James Francis

James Francis grew up in Aberdeenshire and studied classics and then theology at Edinburgh University and Yale Divinity School. While training for ministry at Edinburgh he was influenced by the worker-priest movement of Roland Walls and the Community of the Transfiguration at Roslin. He was for a number of years parish minister of Coldingham Priory with St Abbs, Berwickshire, in the Church of Scotland. In 1987, he became a non-stipendiary minister of the Church of England in the Diocese of Durham.

He taught New Testament Studies at Sunderland University, while serving in two parishes in Sunderland (St Chad’s East Herrington and Sunderland Minster). He was latterly principal of the Durham Diocese Ordained Local Ministry Course, and was the founder and director of a diocesan adult learning programme called “Living Theology Today”. He is a non-residentiary canon (emeritus) of Durham Cathedral. He was for eighteen years the Durham Diocese Adviser for Self-Supporting Ministry. Jim has written, co-edited and contributed to a number of books and articles on self-supporting ministry, and on childhood in the ancient world and the New Testament. He also edits a book series Religions and Discourse for Peter Lang Publishers

Our Fellows

Anne Allen

Ben Witherington

Fellow

Bible scholar Ben Witherington is Amos Professor of New Testament for Doctoral Studies at Asbury Theological Seminary and on the doctoral faculty at St. Andrews University. A graduate of UNC, Chapel Hill, he went on to receive the M.Div. degree from Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary and a Ph.D. fr

David Marshall

Fellow

David Marshall is a priest in the Church of England and a scholar in the field of Islamic Studies. After undergraduate studies in Modern Languages and then Theology at Oxford University, and a couple of years working with homeless people, he studied for a Master’s in Islamic Studies at Birmingham

Nicola (Nicky) Seal (1964 – 2024)

The Catering Team and wider John’s community lost a fantastic friend and colleague in Nicky Seal who sadly passed away this October. Nicky joined the Catering Team in June 2003 as a Catering Assistant and quickly became a great friend and work colleague with everyone she worked with. She is and wi

David Paul King (1936 – 2023)

Somerset born and bred, Paul was educated at Wells Cathedral School. Somerset was always in his thoughts and he felt a close connection to his roots and his beloved Somerset Cricket team! Another keen interest throughout his life was in the Peninsular Wars and Paul undertook much reading and researc

Suzy Ferguson (née Carter) (1981 – 2012)

Suzy’s time at St John’s was extraordinarily active and passionate, involving herself in many student endeavours with the college and university alike. Suzy was a member of the Bear Witness Theatre Company, where she produced Godspell, sang in student choirs, was a member of the Christian Union,

Keith Batchelor (1950 – 2024)

Sadly I have to inform you of the passing of Keith Batchelor (Combined Arts,1969-72) on 8 December 2024, aged 74, following a few years’ of illness. After graduating from St John’s, Keith returned to his hometown of Birmingham as a trainee social worker before pursuing an MA in Social Work at No

James (Jimmy) Dunn (1939 – 2020)

Professor James (Jimmy) Dunn was a distinguished New Testament scholar, former Lightfoot Professor of Divinity at Durham University, and a longstanding friend of St John’s College and the Wesley Study Centre. During his years in Durham, from 1980 until his retirement to Chichester, he was a famili

Roger Pratt (1947 – 2025)

It is with great sadness that I report on the passing of Roger Pratt (Combined Arts, 1966-69), an Oscar-nominated cinematographer, great St John’s alumnus and good friend. The Guardian obituary relates his extraordinary career, from ‘clapper-boy’ with the Monty Python team, to cin

Richard (Dick) Haigh (1930 – 2024)

We have learnt that St John’s alumnus Richard (Dick) Haigh passed away on 29 May 2024 at the age of 93. Richard attended St John’s College in 1954 to take a BA degree in Social Studies and later a Diploma in Theology. He was ordained at Christmas 1959 to the parish of Stanwix, Carlisle, where he