Revd Canon Dr Nigel Rooms

I am currently working part-time developing a process for deep cultural change in congregations over the long term with the Church Mission Society. I am also offering my skills in a variety of roles in organisations, churches and in 1:1 developmental relationships. I have worked both as an Anglican Parish Priest and in training and development at all levels in the church for most of my 30+ years in ministry. I was appointed the editor of the journal Practical Theology in 2016 and will continue until 2023. I also co-edit the journal Ecclesial Futures. I was a mission partner in Tanzania for seven years and speak fluent Kiswahili. I grow all my own vegetables on my allotment and worry about the fluctuating fortunes of Hull City AFC.

Qualifications

Dip. Th. (CNAA)	1989	Open University (St. John's College, Nottingham)
M.A. in Theology of Mission and Ministry	1995	Nottingham University
Th.D Missiology	2008	Birmingham University

Roles and responsibilities

I have taught and supervised at all levels up to Doctoral. I can teach in the fields of; missiology, leadership, ecclesiology, practical & contextual theology, theological reflection, adult theological education, spirituality and supervision.

I am an ordained Anglican priest and currently SSM Associate Priest at St. Margaret’s, Leicester. This work grounds my practice and the reality of parish life. I have held a senior role in an Anglican Diocese for more than six years.

• 2001 – present. Canon of Christchurch Cathedral, Arusha
• 2008 – present. Member of the International Association of Mission Studies (IAMS) Treasurer and Executive Committee Member from 2022
• 2004 – present. Member British and Irish Association of Practical Theology (BIAPT) 2014 – present
• Member since 2013 of the International Consultation on Ecclesial Futures – an academic society researching and reflecting on missional congregations on four continents
• Editor Practical Theology 2016-23
• Co-editor Ecclesial Futures 2020 - present

Research interests and supervision areas

I am a curious, courageous and somewhat ‘dogged’ researcher and have been discerning my way through various fields of inquiry over the past twenty or so years. I have always been free of the need to research and publish per se (which comes with not working wholly in the academy) and I believe this has enabled me to stick with areas that fit with my wider vocation as a priest-theologian.

I am interested in the missiological relationship between faith and culture and have researched, written and edited projects and books in that field (especially in relation to contextual theology in England). I am an adult educator fascinated by how individuals and Christian communities change and grow. Having worked in another culture and language I enjoy crossing cultures and thinking about the way such movement is related to the missionary vocation of the Church. I have a particular interest and expertise in qualitative field research.

I have supervised research mainly at Master’s level including a Practical Theology inquiry into ballroom dancing, translating African theological concepts to the UK and currently how candle lighting in church can be a missional practice. I have a wide range of interests as you can see! I have supervised one doctorate in faith and culture and also examined one in the field of ecclesiology.

I would be interested in supervising Masters and Doctoral dissertations, especially those including field research methodologies in the areas of:

• Missiology – especially faith and culture (contextual theology), crossing cultures and the Missio Dei
• Missional Ecclesiology – and possibly Christian leadership
• Spirituality and pilgrimage
• Adult Theological Education

Publications

Books

• With John Clark, Martin Lee, Philip Knights, Janice Price, Anne Richards and Paul Rolph, Foundations for Mission in the UK and Ireland: A Study of Language, Theology and Praxis London: CTBI, 2010.
  
• The Faith of the English: Integrating Christ and Culture, London: SPCK, 2011.
• With Patrick Keifert, Forming the Missional Church: Creating Deep Cultural Change in Congregations, Cambridge: Grove (P139) 2014.
• With Gavin Wakefield as Editors, Northern Gospel Northern Church: Reflections on Identity and Mission, Durham: Sacristy Press, 2016.
• With Zoe Bennett (ed.s) Practical Theology in Progress: Showcasing an Emerging Discipline, Abingdon: Routledge, 2019.
• With Patrick Keifert, Spiritual Leadership in the Missional Church: A Systems Approach to Leadership as Cultivation, Cambridge: Grove (L38) 2019.
• Missional Church: What does good look like? Cambridge: Grove (MEv 128) 2019.
• With Adrian Chatfield, Soul Friendship: A Practical Theology of Spiritual Direction, Norwich, UK: Canterbury Press, 2019.
• With Elli Wort, Fuzzy Church: Gospel and Culture in North of England, Durham: Sacristy Press, 2021.
• With Timothy Carson, Rosy Fairhurst & Lisa Withrow, Crossing Thresholds: A Practical Theology of Liminality, Cambridge: Lutterworth, 2021.

Journal articles and chapters

• ‘Nice Process, Shame about the Content’: The Alpha Course in Three Different Cultural Contexts. Journal of Adult Theological Education, Vol. 2.2, October 2005
  
• ‘Inculturation Comes Home: Lessons from the Worldwide Church’ Anvil Vol. 22 No.4 2005
• “English and Christian? Negotiating Christian Cultural Identity through Imaginative Theological Pedagogy”, Practical Theology, Vol. 3.1 2010
• ‘Deep listening: A call for missionary anthropology,’ Theology Vol.15 No.2. March/April 2012 pp.99-108.
• ‘Paul as Practical Theologian: Phronesis in Philippians,’ Practical Theology Vol. 5.1 2012 pp.81-94.
• ‘Theological Education in a New Missional Era: A Personal Journey with Seven Theses,’ Dialog: A Journal of Theology Vol. 53:4 Winter 2014 pp. 336-344.
• ‘Missional Gift-giving: a practical theology investigation into what happens when churches give away ‘free’ gifts for the sake of mission’ Practical Theology Vol. 8.2 2015 pp. 99-111.
• ‘Evangelism through Happiness? A Case-Study in Innovative “Pre-Evangelism” with Contemporary UK “Post-Christians”’. Mission Studies Vol. 35 No.1 2018 pp.101-123.
• ‘Understanding Local Churches as Porous Living Systems: Insights from the Tavistock Tradition,’ Ecclesial Practices, Vol. 6.2 2019 pp.182-197.

Other

• “Maisha ya Kiroho” (Spirituality) A ten-week basic level TEE course, 1997
  
• “Agano la Kale” (Old Testament) A 30 week certificate level TEE course, 1999

Both these books were written in Kiswahili and published by the Anglican Church of Tanzania for use across the Province

Several headword entries for the Encyclopaedia of Christian Education Rowman & Littlefield, 2015.