Get to Know - Marcus Throup

Revd Dr Marcus Throup is Centre Director of St Mellitus College, London Tuesday.

Tell us a bit about yourself

I grew up in the East Midlands but after University I found myself on a gap year in Brazil that became a gap fifteen years! Funnily enough, meeting my wife Tamara had something to do with me staying on and serving in the Brazilian Church. We’ve now been married 20 years and have two bilingual children, Rebekah and Mateus. Ministry in Brazil was hugely varied, from working with street kids and pastoring in ‘no go’ slum areas, to teaching Theology/training folks for ministry; from planting a diocese to publishing theology in Portuguese and even translating the testimonies of the Christians in the Brazilian football team (the great Pele then took thousands of evangelistic leaflets containing these testimonies to the world cup in 2008!) In early 2016 we returned to the UK where I took up a role as Diocesan Director of Ordinands. After that I was the Dean of the Local Ministry Training programme in Winchester (part of South Central Theological Education Institute) before moving to St Mellitus in October 2021.

My hobbies include fishing (mostly rivers), writing poetry, watching sport and “playing” football – these days it takes me about two weeks to recover from one hour’s play, so if you see me hobbling around the place that will probably be why!

What is your faith story?

At a kids’ event at church I heard the gospel message that God loved me, that Jesus had died for me and that all I needed to do was open my heart to him (cf. Rev. 3:20). I was maybe 6 years old at the time and back at home I prayed the prayer of acceptance with my Mum. My parents were/are Christian and at that time we were Methodists. My faith had a resurgence at Oxford where I was studying Theology and that was where I first sensed some clarity around a call to ministry. People who have shaped my faith include family and childhood mates Mark and Stephen. Then there are friends I made a bit later on in life, such as Andy Angel who also supervised my PhD, and clergy friends over in Brazil. Formative theological influences include Dietrich Bonhoeffer, St Augustine, N.T. Wright and Brazilian theologian Ricardo Barbosa. As a morning person my prayer life is more active in the morning than it is in the evening though I am working on this! I love corporate worship at college and when not at church with the family I quite enjoy taking Sunday services in local parishes.

Why St Mellitus College?

As a DDO I had been impressed on visits to St Mellitus – the hope-filled atmosphere around the place, the amazing staff, the top-draw lecturers and lively worship sessions (what’s not to like?!) I very much identify with SMC’s ‘generous orthodoxy’ baseline as well as our intentionality around accessibility to Theology and the diversity of perspectives and backgrounds. Our identity as a national college dispersed across regional centres is also greatly appealing, in itself it is a reminder that we each have a part to play in a broader, more expansive movement of God’s Spirit. All of these different ingredients and much more besides go to make up the unique recipe that is St Mellitus College. For students and staff alike college is fast-paced and hard work, it can feel overwhelming at times and it’s worth remembering that we all make mistakes and that includes people like me! Notwithstanding, I feel tremendously blessed to be involved alongside so many amazing, wonderful and wonderfully supportive people.

What are you hoping and expectant for in your role?

There are lots of things to love about this role but it is a real privilege to journey with students and staff and be inspired by them with their giftings and stories. I hope that in five or ten years we’ll be able to look back on a building sense of the London Tuesday community as a community of compassion, filled with people who are growing to become more like Jesus, seeking to walk more closely with him. We are such a diverse community in so many ways and the vision for my role – I think – is to be a focal point and a champion for the various strands and streams of life that happen in London on a Tuesday. A bit like the conductor in the orchestra I see myself as directing and signalling to help keep things flowing, but I know that the music is coming from those around me as they work together and exercise the gifts God has given them. Whether someone is just starting out on ‘Beginning Theology’ or piecing together their MA dissertation, I want every single student (and the same goes for staff members!) to be fully engaged in what is going on here and to feel valued and appreciated for who they are, whatever it is they are studying and whatever their particular objective might be.

What are you passionate about?

Naturally, I’m passionate about helping people grow in faith – to help students discern their calling and become formed for life and for various ministries, and this is something I have written on in ‘When Jesus Calls’, (Canterbury Press – release date August 2022). I love the interactive learning in the classroom, including healthy banter! I’m fortunate insofar as I get to hear and be inspired by students’ faith and vocational stories; we all have a story and in a place like SMC we can begin to see how our stories connect with the stories of others and how these together are interwoven in the overarching story of the grace and salvation that is in Christ. My personal faith in Jesus and the transforming, renewing power of the Spirit is what drives me, but I am energized and fired by preaching and exploring Scripture, my doctorate was in the Gospel of Mark. Given my years overseas it’s perhaps no surprise that I have an interest in global mission and particularly global Anglicanism, and I was one of the creators/writers of the recently published ‘Being Anglican’ video-resource project which is available online.

What would you say to someone considering studying theology or exploring their vocation?

Other than read ‘When Jesus Calls’ (see above!) I would encourage folks to pray and chat with those wise owl people who know you well and can help point you in the right direction. Also, come and talk to us and to current students at SMC! Together we can help answer any questions you may have and explore possibilities. It’s worth saying that sometimes students are a bit unsure at the beginning whether this is really for them, but from experience, the vast majority go on to find their niche and many go on to pursue a particular calling to ministry and all sorts of exciting things!

And finally, for something unexpected…

“The bravest thing I’ve ever done?” Well, I visited one Brazilian favela with some church guys where we negotiated our visit with armed drug traffickers and on a separate occasion I went into another no-go area under armed police guard (to help set up a social justice church outreach project): when the armed police are shaking with fear you know you’re entering a pretty tricky area…

“Hidden talents?” Mosquito slaying and – as my wife’s knight in shining armour - cockroach hunting. I spent 15 years in Brazil, remember.

“Strange hobbies” does collecting scars from operations count? I’m in double figures with an especially impressive one at the base of my back from spinal surgery in 2019, (but don’t ask where else I’ve got them!).

“Am I known for anything among my friends and students?” If you were to ask around, a lot of them would likely allude to stories about “Marcus’ mother-in-law” – but on that one, it’s probably better not to ask…