Tom Underhill is the Director of the J.W. Laing Trust in England.
When did you trust Christ?
I grew up in a Christian home, attending an evangelical church, and, having understood the Gospel, I made a commitment to Christ around age seven. However, I was comparatively isolated as a Christian at school and did not live entirely consistently with my confession as a teenager.
What have been the defining moments of your Christian walk?
When at university, I attended a church where I was very actively encouraged in discipleship and grew substantially, grasping more of the depths and riches of the Gospel, and the fullness of His Word in Scripture. Subsequently, I did a two-year ministry internship at a large London church, followed by part-time Bible college and post-graduate studies, which deepened my faith considerably. The regular fellowship of our local church and sitting under the preached Word continue to shape me most.
What do you hope to gain from participating?
I hope to gain skills in analysing the strengths and weaknesses of an organisation and its culture, as well as strategies to improve. I would like to acquire abilities in managing a team, including handling difficult personalities. I hope to gain skills in caring for the spiritual health of a Christian organisation, including the rhythm of prayer in our daily business. I would like to learn from the examples of others and gain insights into the problems and successes of others in leadership roles, as well as learn about resources that may be useful for ongoing learning in my role.
What is your ministry?
I am the Director of the J.W. Laing Trust, a UK-based grant-making trust that has been supporting Christian ministries in various forms in the UK and worldwide for over a hundred years. My role involves leading the small Christian staff team, both organisationally and spiritually. I also represent the Trust with our partners and other organisations, travelling to them, and I oversee the grant-making process and coordinate the involvement of our large board of trustees. I'm coming to the latter stages of a part-time PhD in theology and have opportunities to teach doctrine in a range of formats. I'm also an elder in my local church with regular preaching responsibilities and a husband and father to four children.
What is your leadership role or what were your past leadership roles?
I have served in various roles at the churches I have attended, including leading student ministry and regular preaching. I am an elder of my church. I was Operations Manager for a local network of churches and taught on its theology and ministry course (and continue to do so). I have taught in the area of systematics, practice, and exegesis.
Why should someone invest in your ministry?
Laing Trust has a long-standing partnership with the European Leadership Forum, which we value immensely, and we are keen to continue.
