Revd Dr Mark Bonnington

Mark studied and taught Maths before going back to University to study Theology and writing his PhD on Galatians. He moved to Durham in 1995 and taught New Testament at Cranmer Hall for twelve years. This included courses on Mark’s Gospel, Paul’s Theology and the interpretation of John as well as MA courses on Charismatic Theology and Ministry and Mission in Acts. He has taught New Testament at St John’s College Nottingham, in the Durham Theology Department and lectured in New Testament at Leeds University for three years. Mark has published on NT history, theology and social context and on Acts, church growth and charismatic theology. Mark currently teaches the Foundations for Denominational Ministry course at Cranmer Hall, which introduces Free Church Track students to core elements of history, theology, ecclesiology and pastoral leadership in these church streams.

Mark was brought up in the New Churches movement and he has had a long term call to resource its theological life. He has helped lead King’s Church Durham, an Ichthus Link church, for most of its 25 year life. Kings has now grown into a city-wide all-age church of a few hundred with a large student ministry, a focus on bible teaching and training leaders and with considerable outreach activity in the local community. He represents the new and independent churches on the North East regional church leaders group and chairs North East Churches Acting Together. He tries to get new churches to play nicely with old ones (and vice versa). He is married to Ruth, a Gateshead GP, and they have three children in their 20s. In his spare time(!) he enjoys swimming, house renovating and follows the Mancunian Reds.