Mike Ovey

Ovey was born on 9 December 1958 on the Isle of Wight, United Kingdom.[1] He studied at Balliol College, Oxford, graduating with a Bachelor of Arts (BA) degree in 1981.[2] He remained at Balliol College to study for the Bachelor of Civil Law (BCL) degree, a postgraduate degree, which he completed in 1982.[1] He then worked as a lawyer in the Civil Service where he would help draft government legislation.[3]

In 1988, Ovey matriculated into Ridley Hall, Cambridge, an Evangelical Anglican theological college, to train for ordained ministry.[2] During this time, he also studied theology at Trinity College, Cambridge, from which he graduated with a further BA degree in 1991.[1] After three years training, he left Ridley Hall to be ordained in the Church of England.[2]

Ovey continued his studies during his ministry. He graduated with a Master of Theology (MTh) degree from Moore Theological College (accredited by the Australian College of Theology) in 2000.[1][2] He undertook postgraduate research at King's College, London (a constituent college of the University of London), completing his Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) degree in 2005.[1][4] His doctoral thesis was titled The Eternal Relation between the Father and the Son and Its Handling by Selected Patristic Theologians, with Particular Reference to John's Gospel.[4]

Ovey was ordained in the Church of England as a deacon in 1991 and as a priest in 1992.[2] From 1991 to 1995, he served his curacy at All Saints Church, Crowborough in the Diocese of Chichester.[2][3] He then moved to Australia, where he worked as a Junior Lecturer at Moore Theological College, Sydney.[1]

Having returned to England in 1998, Ovey joined the staff of Oak Hill College, a conservative evangelical theological college in London, as the Kingham Hill Research Fellow.[1][2][3] From 2005 to 2007, he was also a lecturer and the College Dean.[1] He was Principal of Oak Hill Theological College from 2007 until his death in 2017.[2]

Ovey died suddenly on 7 January 2017; he was aged 58.[7][8][9] His funeral was held at Enfield Evangelical Free Church on 23 January 2017.[10]

In 1987, Ovey married Heather Elizabeth Jefferyes.[1] Together they had three children;[3] one daughter and two sons.[1]

• Jeffery, Steve; Ovey, Michael; Sach, Andrew (2007). Pierced for our transgressions: rediscovering the glory of penal substitution. Nottingham: Inter-Varsity Press. ISBN 978-1844741786.
• Ovey, Michael; Strange, Daniel (2015). Confident: Why we can trust the Bible. Fearn: Christian Focus Publications. ISBN 978-1781915547.
• Ovey, Michael (2016). Your Will Be Done: Exploring Eternal Subordination, Divine Monarchy and Divine Humility. London: The Latimer Trust. ISBN 978-1906327408.