Why does the Child Theology Movement (CTM) exist?
In obedience to Jesus’ revolutionary action of placing a child in the midst of a key theological discussion (Matthew 18), CTM is committed to reform all theological reflection and enquiry ‘with a child in the midst’ and to ensure that theology of this kind informs every aspect of the church’s life and mission, including that which relates to children..
How does CTM expect to fulfil this commitment?
CTM encourages all followers of Jesus and others to explore and engage with Child Theology by various means including:
What values guide CTM in its work?
CTM has the following key values:
CTM is a registered Charity in the United Kingdom as
THE CHILD THEOLOGY MOVEMENT LTD
Charity Number: 1106542
Address: 10 Crescent Road – South Woodford – London – E18 IJB
Paul Butler – Church of England Bishop of Durham
Carolyn Edwards – Children and Youth Adviser for the Diocese of York
Paul Nash – Co-founder and convenor of the Paediatric Chaplaincy Network. Spiritual care advisor for NICE
Sally Nash – Freelance educator, trainer, researcher in ministry with children and young people and Anglican Priest in Birmingham
Keith White – Visiting Lecturer, Spurgeons College, London, UK and MBTS
John McNeill - Methodist Minister
Lucie Hutson - Programme Lead for BA
(Hons) Youth Work and Community Development
Church of England Bishop of Durham
Paul is married to Rosemary. They live in Bishop Auckland, County Durham. They have fourgrown up children in a variety of careers.
Paul is the Church of England Bishop of Durham (2014-). The Bishop of Durham is the Anglican bishop responsible for the Diocese of Durham in the Province of York. The diocese is one of the oldest in England and its bishop is a member of the House of Lords. Paul previously served as Bishop of Southwell and Nottingham (2010-4) and Bishop of Southampton (2004-10) Throughout his years as a bishop he has served as Advocate for Children amongst the bishops. Prior to this he was Team Rector of Walthamstow (1994-2004) which is where he and Keith first met and started talking Child Theology.
Paul has very long term connections with Scripture Union. He was a volunteer from the age of 18 at Longbarn Camps and ended up being involved with leading them for over 30 years, including establishing the Longbarn East End week. He served on the staff as an evangelist and missions team leadership for 7 years. He has served as President of Scripture Union for the past 6 years.
He has strong international links, particularly with Rwanda and Burundi.
He has written a number of books around ministry to, with, by and for children. Reaching Children, Reaching Families, Offering the Best Children’s Ministry, Living your Confirmation.
Children and Youth Adviser for the Diocese of York
Carolyn Edwards is the Children and Youth Adviser for the Diocese of
York, responsible for equipping and resourcing those working with
children and . . .
. . . people in the 620 churches in the area. Prior to that, she was the Programme Lead for the Mission and Ministry degree courses at Cliff College, having previously worked with Oxford CYM training students in youth and children’s ministry. She has a wealth of experience both as a practitioner and a lecturer and trainer, working for her local church as a Children’s Evangelist and running events like the Scripture Union mission in Aylesbury.
Carolyn has written material for Scripture Union for many years and is the author of Slugs and Snails and Puppy Dogs’ Tails: Helping Boys Connect with God and co-editor of Re-thinking Children’s work in churches. She has recently completed doctoral research into children’s spirituality and faith development, but in her ‘spare’ time loves being with friends and family, drinking good coffee, laughing, and looking at beautiful things.
Retired Higher Education Lecturer
C0-founder and convenor of the Paediatric Chaplaincy Network. Spiritual care advisor for NICE
Paul worked for Youth for Christ (GB) for 13 years and was ordained in the Church of England in 1997. He has been privileged to work at Birmingham Children’s Hospital, UK since 2002 and has been the Senior Chaplain managing a multi faith team since 2005. He has launched a research, study and training facility, the “Centre of Paediatric Spiritual Care”, www.bch.nhs.uk/cpsc and co-founder and convenor of the Paediatric Chaplaincy Network (GB&I) www.paediatric-chaplaincy-network.org
He is the author and co-author of several books, research and resources including Multifaith Care for Sick and Dying Children and their Families, Spiritual care with sick children and Young People (JKP 2015) and the forth coming Pediatric Chaplaincy (JKP 2018). He is a board member of the UK Board for Healthcare Chaplaincy, spiritual care advisor for NICE (National Institute for Health and Care Excellence), advisory committee member for Healthcare chaplaincy Network (USA), a children’s, youth and chaplaincy work tutor for Midlands CYM www.cym.ac.uk/about/centres/midlands-2/ and convenor of the Grove Youth Series of booklets www.grovebooks.co.uk
Paul is involved in several local and international charities including YMCA Birmingham (UK) and a school project in Ghana. He and Sally regularly blog at www.markerpostsandshelters.wordpress.com . He does these when he is not playing golf or cliff walking in Cornwall, England.
Director of Midlands CYM (Centre for Youth Ministry, now the Institute for Children Youth and Mission)
Sally’s first experience of Christian mission was helping on a Church Army team running holiday clubs for children whose parents were in the Army in Germany.
Sally has volunteered at different churches with every age children’s and youth group. She is a qualified school teacher and specialized in work with adolescents with educational and behavioural problems but joined Youth for Christ not long into her teaching career. After a range of roles within YFC including supporting gap year volunteers and Training Manager Sally’s role took her into a new partnership project – the Centre for Youth Ministry (now the Institute for Children Youth and Mission www.cym.ac.uk). She currently is Director of Midlands CYM which is based at St John’s Nottingham and co-ordinates national CYM projects too.
Sally was ordained (Anglican) in 2012 and as part of her ordination training did a placement at Mill Grove which she has written up in a Journal article. She is Associate Minister at Hodge Hill in Birmingham, an outer estate church. She has published articles and books on a wide range of subjects including youth work, spirituality, reflective and collaborative ministry and spiritual care. She supports the writing and research element of the Centre for Paediatric Spiritual Care. Her academic qualifications are in practical theology and education. She enjoys being by the sea, playing a little golf, drinking good coffee in independent coffee shops and has recently taken up knitting again!
You can find her at sallynash.co.uk
Visiting Lecturer, Spurgeons College, London, UK and MBTS
Keith is the husband of Ruth and they have four children, and six grandchildren. They live at Mill Grove in East London . . .
. . . a Christian household and community for children and families needing love and care. He is a minister, preaches week by week in a range of different churches, a tutor at Spurgeon’s college UK and lectures and teaches in seminaries around the world.
Among the books that he has written or edited are The Bible (Narrative and Illustrated), In His Image, Masterpieces of the Bible, A Place for Us, The Growth of Love, In the Meantime and Entry Point (with Haddon Willmer). In his life and theological reflection Keith draws from a number of disciplines including: Literature, Theology, Sociology, Child Development, Theology, Social Work, and Community Development. His PhD was on Pandita Ramabai, a female Indian theologian. His interests include mountaineering, sailing, music and chess.
Methodist minister
John McNeill is a Methodist minister currently serving in the Gloucestershire Circuit having previously served in Circuits around Cambridge, Leeds, and Aberdeen.
He is originally from south Lanarkshire and studied archaeology to postgraduate level before attending Bible College in Edinburgh and going into mission work in the Highlands and Islands of Scotland. His work with children in Shetland gave him the basis of his research as he trained for ordained ministry at Cliff College, Derbyshire then Wesley House, Cambridge, gaining his PhD (Cantab) under the supervision of the late Rev Prof Dan Hardy. His thesis was later published in a monograph called ‘Children before God: Biblical themes in the works of John Calvin and Jonathan Edwards’. His current project is working with George MacDonald, ‘the spirit of the child’ being a key element of his theology. John is the historian on the George MacDonald Society Board and works closely with Malcolm Guite.
His other interests include listening and playing music (he is a keen Bob Dylan fan); visiting historic sites being a FSA Scot since the early 1990s; attending the meetings of various literary societies to which he belongs; and walking and playing football.
Programme Lead for BA (Hons) Youth Work and Community Development
and Lecturer for College of Health, Psychology and Social Care at Derby University. Founder and Resource Facilitator of Muddy Church.
I have been working at the University of Derby since 2020, previously lecturing at Children, Youth and Mission, based in Nottingham. I am married with four children and we are part of our local church, serving in a variety of roles and pioneering a new campus.
Our family lived as missionaries in Durres, Albania for six years where we set up and ran a centre for children and young people.
We returned to the UK and now live in Sherwood Forest, which sounds very appropriate for leading Muddy Church! This is an international organisation seeking to help people explore God beyond the walls of the church building through connecting with nature. We use an idea of wondering and wandering together, developing Intergenerational ministry and community.