Hi

It has been a long time since I have blogged.  I thought it would be easy to jot something down...to explore my research and see where things are going.  But it isn't...life just gets so complicated.

At the moment I am fully immersed in a number of things:

1.   Validation process with University of Manchester - the College is going through the process of moving to Manchester and this is a pretty huge bureaucratic process which I am right at the centre of...means that all my time for my own research seems to go out the window!  This has to change.  But good news - see below

2.    Methodist Church - I've suddenly been brought onto some committees at the centre of the Methodist Church in the UK which is interesting...the denomination seems to be developing in two directions - the great move towards 'Our Calling' and a good focus on mission and evangelism in 'Our Priorities' but a tendency to navel-gaze and retrench into bureaucratic shifting of desks and an argument which might well become theological suicide!

3.    Teaching - I am offering four units this semester - NT at all levels.  I am focussing a lot on Johannine stuff and Pauline material...but there is still so much contact time that actually doing this alongside the rest of the admin is fun!  But this is what I love doing - I love teaching NT!

4.    M Ed - I'm doing this Masters programme at Sheffield on teaching and learning as a university lecturer...fun at times, so annoying at others.

5.    Future developments - I'm writing a research proposal re. emerging church - more on this later.

Anyway, we had some great news this week.  the University of Manchester panel came over to Cliff to discuss the development of a validated research degrees programme - it looks as if they are going to agree to us having our own Research Degrees Committee, which means we can develop th eidea of full-time and part-time PhD students here at the College.  So this is brilliant.  A huge feather in the College's cap!

For the last six years I have been involved (pushing?) the development of the College as a centre for research into evangelism and mission (as well as Biblical studies, etc.).  This has meant bringing in new lecturers with doctorates and international standing; moving university from Sheffield to Manchester; developing the programmes we teach and the kind of place we are.  Now we see the first fruits of this.  Praise God.  All we need now is to be really careful on who we choose to be the first tranche of research students.

Oh, and the development of think tanks...including one on emerging church...funded by external agencies is a huge thing to get going...

Fun, fun, fun.

Pete