Jonathan Stephen

Carr Jonathan Stephen (usually known as Jonathan Stephen) is the principal of the Wales Evangelical School of Theology in Bryntirion, Bridgend, Wales. He is also the director of Affinity, an organisation that provides networking and support to churches.

Born and brought up in Bournemouth, on the south coast of England, he was dramatically converted while a student in Bangor, on the north coast of Wales. Having received a Master's degree in political anthropology at the University of Birmingham, he undertook theological studies at Spurgeon's College, and subsequently spent three years teaching Religious Education in a large and lively inner-London comprehensive school.

Since then, Stephen has completed over 27 years of pastoral ministry: first at Amyand Park Chapel in Twickenham, and from 1987 to 2006 at Carey Baptist Church in Reading. During this time, his ministry to the wider Church, both in the UK and overseas, has steadily grown through his preaching, writing and involvement in numerous projects and Christian agencies. From 1998 to 2001, he served as President of the Fellowship of Independent Evangelical Churches. He left Carey Baptist Church in July 2006 to join the Wales Evangelical School of Theology.

Stephen's theology is conservative evangelical, reformed, Calvinist, and non-charismatic. He has been highly critical of contemporary developments in Evangelical Christianity. [cite news | last=Stephen | first=Jonathan | title=The Current Crisis In Evangelicalism | publisher=Evangelicals Now | date=June 2005 | url=http://www.e-n.org.uk/p-3026-The-current-crisis-in-evangelicalism.htm | accessdate=2007-08-26] He has also said that he believes hobbies are "essentially unscriptural", but is a member of the Marylebone Cricket Club.

Stephen is married to Sheila, a fully-accredited counsellor and former chair of the board of [http://www.prospects.org.uk/ Prospects] , a Christian charity supporting people with learning difficulties. Sheila has also contributed to various Holiday Bible Club curricula and continues to be actively involved in their programmes. They have one son, Jeremy, who is a lawyer in London.

References

Other sources

*cite web | title=Wales Evangelical School of Theology faculty listing | url=http://www.etcw.ac.uk/index.php/aboutus/faculty | accessdate=2007-08-26

External links

* [http://www.etcw.ac.uk/ Wales Evangelical School of Theology]
* [http://www.careybaptistchurch.org.uk/ Carey Baptist Church]
* [http://www.spurgeons.ac.uk/ Spurgeon's College]
* [http://www.amyandparkchapel.com/ Amyand Park Chapel]
* [http://www.fiec.org.uk/ Fellowship of Independent Evangelical Churches]
* [http://www.affinity.org.uk/ Affinity]
* [http://www.prospects.org.uk/ Prospects]

Persondata
NAME=Stephen, Jonathan
ALTERNATIVE NAMES=Stephen, Carr Jonathan
SHORT DESCRIPTION=Christian leader
DATE OF BIRTH=
PLACE OF BIRTH=Bournemouth
DATE OF DEATH=
PLACE OF DEATH=