My wife Pat and I are delighted to be writing to you all at Shatin Church to introduce ourselves. We remember one or two of you from a number of years ago when we lived in Hong Kong (1987 – 1991) and I was on the staff of St. Andrew’s Church. We look forward to sharing new friendships and fellowship.
I initially studied Natural Sciences at Cambridge University and completed graduate study at the University of British Columbia, Vancouver, Canada in “biopsychology” (well done if you have heard of that!). My time in Canada was very good because I met and married Pat there. At the time she was working for the campus staff of “Campus Crusade for Christ”.
When we returned to England I spent some time working as a camera salesman (photography is one of my hobbies) before training for Ordination in the Church of England at Ridley Hall, Cambridge.
Since my Ordination in 1984, I have served in Liverpool (north west England), Kowloon, Billingham (north east England) and currently Durham (a historic Cathedral city in the north east of England). Our time in Durham has been wonderful. We have been here just short of twelve years. I have been involved in a number of exciting developments in our children’s, youth and student ministry. We have seen God use the “Alpha” course powerfully to bring people to faith. Overall, we have seen people finding their place in God’s church and exercising the gifts and ministries he intends for us. We have managed to become a church that demonstrates “unity with diversity” which I see as a biblical pattern. We have a strong sense of our core vision and values but we seek to prosper healthy “dissent” so that different voices can be heard as we move forward together. We try to model the grace of God in giving people opportunities to explore and discover faith at the pace that is right for them.
There is so much more to do here but we have reached the conclusion that we have done all that God has called us to do and He has someone else in mind to lead the next phase of the life of St. Nicholas Church. Please pray for God’s guidance to be clear in the process of appointing my successor. At St. Nic’s I am profoundly grateful that I followed on from previous faithful and fruitful Christian ministry in this place and I know that is the situation in Shatin Anglican Church too. Please pray for Pat and me as we prepare for our move to join you and also for our children Cora (aged 23) and Peter (aged 21) as they adjust to life in England without us.

It was a very emotional day for us as the news of our move was announced to our four congregations here in Durham; people were quite shocked but they overwhelmed us with their understanding, compassion and love. People prayed for us and the church in Hong Kong and Shatin in a lovely, gracious way. I trust their prayers for people to come to faith and Christians to be built up and sent out will be fulfilled over the next few years.
Finally, I hope to find some people to play squash with (another of my hobbies) and I look
forward to returning to some of my favourite places in the New Territories, such as Mai Po and Tai Po Kau (I am a keen bird watcher). While in Durham, Pat has been teaching English to adult speakers of other languages and we will see what opportunities to continue this emerge for her alongside any ministries in the life of Shatin Church that are right for her at this time.
We can hardly wait to join you – but please be patient with us when we arrive as we learn
names and acquaint ourselves with life in Hong Kong as it is today. In the meantime, please be assured of our prayers for you.