Rev Dr George Bailey

George joined Cliff College in September 2014.

George is a Methodist minister with 16 years of experience in urban and suburban churches in Leeds. As well as lecturing at the College, he is Co-Superintendent minister in the Leeds North and East Circuit of the Methodist Church. Before entering ministry, he worked as a primary school teacher and for the Probation Service.

Prior to these roles, George began as a student of theology, and seeking a systematic, relevant, contextual theology to underpin and shape the mission of the Church is a consistent passion. His MA was in Contextual Theology and developing themes from research associated with his Probation Service context and the rehabilitation of offenders, he has explored deeper into the contours of Wesleyan theology. This led to PhD research on the systematic relationships between the experience and theology of sanctification, in discussion with John Wesley on perfection and Gregory Palamas on deification. He continues to develop research interests in Wesleyan theology, theologies of sanctification and holiness across a spectrum of Christian traditions, and the ways that these function in missional contexts.

George has been a District Ecumenical Officer for the Methodist Church and has been minister for four Local Ecumenical Partnership churches; he is committed to establishing practical and theological ecumenical partnerships for mission and holiness. He serves the Methodist Church in several other roles and is British secretary of the Oxford Institute of Methodist Theological Studies.