Lionel is an author, consultant and a non-profit leader who is passionate about helping pastors and ministries flourish. He is a descendant of several generations of Protestant ministers and has devoted more than thirty-five years of his life to helping ministries achieve remarkable growth. Lionel holds a PhD from the University of Stirling (Scotland) where he was mentored by the British intellectual David W. Bebbington. He is now working with Church Growth Services, a firm with more than sixty years of experience helping churches fully fund their ministry vision. Lionel is a Senior Research Associate at the Cambridge Centre for Christianity Worldwide (Cambridge, England) where he writes about World Christianity and mentors doctoral students. He also serves as the Executive Vice President of Global Action, a non-profit that provides theological education for more than 2,000 pastors and leaders in the Global South. He loves coffee, books, libraries, pastors, the Texas Hill Country and the wild beauty of Scotland. He and his wife Stacy make their home in Austin, Texas.