Church Liaison Officer for the LGBTQI Communities moves on
Andrew Woodward, the parish priest for St Mary, Rock Gardens in Kemp Town since 2007 is leaving his post to become Associate Vicar for Ministry at St Martin-in-the-Fields, in the Diocese of London.
Andrew trained for the ministry at the South East Institute for Theological Education whilst working for Lloyds Bank - a career spanning 35 years, culminating in his position as Relationship Director specialising in Commercial Property Investment and Residential Development across the Surrey Hants Border Area, remaining as an Associate of the Chartered Institute of Bankers. He was ordained deacon in 1999, priested in 2000 and served his title at St James’s Church Weybridge in the Diocese of Guildford.
From 2003, he served as a Non-Stipendiary Minister at St Botolph’s Aldgate, London and in 2007 was appointed Honorary Priest in Charge of St Mary’s Kemp Town - a large Victorian Urban Church, scheduled for closure in 2006 - becoming the incumbent in 2019.
During his tenure in Kemp Town, Andrew was appointed Rural Dean of Brighton in 2015 and took on an additional role as the Bishop’s first Liaison Officer for LGBTQI Communities in 2017. He said: “I have so valued my 17 years in this Diocese, in my various roles, and am so grateful for the huge amount of support from those I have been so blessed to work with.”
Bishop Martin praised Andrews work in the community saying: “Since 2007 Andrew has been an extraordinarily resourceful parish priest at St Mary, Rock Gardens, in Brighton. He has addressed the needs of that huge and unusual building and done just exactly the same for the community of Kemp Town.
“As the Bishop’s Liaison Officer for LGBTQI Communities, an initiative that had its origins in the Brighton Deanery, Andrew transformed it into a diocesan-wide ministry. With patience, humility and courage, he has spoken about who he is as a Christian, a priest, and a partnered gay man. Andrew’s integrity has enabled us as a diocese to recognise the worst that we could say about each other and, for the most part, to recognise what a breach of charity that would be.
“His legacy commits us to build a future based on the enrichment we derive from each other as differences are subsumed by our shared baptism. This is more than respect. It is what the Prayer Book collect for Quinquagesima outlines as, ‘That most excellent gift of charity, the very bond of peace and all virtues, without which whosoever liveth is counted dead before thee’.
“Prior to his departure for London, Andrew will be working with us to outline how to develop the work that he has undertaken. That is a sacred trust, committing us to hear voices and see people who easily and understandably often feel that they are not acceptable. We will honour that trust.”
Andrew’s final Sunday at St Mary’s will be Easter day, 20 April.
St Martin’s will welcome Andrew on 18 May at their 10am Parish Eucharist.