Revd Prof. Will Foster

BEng, MBA, PGCert, PhD, PFHEA

Partner and co-founder of αparafos consultancy, Honorary Professor at Waverley Abbey College, and Senior Consultant at Advance HE

Will is married to Vicky and both are ordained ministers with the Assemblies of God, serving at The Church at Junction 10 for two decades. Following a 15-year career in the commercial sector Will then moved into university strategic leadership in 2005 and completed his PhD in 2018 in ecclesiology, leadership and organisational culture at King’s College London supervised by the Dean of Christ Church Oxford. Will now acts as a leadership, strategy, culture and change consultant across a broad range of sectors but with particular focus on Christian Ministry (Bible Colleges, denominations / Churches and Christian Charities) and Higher Education.

Qualifications
BEng (Hons), Birmingham
City Unversity

MBA , Birmingham City University

PGCert Applied Theology, regents Theological College / University of
Wales

PhD, King’s College London

Principal Fellow / PFHEA, Advance HE

Diploma in Management Studies (DMS), Birmingham City University
Other Professional Activities

In a voluntary / Non-Executive Director capacity he is Secretary of the European Pentecostal Theological Association (EPTA), has served as Board Member / Director / Trustee of Charities including The Trusted Executive Foundation, Saltmine Trust, Q3 Multi-Academy Trust and has been involved as one of the ‘forming Trustees’ for Regent’s Theological College.
Higher Education and Teaching

As Associate Dean, Head of School, Dean and Provost Will has overseen the development of a diverse range of partnerships and programmes from business, theology, performing arts, sports, leisure, and health leadership.

He has designed, developed and led / Directed University MBA programmes including the senior leader apprenticeship MBA, a suite of 3 fully online MBAs and an in-person international MBA as well as a range of executive education and leadership modules and has supervised two doctoral students to successful completion.

He has also been chair and external advisor for a range of programme validations for other universities including

Newman University 2024: Programme Approval Panel – Missio Dei Bible College UG and PG provision

Harper Adams University 2024: Validation of FD Digital Business

University of Salford 2023: Validation of Global MBA

University for the Creative Arts (UCA) 2019-2022: Chief External Examiner Global and Online Partnerships

Harper Adams University 2022: Validation of a suite of four agri-business BSc degrees

University College London (UCL) 2021: Validation of MSc Global Health Leadership

University for the Creative Arts (UCA) 2020-21: Whole business school review and revalidation

Newman University 2017/18: Programme Approval Panel – Formission Bible College UG and PG provision

Manchester Metropolitan University 2014: Validation of suite of business, community and creativity BA degrees
Publications

Foster, W. (2024) AoG Leadership and Culture: the emerging ecclesiology of a precarious denomination, Brill, Leiden Netherlands (Monograph in edited book series Vol 49 Global Pentecostal and Charismatic Studies).

Dobbins, T., Cao, X., Green, A., Johnstone, P., & Foster, W. (2024). Conceptualizing decent work: an explorative study of decent work in England’s Midlands region. Policy Studies, 1–22. https://doi.org/10.1080/01442872.2024.2353068

Foster, W. (2024) Leadership from the Extreme Periphery to the Mainstream? A reflection on the Critical Journey and how ‘Traditioning’ might offer a Pentecostal Denomination a rediscovery of ancient paths, Journal of Pentecostal and Charismatic Christianity 1–25. https://doi.org/10.1080/27691616.2024.2394467

Cao, X., Dobbins A., Johnstone, P., and Foster, W. (2024) Conceptualising decent work: an explorative study of decent work in England’s Midlands region, Policy Studies CPOS. https://doi.org/10.1080/01442872.2024.2353068

Foster, W., and Lennox-Smith, F. (2023) Developing Leadership that Sustains, Aligns and Engages [Convenor and Chair], Advance HE, The Birmingham Conferences and Events Centre, 16 November 2023

Foster, W. (2023) Leadership and Culture, [Keynote Address], Doctoral Leadership Symposium, Christ Church Oxford University for Portland Seminary George Fox University, 16 September 2023

Foster, W. and Lumsden, L. (2023) The Professional Standards Framework for teaching and supporting learning in higher education and Education for Sustainable Development, Teaching in the Spotlight: Shaping the Future of HE, Advance HE learning and Teaching Conference, Keele University, 4-6 July 2023

Pentecostal Delegation Representative, Learning on the Way Symposium: Receptive Ecumenism and the Catholic Synodal Pathway, The centre for Catholic Studies and the Diocese of Hexam and Newcastle, Durham University, 21-23 June 2023

Foster, W., and Davies, J. (2022) Reimagining the MBA as a force for good: Leadership development in health, Reimagining business and management as a force for good, British Academy of Management, Alliance Manchester Business School University of Manchester, 31 August – 2 September 2023

Foster, W. (2022) Leadership from the Extreme Periphery to the Mainstream? A reflection on the Critical Journey and how ‘Traditioning’ might offer a Pentecostal Denomination a rediscovery of ancient paths [Keynote Address], Pentecostal Theology: Mainstream and Extremes, European Pentecostal Theological Association, College of Theology and Social Sciences Warsaw, Poland, 4-6 July 2022

Kwok, C.S., Muntean, E.A., Foster, W. and Mallen, C.D. (2022) Patient pathways in cardiology: Should pharmaceutical and medical device companies care? Journal of Critical Pathways in Cardiology Mar;21(1):57-60.

Track Chair, Recovering from COVID: Responsible Management and Reshaping the Economy, British Academy of Management, University of Lancaster, 31 August – 3 September 2021

Foster, W., Cao, X., Dobbins, A. and Johnstone, P. (2021) Leading through a trilateral lens: Adaptive leadership response to the wicked problem and challenges of decent work in Covid recovery, Recovering from COVID: Responsible Management and Reshaping the Economy, British Academy of Management, University of Lancaster, 31 August – 3 September 2021

Cao, X., Foster, W., Dobbins A. and Johnstone, P. (2021) Decent work, Covid and policy implications for the Midlands, paper presented at Connectedness, Activism and Dignity at work in a Precarious Era, British Sociological Association Work Employment and Society, 25-27 August 2021.

Foster, W. (2021) The Winding Road of Leadership and Culture: reflections on practice and research in Entrepreneurial, Ecclesiological, Health and Educational settings, invited keynote inaugural speaker for UWS Research Seminar, University of West of Scotland, 25 August 2021.

Foster, W. (2021) Lessons From Southgate: what the England manager can teach us about leadership, Keele University, 7 July 2021, last accessed 3 September 2021 https://blogs.keele.ac.uk/lessons-from-southgate-what-the-england-manager-can-teach-us-about-leadership-1f8b8ff27500

Foster, W. (2021) The Journey From Initial Design To Fully Online: Smooth Paths And Bumps In The Road, paper presented at Education: Then. Now. Next. University of Keele Institute for Innovation and Teaching Excellence, Staffordshire, 20 January 2021.

Goenka, A., Liu, L. and Foster, W. (2021) Lifting lockdown: how much should we listen to the views of business? The Conversation, 2 March 2021, last accessed 1 September 2021 https://theconversation.com/lifting-lockdown-how-much-should-we-listen-to-the-views-of-business-156080

Foster, W. (2018) Pentecostal roots: Considerations of the effect of Pentecostal foundations on organizational culture and leadership of the assemblies of God Great Britain, Journal of the European Pentecostal Theological Association, 38:2, 150-164. https://doi.org/10.1080/18124461.2018.1474666

Foster, W. (2018) Doing ethnographic ecclesiology: findings and reflexive considerations of a six year study, Ecclesiology and Ethnography Europe Annual Conference, St. Johns College, Durham University, 11-13 September 2018, last accessed 1 September 2021 https://core.ac.uk/download/pdf/228028976.pdf

Foster, W (2017) Pentecostal roots: considerations of the effect of Pentecostal foundations on organisational culture and leadership of the Assemblies of God Great Britain, What on Earth has Pentecost to do with the Church? European Pentecostal Theological Association, Regents Theological College, Malvern, 3-6 July 2017.

Foster, W. (2013) The work we were born to do: creative approaches to mentoring and coaching, European Mentoring and Coaching Council, Warwick University, 25 November 2013.

Foster, W. (2013) Denominational questions of organisational culture: tracing the organising ecclesiology of the AoG in Great Britain and Northern Ireland, paper presented at Doctrine and Practice of the Church, Ecclesiology and Ethnography Europe St. Johns College, Durham University, 10-12 September 2013.

Foster, W. (2013), The stated and hidden issues of clients and techniques to mine career issues, European Mentoring and Coaching Council, University of Wolverhampton 12 March 2013.

Foster, W. (2012) Organisational Culture: considerations in the 1924 formation of the Assemblies of God in Britain and Northern Ireland, Research Symposium, King’s College London, 23 May 2012.

Cureton, D., Foster, W. and Jones, J. (May 2011) Mentoring and stress: Occupational Stress, Stressors and Higher Education, International Journal of Mentoring and Coaching, Vol 8 (1), pp.18-42.

Minten, S. and Foster, W. (2009) Enhancing graduate employability, in Bill, K. (ed) Sport Management, Learning Matters Ltd., Exeter, pp. 21-33.

Minten, S. and Foster, W. (2009) Human Resource management, in Bill, K. (ed) Sport Management, Learning Matters Ltd. Exeter, pp. 87-100

Cureton, D. and Foster, W. (2008) Stressing the importance of staff mentoring: can participation in staff mentoring scheme help reduce stress in the higher education workforce? Proceedings of the Society for Higher Education Research: Valuing Higher Education Conference, Adelphi Hotel, Liverpool, 9-10th December 2008.

Foster, W. (March 1999) Are you making hard work of recruitment? Engineering Technology, Vol 2 (3).

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