James Bloice Smith

James became a Christian as a child and owned it in a new way in his late teens. He studied psychology and biochemistry at Bangor University, teaching at King's College, London University, and theology at Regent's Park College, Oxford University. He has worked as a Medical Laboratory Technician, in North London as a science teacher and for eight years in student evangelism and discipleship with Agapé.

His first pastorate was as assistant minister at Park Road Baptist Church, Peterborough. He has been minister at Headington Baptist Church since 1996. James is married to Marion and has a son, Daniel, who works as an engineer, and a daughter, Naomi, who is a student.

His interests include people in general, getting into boats whenever possible, the Headington community and 'fiddling about'-making things and fixing things.

Chris Band

Chris  became a Christian at the age of 11. He has studied theology at 3 different academic institutions for 9 years in total - Birmingham University, London School of Theology and the University of Oxford. He worked for five years with national students in the UK (with UCCF) and then for seven years amongst international students (with Friends International). He also taught New Testament Studies in North India for 3 years.

Chris is married to Breeze and they have two daughters, Petra and Tia. His hobbies and interests include reading, classical music, film, DIY and Sport. Following ministerial training at Regent's Park College, Oxford (during which he was on placement with us at HBC), Chris was ordained as a Baptist minister and formally inducted as a full-time minister at Headington Baptist Church in September 2009.

Stephen Samuel

Stephen Samuel is from Sathirapatti, a small village in India. He became a Christian at the age of 14 and was baptized in a Pentecostal church in India. He was an active member in the village evangelical ministry team in his village. He has been a Member of Headington Baptist church for 9 years and has been involved in various groups at HBC. He has a PhD in Engineering and lectures at Oxford Brookes University. His research area is emissions and fuel economy of automotive vehicles. Stephen is married to Priya and they have two daughters, Anna and Esther.

Lynette Teagle

Lynette was born and grew up in Singapore, and became a Christian at the age of 12. She came to Britain in 1990 to go to University, where she met Peter. They married in 1993, and have three children: Sam, Laura and Madeline, ages ranging from 13 to 6. Lynette has an LLB Hons from Liverpool University, and a Master's in Christian Ministry (Biblical theology and cross-cultural ministry) from the Discipleship Training Centre in Singapore. Lynette has worked in a bank in Singapore, taught in university in China and been an editor for a Singaporean Christian magazine. Since moving back to Britain in 2000, Lynette and Peter have worked in full-time ministry to international students, first in Birmingham and now in Oxford. Lynette lists her hobbies and interests as: music (especially singing/playing Christian and folk music with friends and family), reading, foreign films and television, travel, and cooking and baking. She's presently trying to find the perfect chocolate brownie recipe!