Meet our staff members

The Revd Dr David Bryan

B.Sc B.Theol. D.Phil (Oxon) - Principal

David is the leader of the community of learning and formation.  Before joining Lindisfarne he was Rector of St Andrew’s, Darlington. He previously taught New Testament Studies at the Queen’s Foundation, Birmingham. His special interest is research about Jesus and his homeland and he has published a Lent book entitled ‘Jesus: his home, his journey, his challenge’ (2013). He is passionate about the need for fresh and imaginative approaches to mission and ministry and desperately wants the churches in the region to flourish and grow. David has also written a book on the Old Testament and articles connected to Jesus Studies. Other passions include Liverpool FC, spending time in the Peak District with his family, and the music of U2.

Julian Ward

Director of Business and Finance

Julian leads the business and operational areas of Lindisfarne College of Theology.  He is a Reader in Durham Diocese (East & West Rainton) and an Alumnus of Lindisfarne, having gained his BA in Theology, Ministry and Mission in 2016. He trained as an accountant and ran his own Direct Marketing Company for 25 years. He and his wife Vanessa have two boys, a horse and two cats. Julian plays the piano, the organ and the piano accordion. He also enjoys hill walking, running, caravanning and Scottish Dancing.

Dr Melody Briggs

BA, MA, MA, PhD (Sheffield) - Director of Studies

Melody is the Director of Studies and is also responsible for teaching Mission Studies and Theology. She has worked in the field of theological education for over twenty years and has taught in a variety of settings, including churches, mission teams, a range of theological colleges and courses, and Durham University’s Community and Youth Work course. She is the Visiting Fellow in Bible and Christian Ministry at St John’s College, Durham and author of the books, ‘How Children Read Biblical Narrative’ (2017) and the Grove Booklet, ‘Interpreting Bible Stories for Children and Young Teens’ (2016). Melody is married, has three mostly grown children, and one lively puppy.

Dr Caleb Gordon

BA, MA, PhD (Manchester) - Postgraduate Director of Studies

Caleb’s academic background is in history, philosophy, and theology, and his current research investigates the potential application of aesthetic approaches to environmental ethics and theology. This research is motivated by an interest in the ways that environments can facilitate different experiences, and whether certain possibilities of experience ought to be prioritised on ethical or theological grounds. Caleb is also very interested in the ways that the Church develops, teaches, and discusses environmental theology. Originally from Alaska, he currently lives in Newcastle with his wife, Hannah.

The Revd Dr Julia Candy

BA, BA, PhD - Interim Pastoral Theology Tutor

Julia was ordained priest in 2011 in Durham. After her curacy she has served as both a parish priest and healthcare chaplain. Prior to ordination, Julia was a university lecturer in Psychology. Her PhD examined the role of political conflict and socio-economic status upon children’s development of national identity and sectarian attitudes. Currently her main areas of interest are psychology of religion (particularly exploring the prevalence of stigmatising attitudes towards mental health and disability within the Church), philosophy of religion, liberation theology, and interfaith dialogue. Julia is an avid reader, particularly Russian and French literature, loves attending the theatre and visiting art galleries. She regards herself to be the Pet Shop Boys’ biggest fan. She is married and has a young son.

Alison Blackburn

B.Ed - Interim Pastoral Theology Tutor

Alison oversees the Durham Diocesan Pastoral Ministry and Authorised Lay Ministry of the Word courses, and is involved with setting up chaplaincy placements.  She has taught across the ages, always responsible for RE and latterly for Personal, Health and Social Education and was Acting Head for a time. Alison also supervised a 6^th form Community Service Programme and accompanied groups on field trips to the Cotswolds (hence her enthusiasm for residentials!).

After retirement from teaching, Alison trained with Lindisfarne to become a Licensed Lay Minister (formerly Reader) and went on to qualify with a BA in Theology, Mission and Ministry. A life-changing experience during this time was the pilgrimage to Israel with the Ordinands. She is fully committed to the LCT approach – local, contextualised learning, which, among other advantages, enables those who cannot commit to full-time training to fulfil their call to ministry. As a Personal Tutor, Alison finds it a great privilege to accompany students along their formational pathway. More widely, she loves to encourage people to share stories about their lives, their experiences and their encounters with God.

Married with two grown-up children and a young grandson, Alison likes to keep active (especially walking in the Lake District). A keen musician, she has been a member of a variety of choirs and chamber groups. She regularly visits her 98-year-old father, who lives nearby in a care home.

Jenny Burton

Academic Administrator

Jenny is LCT’s Academic Administrator. She is the first port of call for all student enquiries and information about the BATMM and MATMM programmes.

Tracy Reynolds

BA, PGDip (Adult Education), MA - Learning Support Lead

Tracy is the Learning Support Lead for Lindisfarne.  She has a creative arts background, working in education for many years as course tutor and programme leader in Theatre and Media Studies. Mostly working with adults returning to education and also with students with learning disabilities, Tracy has always been interested in inclusion and has worked on a number of projects to try and encourage wider participation amongst those for whom written language is particularly difficult. She has been an actor, director, teacher, writer and parish priest. Lately she has been discovering and exploring visual arts in printing and mixed media and discovering connections between art-making, writing and faith.

The Revd Canon Dr Alan Bartlett

BA, MA, PhD - Tutor, Denominational History and Principles; Mission and Ecclesiology

Alan is Clergy Development Advisor for the Diocese of Durham. He is also a Visiting Fellow at St John’s College Durham and a non-residentiary canon of Durham Cathedral. Previously he was vicar of St Giles’ Durham with Sherburn and Shadforth for nine years and before that was Tutor in Anglican Studies, Church History and Spirituality at Cranmer Hall and Director of the postgraduate programmes. He served his curacies in Newcastle. He is the author of Humane Christianity (2004), A Passionate Balance (2007) and Looking through Jesus (forthcoming). He is also Chair of the Lindisfarne Board of Examiners and a Member of the Board of Trustees. Alan is married with two adult children and two not very adult dogs!

The Revd Dr Michael Beck

BD, DMin - Tutor, Introduction to Preaching; Theology, Ritual & Pastoral Care

Michael has more than 30 years of experience as a parish priest in a wide variety of contexts including locum hospital chaplain, police chaplain, area dean and Durham’s Director of Reader Ministry. He was Reader Formational Tutor with Lindisfarne until retirement in July 2016. Michael’s major academic interest is in preaching (his DMIn is in this area), and also in bereavement studies and music. He is married with one adult son and enjoys reading (especially military history), musical theatre and gardening.

The Revd Andrew Bowsher

BA, PG Cert(s), MA - Tutor, Developing Mission and Ministry

Andii is currently Chaplain at Northumbria University. Previously he was parish priest in South and West Yorkshire in urban contexts and university chaplain in Bradford. He was also a lecturer in Practical Theology at St John’s Nottingham. When he’s not wrestling his grandsons or amusing his granddaughter, he likes to walk the beach at Cullercoats with his wife or have coffee with her in Jesmond. Currently he’s writing a daily office based on the Lord’s prayer and researching how Christian students transition to university in addition to the ‘day job’ of co-ordinating a team of differing faiths trying to engage a large secular university.

The Revd Dr Richard Briggs

DipHE, MA, PhD - Tutor, Introduction to an Old Testament Book

Richard is the Prior of the Community of St Cuthbert, a dispersed community of Christian disciples based at St Nic’s church in Durham market square, and serving the wider diocese and county of Durham. Before this he taught the Old Testament for 18 years at Cranmer Hall in Durham, and has written several books on various Old Testament topics. He was ordained in the C of E in 2015. He is married to Melody, who works at LCT. When not working he devotes unreasonable time and energy to his love of classic Dr Who – with Jon Pertwee of course being the best doctor.

Mike Chater

Chaplain

Mike is one of the chaplains for Lindisfarne CT, and a Reader for almost 40 years.  He trained in Liverpool Diocese and served in two parishes there before moving to Durham 16 years ago where he is part of the ministry at St John’s Church, Neville’s Cross on the edge of the City of Durham.  Professionally, Mike was a Chartered Civil Engineer specialising in road safety.  In retirement, as well as serving in St John’s as Reader and churchwarden, and as chaplain to Lindisfarne, Mike offers spiritual direction through St Antony’s Priory, is a trustee of the Institution of Civil Engineers Benevolent Fund, and volunteers at Locomotion, the railway museum in Shildon.  He is married to Nicky and has two growing up children, a cat and a dog (that seems to be important!)  He enjoys reading, walking, anything to do with railways, and escaping into the garage to work on his models of the Somerset & Dorset Railway.  In ministry there is nothing better than listening to people telling their stories – ‘I get to see a bigger Jesus!’

The Revd Dr Hannah Cleugh

MA, DPhil (Oxon) - Tutor, Denominational History and Principles; Introduction to Worship

Hannah is Vicar of Monkseaton St Peter in the Diocese of Newcastle, having served her curacy in Oxford, as a university chaplain in Durham, and then as Senior Chaplain to the Bishop of Ely. She is an Honorary Fellow in the Department of Theology and Religion at Durham University. A Reformation historian by background, Hannah’s research interests focus primarily on Anglican identity and ecclesiology in the seventeenth century, and also on how those questions play out in the contemporary Anglican Communion. She is married to David, who is also ordained, and they have one daughter and two spaniels.

Caleb Day

BA, GradDip, MTS, PhD Candidate (Durham) - Tutor, Introduction to Christian Ethics; Advanced Topic in Christian Ethics: Political Theologies

Caleb is from New Zealand and is currently a postgraduate researcher working towards a PhD in theology at Durham University. His research is an analysis of methods in evangelical theological ethics, with a specific focus on gender and sexuality. Caleb’s education includes a Master’s in theological ethics at the University of Notre Dame in the US, a BA(Hons) in sociology in New Zealand, and several years of community development as part of Stillwaters Community in New Zealand. Caleb is married to Hilary and they live in Newcastle.

The Revd Tim Ferguson

BA - Tutor, Spirituality and Discipleship

Tim is currently parish priest in St Oswald’s Walkergate and St Martin’s Byker. He was ordained in 2005 and has been a curate in Ponteland, parish priest at the Venerable Bede Church in Benwell, and Chaplain to Hild Bede College in Durham University. In recent years he has developed an interest in contemplative spirituality since becoming a spiritual director in 2010. He is married and has two boys, and enjoys running.

Chris Jameson

B.Sc MDiv, PhD Candidate (Durham) - Tutor, New Testament Studies

Chris teaches Greek at Cranmer Hall, and New Testament at Lindisfarne College. He is currently a PhD researcher at Durham University in the New Testament department. Chris earned his Master of Divinity from Covenant Seminary in St. Louis, Missouri, and his Bachelor of Science in Theology from Moody Bible Institute in Chicago, Illinois. Chris has been ministering professionally for over ten years within local church contexts. Chris is a minister under care of the Presbyterian Church in America, where he will be ordained upon his return. Chris’s research interests include the Gospels, New Testament reception history, Johannine theology, biblical narrative, communication theory, and pastoral theology. You can reach Chris at christopher.m.jameson@durham.ac.uk

John Jebaseelan Baskaran

BA, MA, BD, MPhil, MTh, PhD Candidate (Durham) - Tutor, Introduction to Christian Doctrine and History; Theologies of the Majority World

John is a Methodist minister from India who is currently pursuing for his PhD at Durham University on Gregory of Nazianzus. He was a pastor in Mumbai for six years and later taught theology at Union Biblical Seminary in Pune for three and a half years. After graduating with a BA in English Literature and an MA in Philosophy, he received his Bachelor of Divinity from Union Biblical Seminary, Pune and his Master of Theology from Trinity Theological College, Singapore. His research interests are patristic theology with a focus on the fourth century, Greek church fathers, patristic epistemology, theological language and imagery, and the activities of the Wesleyan Missionary Society in India. He preaches in Methodist churches in and around Durham on Sundays.  John is married to his wife Priya, a Christian counsellor, and they have two young children.

Andrew Moss

MTheol, MLitt, PhD Candidate (Durham) - Tutor, Introduction to Worship; Research & Reflection; Words and Music in Worship

Andrew is a Senior Research Administrator in the Faculty of Arts and Humanities at Durham University. His research focuses on the intersection between theology and the arts in the modern church with a particular emphasis on improvised music. His broader research includes the relationship between music and worship, jazz religious cultures, and contemporary music theology. Andrew is a member of the International Network for Music Theology.

Andrew has held various roles at Lindisfarne and is currently a Personal Tutor and an Associate Tutor and on the MA programme. Before joining LCT, he was an Associate Tutor in Theology and Religion and Music at Durham University and worked for St Giles Church in Durham Diocese. Andrew is married to Jennifer and they have two young children.

Dr Ce Pacitti

BA, PhD, BA - Chaplain

Ce is the North Shields chaplain. Licensed as a Reader to Gosforth Parish Church of St. Nicholas in 2015, she now works for the Diocese of Newcastle as Continuing Ministerial Formation Officer with responsibility for the training and support of licensed Clergy and Readers. Her background is in Higher Education, particularly adult education and lifelong learning, and she is passionate about the opportunities opened up when we are brave enough to say Yes to God. Ce also leads on Reader Recruitment and Selection for the Newcastle Diocese and enjoys conversations with enquirers exploring their vocations. Ce lives in Newcastle with her husband Michael and their two cats, Daisy and Weasel. She enjoys reading, particularly detective fiction, films and painting.

The Revd Jim Roberts

BA, PGCE - Tutor, Mission and Apologetics in Contemporary Culture

Jim has been a secondary school teacher of Religious Studies since 1978 and taught in every kind of school imaginable. Since ordination in 1994 he has been attached to St. Michael-le-Belfrey church in York doing a whole variety of roles. He was a Diocesan Adviser for the Decade of Evangelism. In 2006 he started G2 a Fresh Expressions ‘church’ in the local gym which he led for the first three years. It continues to flourish and now has two sites with c.200 attending. In his retirement from teaching he has been chaplain on cruise ships and at various churches in Europe, His wife, Shirley, is a retired research scientist and they have two children.

The Revd Mary Yasini

BA, PGDip, CAS, MPhil (Cantab) - Tutor, Theologies of the Majority World

Mary has been a Curate at St Cuthbert’s Church and Holy Trinity Church, Darlington since 2023. She holds a BA in Philosophy and Theology from Durham University and a Common Awards PGDip in Theology, Ministry and Mission. While training for ministry at Westcott House, Cambridge, Mary completed an MPhil in Global Anglicanism and World Christianities with Jesus College, Cambridge University. Mary’s passion for global theologies led her to spend six months living and studying at the Bossey Ecumenical Institute in partnership with the World Council of Churches and the University of Geneva. Mary is married to Diego, and they cook lots of Persian and Mexican food together in their spare time.