‘A sense of His presence’ - ten questions with James Burnett

James Burnett is the Principal and CEO of Belfast School of Theology (BST). Married to Hazel, James is also an amateur sailor, triathlete (see photo) and open-water swimmer.

1. How did you become a Christian?

I was not brought up in the church. In fact, I didn’t really know any Christians until around the age of 17. By then, I had a fearsome reputation as a tough guy in my area of Belfast during what was called The Troubles – which was a mighty achievement! When I did meet Christian teenagers who attended something called Scripture Union, the name of Jesus captured my heart. I wanted to find out more. No-one (and let me emphasise “no-one”) dared make fun of me for attending Christian events.