He originally planned to become a teacher before training at LAMDA. He worked as a teacher in France as part of his university course but when he returned to the UK he found he had "lost the drive for the academic side of things" [ This quote needs a citation] and found himself getting heavily involved in plays and musicals at the university. He is quoted as saying, [4]

Dr Hilborn said: "Dave was an inspirational pastor and teacher whose pioneering ministry in Anfield had a proud effect on me when I was an ordinand in the 1980s.ACUTE was established to provide a theological impetus to the work of the Alliance in promoting unity in the truth among evangelicals and Dave helped to draw together a truly representative selection of UK evangelical theologians and thinkers who went on to produce resources on the big issues of the day such as homosexuality, health and wealth prosperity teaching, the Toronto Blessing and the National Lottery. I had the privilege of taking on that work from Dave, and of developing what he started when I joined the Alliance staff, but his faith, vision and drive were foundational, as they were in so many of the other things he accomplished for God's kingdom. I found I loved this medium and wanted to look into it more, to see what was out there and what drama school was about. So I did some research and decided to have a go, not really expecting anything to happen. I was naive and did not know how tough it was. I thought I was probably not good enough but something inside me told me I should have a go, so I did. Career [ edit ] With a rare combination of a piercing intellect and a tender heart, he was a great model of Christian leadership, and his theological contribution to the Evangelical Alliance has been of inestimable value.

Other notable roles in theatre include Deflores in The Changeling, Southwark Playhouse; Macheath in The Beggar’s Opera at Regent's Park Open Theatre and Bosola in The Duchess of Malfi, Northampton. Caves was educated at Campbell College, Belfast. His parents and his uncle were all teachers. [3] Caves studied modern languages, including French and German, at the University of St Andrews from 1997 to 2002. I met him shortly after I came to faith in Liverpool. Always encouraging, and always humorous, it was clear to me that Dave had a deep love for those living in our most deprived communities.Dave's influence as the first co-ordinator, in 1993, of the newly founded Alliance Commission on Unity and Truth among Evangelicals (ACUTE) was considerable. Caves was offered places at both LAMDA and Bristol Old Vic, opting for the former because of the lure of London. His training focused on theatre and, prior to his addition to the Silent Witness cast, he was known as a stage actor, having impressed as Petruchio in the Royal Shakespeare Company's 2012 touring production of The Taming of the Shrew. [5] He has also starred in Ironclad: Battle for Blood. [6] Later, he broke new ground for the Evangelical Alliance by convening a theological commission that would significantly inform its work. In 2014, Caves also featured in the television documentary The Crime Thriller Club. [7] Presented by Bradley Walsh, this documentary was a mix of interviews, film clips and a game show about the detective genre in both film and literature.

Dr David Landrum, director of advocacy at the Alliance, said: "What a servant of God and of his church Dave Cave was.ACUTE is now known as TAG, the theological advisory group, whose current chair is the Rev Dr David Hilborn, principal of St John's College, Nottingham. My prayers are with Tina and the family in their loss, but deep sadness at his sudden passing is mixed with thankfulness for his life and witness, and for the fact that he is now at home with the Lord."