Forty years ago, when Celebration of Discipline was newly published, James Catford was studying economics and theology in Britain. Spiritual formation became central during his student ministry with the UK equivalent of InterVarsity, leading him into a career in publishing through IVP UK. He was first introduced to Richard Foster and Dallas Willard while serving as Publishing Director at Hodder Headline in London.

At HarperCollins, James published works including Streams of Living Water and The Divine Conspiracy, alongside titles by C. S. Lewis and a wide range of trade authors. These years proved formative personally as well as professionally, deepening his commitment to a “with-God life” and leading to his involvement with the Renovaré Ministry Team from 1996. Renovaré’s vision of the six streams of Christian tradition went on to shape his leadership over fourteen years as CEO of the British and Foreign Bible Society, where he also founded the think tank Theos.

James later chaired Renovaré Britain & Ireland at the invitation of Richard Foster and served as board chair of Renovaré USA from 2020 to 2023. His wider leadership roles have included vice-chair of the Amity Printing Company in Nanjing—the world’s largest Bible producer—and chair of SPCK, the UK’s oldest Anglican mission agency and largest Christian publisher.

He has also served as chair of the Apprentice Institute at Friends University and now sits on the board of the Martin Institute and the Dallas Willard Research Center at Westmont College. Currently, he is founding chair of the Center for Christianity and Public Life in Washington, D.C., and continues to support Christians in leadership around the world.

James is married to Sue, a former journalist, TV anchor, and media executive, and together they have shared a long commitment to spiritual formation, public life, and the local church.