in Zambia, ex-school chaplain, and now ex-cited to be with Engaging in Theology in Cumbria!

Mark is an independent writer and consultant on education, religion, worldviews, ecology, theology, and dialogue. A former teacher, academic, policy adviser, and charitable trust Director, he is currently Professor of Practice at the University of Cumbria.

Mark’s publications include Does Religious Education Have a Future? Pedagogical and Policy Prospects (2013), Reforming RE: Power and Knowledge in a Worldviews Curriculum (2020), and Jesus Christ, Learning Teacher: Where Theology and Pedagogy Meet (2020).

Glynn is an Anglican priest who was ordained in 1994. He served 40 years in HM Prison Service (formerly as physical education instructor, latterly as chaplain) in nine establishments of various security, age and gender categories.

From 2016 Glynn has held the Bishop’s licence as ‘Chaplain to Chaplains in the Diocese of Carlisle’. He was awarded a professional doctorate (DMin) by the University of Chester in 2020, following a research interest that explored the impact of the implementation of Mission Communities on chaplaincy models.

Glynn continues an interest in the theology of chaplaincy as an associate tutor of ‘Chaplaincy Masterclasses’ for Lindisfarne College of Theology. His wife Liz and Glynn have been married for 43 years and have two boys, Andrew (41) and Oliver (40), and a wonderful granddaughter, Grace (13).

Yvette is the Network Youth Church Minister for Carlisle Diocese in the West coast area, a post she took up seven years ago. She loves being close to the seaside and is passionate about giving young people the opportunity to explore and debate God’s word and grapple with what it might mean for them today.

Previously, Yvette served in the Eden Valley area as a youth and community development worker for seven years, while also working in a children’s home for boys, with children and young people with emotional and behavioural difficulties. She has a BA (Hons) in informal and community education in youth work from Canterbury University.

Yvette is married to Martin, and they have two children: Esther and Phoebe.

Jane is Continuing Ministerial Development and Leadership Enabler at Cumbria Christian Learning. She works with lay and clergy together to support Mission Communities, and organises training and development for clergy in their ministry.

Karl is Vice-Principal of the All Saints Centre for Mission and Ministry. He previously worked as Course Co-ordinator for the Open Theological College, Research Fellow at the University of Gloucestershire, Senior Lecturer at the University of Cumbria, Senior Tutor at the Lancashire and Cumbria Theological Partnership, and Principal of Initial Ministerial Education at Cumbria Christian Learning. 

He has taught widely in biblical studies, Judaism and spirituality, and has published a range of articles on the Old Testament and co-edited Renewing Biblical Interpretation (2000), After Pentecost: Language and Biblical Interpretation (2001), Out of Egypt: Biblical Theology and Biblical Interpretation (2004), and Reading the Law: Studies in Honour of Gordon J. Wenham (2007).

He is the author of A Prophet in Debate: The Rhetoric of Persuasion in the Book of Amos  (2003), Reading Amos as a Book (2014) and The Song of Songs: Beautiful Bodies, Erotic Desire and Intoxicating Pleasure (2018). Karl’s latest book, Jonah’s Story, Our Challenge: Reading a Biblical Narrative for Today’s Church and World, will be published by SCM Press.

Karl has developed a strong interest in biblical-theological perspectives on migration, seeking sanctuary and hospitality, and is currently working on a book project in that area.

Andrew is a parish priest in the south of Cumbria on the shores of Morecambe Bay serving the parishes of Beetham and Arnside with Storth. Before this he served as Assistant Curate of the Cartmel Peninsula Team Ministry.

Andrew is a native Cumbrian, born and brought up on the Solway Firth in the village of Abbey Town, before reading History at Selwyn College Cambridge and then Theology at the University of Oxford whilst undertaking theological training at Ripon College, Cuddesdon.

In the wider Diocese, aside from serving on the Steering Group of Engaging Theology in Cumbria, Andrew serves on Bishop’s Council, the Diocesan Advisory Committee and and as an Assistant Diocesan Director of Ordinands.

Nicki is an Anglican priest serving four post-industrial/ rural communities on the west coast of Cumbria. Prior to ordination, Nicki worked as a Social Worker and project worker in Cumbria. She is also a long-standing associate member of the Iona Community and is currently on the new members programme.

Nicki is passionate about exploring how our faith can shape and sustain our responses to the everyday challenges of life, particularly relating to issues of justice, peace and care for creation.