About Andy
Andy is a researcher, consultant and practical theologian with a particular interest in mission and evangelism. After initial degrees in Social & Political Studies (BA, Sheffield) and Urban Regeneration (MSc Urban Regeneration), he spent his early career working in community development and urban regeneration. A desire to explore the ways that churches engage in urban mission then led him to study for a part-time Professional Doctorate in Practical Theology (DProf, Chester) and to publish the key findings in a practitioner-facing Grove book – Creative Tension in Urban Mission (2015).
Prior to joining St Hild College, Andy worked for Church Army – initially as Research, Review and Training Officer (2014-2019) and subsequently as Research Team Leader (2019-2025). As leader of Church Army’s Research Unit, he led various studies of contemporary church planting and pioneering mission, as well as project evaluations for Church of England dioceses.
Andy works part-time for St Hild College as an Academic and Formational Tutor. Alongside his St Hild role, he runs Winging It Consulting - a research and consultancy practice seeking to resource faithful improvisation in mission.
Publications
- Playing the Funding Game: Churches’ Participation in Multi-Million-Pound Funding Programmes, Practical Theology (2025)
- From the Margins to the Mainstream? Four Questions for the Theology of Church Planting. Book chapter in W. Foulger and J. Cockayne (eds) New Churches: A Theology (Cambridge: SCM, 2024)
- Growing Leaders on Urban Estates (Church Army’s Research Unit / National Estate Churches Network, 2023)
- Paid Pioneers: From the Margins to the Mainstream? (Church Army’s Research Unit, 2022)
- From the Descriptive to the Normative: Towards a Practical Theology of the Charismatic-Evangelical Urban Church, Ecclesial Practices 4.1 (2017)
- Faith-Based Social Action Below the Radar: A Study of the Charismatic-Evangelical Urban Church, Voluntary Sector Review 5.1 (2014)
Research and Supervision Interests
- Mission and evangelism
- Church planting and pioneering
- Urban theology
- Practical theology