About Me

Neil is a Pastor, Planter, imperfect husband and parent.

Married to Jane since 1993 we are proud parents to Rufus and Felix.

I became a Christian in 1988 whilst a student in London. After working for St. Helen’s Bishopsgate between 1992-3 I returned to Birmingham where I was raised to work for UCCF as a staff worker.   Since then, I’ve served as Pastor of City Church, Birmingham which I co-founded in August 1999.

My passions include Aston Villa, Welsh Rugby, swimming, and theology, both academic and applied.

I serve as the co-ordinator of 2020birmingham, a church-planting catalyst for the city which aims to see 20 churches planted in the city by the year 2020 and on the steering committee of the Midlands Gospel Partnership.

The thinkers, preachers and ministers who have done most to make me the person I am are, in order of meeting them (in person or in print!)

1. Dick Lucas – Rector of St. Helen’s Bishopsgate in the heart of London from 1961 to 1998.

Through his minsitry and the ministry of Proclamation Trust I was introduced to expository preaching (something Haddon Robinson describes as ‘the presentation of biblical truth, derived from and transmitted through a historical, grammatical, Spirit-guided study of a passage in its context, which the Holy Spirit applies first to the life of the preacher and then through him to his congregation’).

2. Francis Schaeffer

3. Tim Keller

4. Mark Dever

5. John Calvin

6. Nathaniel Dimock