Leadership & Lecturers
The genius of London Seminary is simply this: pastors training pastors.
London Seminary lecturers provide not only excellent intellectual content but also the kind of wisdom and maturity that is only developed through years of first-hand pastoral experience in local churches.
Leadership
Bill James
Principal
Bill worked in the pharmaceutical industry for several years before training as a pastor. He was pastor of Emmanuel Church, Leamington Spa, for 26 years, before his appointment as Principal of London Seminary.
David Green
Vice Principal
David has a doctorate in the History of Art and taught in further and higher education before training for the ministry at London Seminary.
He was minister of Bishopdown Baptist Church in Salisbury for ten years before his appointment as Vice-Principal of the Seminary.
He has spoken widely on aspects of contemporary culture, postmodernism and consumerism, written journal articles and published conference papers.
He also runs Hebrew Study Days for the Pastors’ Academy.
Garry Williams
Director of Pastors’ Academy
As well as lecturing on the London Seminary course, Garry oversees the work of the Pastors’ Academy, teaching Study Hours, Days, Projects, and on the ThM course.
He is Adjunct Professor of Historical Theology at Puritan Reformed Theological Seminary (Michigan).
Alongside these positions he serves as the Minister of Ebenezer Chapel, Luton, a congregation in the International Presbyterian Church.
His long-term project is to publish a biblical, historical, and systematic study of the doctrine of penal substitutionary atonement. He also writes more popular works, including a volume offering encouragement and challenge to Christians today from the lives of figures in church history.
Matthew Mason
Assistant Director of Pastors’ Academy
Matthew has served as a pastor of churches in the UK and USA. In addition to teaching on the London Seminary course, he is the Assistant Director of the Pastors’ Academy and an associate fellow of the Kirby Laing Centre for Public Theology.
He has published journal articles and book chapters on sexuality, gender, transgender, catechesis, and the Lord’s Supper, and is currently working on a theological commentary on Ruth.
His longer-term writing project is in the area of theological anthropology. More generally, he is interested in the intersection of doctrine and ethics as aspects of the ministry of the Word of God.
Main Lecturers
Bill James
New Testament; Biblical Theology; Preaching; Pastoral Studies
Bill worked in the pharmaceutical industry for several years before training as a pastor. He was pastor of Emmanuel Church, Leamington Spa, for 26 years, before his appointment as Principal of London Seminary.
David Green
Biblical Hebrew; Old Testament; Biblical Theology; Preaching; Contemporary Studies
David has a doctorate in the History of Art and taught in further and higher education before training for the ministry at London Seminary.
He was minister of Bishopdown Baptist Church in Salisbury for ten years before his appointment as Vice-Principal of the Seminary.
He has spoken widely on aspects of contemporary culture, postmodernism and consumerism, written journal articles and published conference papers.
He also runs Hebrew Study Days for the Pastors’ Academy.
Garry Williams
Systematic Theology; Contemporary Studies
As well as lecturing on the London Seminary course, Garry oversees the different activities of the Pastors’ Academy.
He is Visiting Professor of Historical Theology at Westminster Theological Seminary (Philadelphia) and Adjunct Professor of Historical Theology at Puritan Reformed Theological Seminary (Michigan), teaching on the ThM and PhD programmes at the Pastors’ Academy.
His long-term project is to publish a biblical, historical, and systematic study of the doctrine of penal substitutionary atonement.
He also writes more popular works, including a volume offering encouragement and challenge to Christians today from the lives of figures in church history.
Paul Mallard
Systematic Theology; Pastoral Studies
Paul has served as pastor in three churches since 1982. He is currently the pastor of Widcombe Baptist Church in Bath.
For three years he was the President of the Fellowship of Independent Evangelical Churches. He has been involved in a variety of ministerial training schemes and has also been engaged in pastoring pastors.
He has written two books: Invest Your Suffering and Staying Fresh.
Stéphane Simonnin
New Testament Greek; Church History
Stéphane worked as a solicitor in London before training for the pastorate at the London Seminary.
He served as pastor of Kew Baptist Church in London and in baptist churches in Italy for a number of years.
He holds law degrees from the University of Kent and the University of Grenoble (France) and a Th.M. in historical theology from Westminster Theological Seminary in Philadelphia.
Martin Salter
Hermeneutics; Mission & Evangelism
Martin is lead pastor at Grace Community Church, Bedford where he has served for the last 12 years.
He completed a PhD in 2017 in the area of ‘missional ethics’.
He has authored a number of books and articles for church and academy including Mission in Action and So Loved. He’s married with three kids and in his spare time enjoys cooking and running.
Matthew Mason
Ethics, Contemporary Studies
Matthew has served as a pastor of three churches in the UK and USA. In addition to teaching on the London Seminary course, he is the Assistant Director of the Pastors’ Academy.
He is interested in the intersection of doctrine and Christian ethics as related aspects of the ministry of God’s Word, and has published and taught on sexual ethics, gender, transgender, prayer and catechesis.
Robert Strivens
Church History
Robert Strivens is pastor of Bradford on Avon Baptist Church. He teaches church history at London Seminary, and writes and speaks on current and historical matters concerning the life of the church and the Christian faith.
His PhD was on Philip Doddridge and he has a particular interest in Puritanism and Dissent.
He is married to Sarah and they have three sons and a growing number of grandchildren.
John Benton
Preaching
Dr John Benton was a pastor for 35 years, and editor of Evangelicals Now for 27 years before becoming Pastoral Support Director with the Pastors’ Academy.
He is the author of a number of books, and continues an extensive preaching ministry in churches around the country.
Mike Gilbart-Smith
New Testament; Church Government
Mike has been the pastor of Twynholm Baptist Church in Fulham since 2008. Before that, Mike served as Assistant Pastor at Capitol Hill Baptist Church, Washington DC (2005–2008) and at Farnham Baptist Church, Surrey (2002–2005).
Mike holds a degree in Theological and Pastoral Studies from Oak Hill College, and in Mathematics from Cambridge University.
Michael Prest
Mission & Evangelism
Michael started his working life in pharmacy management. He served in pastoral ministry at Beeston Free Church, Nottingham and as a missionary in SE Asia, before starting in his current role as Director of UFM Worldwide in 2017.
Michael is married to Rachel, with 4 children and serves as an elder at Emmanuel Church, Marlborough.
