Big News John Owen Centre

I've been sitting on the exciting news of this possibility for a few weeks but it's now official. Garry Williams has just been appointed as the first full-time Director of the LTS's John Owen Centre. This is quite a coup I would say and I guess it alters significantly the face of theological education in the UK.
An Oxford graduate, Dr Williams takes up his appointment on July 1, 2009. Since 1999 he has served as Tutor in Church History and Doctrine at Oak Hill Theological College in London. He has published popular and academic works on subjects ranging from The Da Vinci Code to the doctrine of the atonement.
The John Owen Centre is the brainchild of the Board of London Theological Seminary and aims to help equip evangelical churches in the UK to address contemporary theological issues. It provides high-level theological teaching for gospel ministers and others, as well as giving opportunities for in-depth theological study. Its aim is to refresh and enrich ministries for the nourishment and strengthening of God's people. Its distinctives include a consistently Reformed theology, nonconformist identity, international connections, commitment to working with men already in ministry and the offering of both demanding formal academic programmes and more easily accessed shorter blocks of high level teaching and study.
Since its inception it has offered a two year part-time Master’s programme from Westminster Theological Seminary (Philadelphia) in Historical Theology (I'm a graduate myself) and has organised a number of conferences on significant theological issues of the day. It runs a theological study group as well as advanced classes in Hebrew and Greek.
Dr Williams will continue this work and seek to develop new activities, including guided study-leave periods for ministers. These will provide an opportunity for ministers to spend time in private study at LTS. Guidance will be given on a programme of reading, together with one-to-one or small group tutorials. There will also be study days on particular theological topics. These will involve one day intensive lectures and seminars with small groups of ministers on important and currently live theological topics.
In the official publicity Robert Strivens, new Principal of LTS, comments: ‘This is a very exciting development for the John Owen Centre. We have for some time wanted to find a full-time Director for the Centre, to lead and develop the work to its full potential. We are delighted that Garry will be taking up this post in the summer. His learning and experience make him admirably qualified for the role and we look forward enormously to his joining the team here.’
Garry Williams says ‘I am hugely excited about directing and developing the already excellent work of the John Owen Centre. The role of the Westminster faculty in teaching the ThM places its formal academic programme among the best in the world. And yet alongside that, the JOC has the flexibility to offer high level theological teaching that does not require registration on a long-term programme. This gives it an unusual agility in meeting the needs of ministers who are already serving churches. I am praying that the work of the JOC will glorify the Lord Jesus Christ as His under-shepherds are strengthened in their care for His flock.’