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Centre for Church Growth Research staff

The Centre for Church Growth Research is run by David Goodhew and supported by Anthony-Paul Cooper and Rob Barward-Symmons.

The Revd Dr David Goodhew

The Revd Dr David Goodhew
David Goodhew is Co-Director of the Centre for Church Growth Research. David has published a wide range of research on the subject, notably as the editor of Church Growth in Britain: 1980 to the Present (Ashgate 2012), Towards a Theology of Church Growth (Ashgate 2015), Growth and Decline in the Anglican Communion, 1980 to the Present (Ashgate 2016) and, with Anthony-Paul Cooper, The Desecularisation of the City: London’s Churches, 1980 to the Present (Routledge 2018).  He has also published research on church growth in South Africa and amongst British Universities. David acted as Project Leader for one strand of the ‘Church Growth Research Programme’, commissioned by the Archbishops’ Council and the Church Commissioners of the Church of England which produced the study From Anecdote to Evidence in 2014. He held a Leech Fellowship in 2014-15, whilst leading the New Churches in the North East research project. David supervises a range of post-graduate students and is very happy to discuss further research projects. He combines his research work with his role as Vicar of St Barnabas Church, Middlesbrough.

Anthony-Paul Cooper

Anthony-Paul Cooper
Anthony-Paul Cooper is Co-Director of the Centre for Church Growth Research. Anthony-Paul has a background in social research, with previous research topics including new church use of ‘secular’ and ‘sacred’ space and the use of social media data to better understand church attendance and church growth. Most recently, Anthony-Paul has edited, with David Goodhew, The Desecularisation of the City: London’s Churches, 1980 to the Present (Routledge 2018).

Rob Barward-Symmons

Rob Barward-Symmons
Rob Barward-Symmons is a Junior Research Fellow at the Centre for Church Growth Research. Rob is currently studying for an MA in Religion and Society at Durham University, having previously graduated with a degree in Theology, also from Durham. Rob specialises in the nature of Religion in contemporary culture, and alongside his work with CCGR has also written on Theology and Film for the Bible Society. Previous research has looked into the nature of contemporary fame and afterlife beliefs, the Christian right in the UK, and meaning-making in cinema. His current research is focussing upon exploring plausibility structures within conservative evangelicals in the UK.