Accomplished academic administrator, mission lecturer and practitioner appointed to senior leadership role
OXFORD, UK – [Date] – The Oxford Centre for Mission Studies (OCMS) is pleased to announce the appointment of Chris Ducker as its new Chief Operating Officer.
Chris joins OCMS after serving as Principal of ForMission College, where he provided overall leadership for the college’s operations and strategic direction. During his tenure, he guided the institution through an important period of transition that culminated in the integration of ForMission’s programmes, expertise, and missional legacy into Moorlands College. This experience of organisational leadership and institutional transition brings valuable skills to OCMS as it continues to strengthen its role as a global centre for mission research, serving scholars and church leaders from across the Majority World.
“We are delighted to welcome Chris to the OCMS leadership team,” said Paul Bendor-Samuel, Executive Director of OCMS. “Chris brings a rare combination of administrative insight, academic experience, and practical mission involvement. His leadership experience in guiding a theological college through significant change will be a great asset as we continue to strengthen OCMS’s work serving the global church.”
Chris’s background combines organisational leadership with academic and cross-cultural mission experience. Earlier in his career he served on the faculty of Redcliffe College, where he taught subjects including Global Missiological Issues, Leadership, Justice and Mission, and Cross-cultural Communication, while also overseeing the college’s quality management and accreditation processes.
Before entering theological education, Chris worked in London as an auditor and management consultant after completing degrees in Economic History at the University of York and Development Studies at the University of Cambridge. Together with his family he later served for seven years in Moldova, working alongside rural churches in mission, evangelism, youth work, and community transformation.
Chris succeeds Matt Cripps, who recently stepped down from the role to begin a new chapter in Church ministry. The OCMS community expresses its gratitude for Matt’s contribution during his time as Chief Operating Officer and wishes him well in this next stage of his vocation.
About Chris Ducker
Following their return to the UK, Chris joined the faculty of Redcliffe College, where he taught undergraduate and postgraduate courses in mission, leadership, and intercultural theology and helped oversee the college’s academic quality and accreditation.
In 2020 he became Principal of ForMission College, directly overseeing the college’s operations and strategic direction during a period of significant change that ultimately led to its integration into Moorlands College.
Chris holds degrees in Economic History from the University of York, Development Studies from the University of Cambridge, Applied Theology, and Contemporary Issues in Global Mission. He was awarded Senior Fellowship of the Higher Education Academy (SFHEA) in 2022.
His interests include holistic mission, cross-cultural church partnerships, Christian responses to globalisation, business as mission, intercultural leadership, and approaches to short-term mission. Chris is married with three children and is a member of an evangelical church in Gloucester.
About OCMS
The Oxford Centre for Mission Studies (OCMS) is an independent Christian institution advancing global mission through research, scholarship, publishing, and leadership development. Founded 42 years ago and housed in an iconic Oxford church, OCMS has built a worldwide reputation for academic excellence. Its programmes have produced over 200 PhD graduates, 25 GRP graduates, and more than 100 Integrated Mission Leadership participants, drawn from over 76 countries. Through its Regnum imprint, OCMS publishes around 20 books annually, and its peer-reviewed journal Transformation, published by Sage, reaches over 10,000 institutional subscribers worldwide.”
Media Contact
Oxford Centre for Mission Studiescommunications@ocms.ac.uk | www.ocms.ac.uk