The Reverend Dr. Ian Davies Vicar of St. Barnabas Church

Ian Davies BA Hons (with CQSW), BTh Hons (Oxon), MSc(Econ), MBA, PhD

Before moving into university education Ian spent 7 years (1985-92) as senior regional manager of a national children's voluntary organization and published a book and articles on the theology and practice of community development and community organizing. He spent almost 4 years in the United States (1981-84) as a clinical social worker on a US/UK cultural exchange programme and as director of social service in a vocational centre for people with learning disabilities.

His early social work experience was in local authorities in Cardiff, Lancashire and Leeds. When he left professional management to take up a post as senior lecturer in behavioural science at University of Wales, Newport in 1991 he developed and tutored masters degree management education programmes for the public/human services. His teaching and research in this area led to his being invited to teach on the University of Wales College of Medicine’s M.Sc in Nursing in Curaçao, Netherlands Antilles in March 1995; help write and subsequently teach on Trinity College, Dublin’s new M.Sc. in Health Services Management (1996/97); contribute to the establishment of health care management on undergraduate medical training in Slovakia (the European Tempus Project); and advise NGOs and local voluntary agencies re. the challenges of organizational change.

He completed his doctoral thesis on the emerging educational issues created by managerialist policies in human service within the School for Policy Studies at the University of Bristol in 2001.  Ian served on the University of Wales Validation Panel in China and the Far East and latterly chaired the process of validating University of Wales undergraduate business programmes throughout Malaysia.

After eleven years in higher education he was accepted by the Provincial Selection Panel of the Church in Wales for ordination training and took his theology degree at Oxford University (Wycliffe Hall 2002-4). Ordained as Deacon in 2004 and Priest in 2005 he served his title as Assistant Curate of St.Peter’s Cockett, Swansea and then curate and priest in charge of St. Barnabas, Waunarlwydd.

Ian is married to Sue, has a son Joel and married stepson Matthew. When 24/7 parish duties permit he loves to haul his body around squash and tennis courts, collapse with his Lowden guitars or chill in front of a decent movie.

Read Ian's Curriculum Vitae