Meet our Current Students

Rosamonde is the Pioneer Evangelist at the Ballina Centre of Mission. She was born and bred in Ballina, and is the youngest of seven. She currently lives a few kilometres away from the family home. At the Centre of Mission, Rosamonde helps build bridges in the local community, helping people and local agencies to help meet the practical and spiritual needs of people of all ages, whether they are in prolonged difficulty or immediate need.

Laurence is the Pioneer Evangelist for the Newry Centre of Mission in Northern Ireland. Before moving to Newry, Laurence worked for 10 years as the Kids and Youth Co-ordinator for a church in Belfast. He developed a programme called Life Guards, which promotes healthy attitudes towards food and fitness. The programme has been delivered in over 50 schools across Northern Ireland, and in Newry over 50 children attend the weekly gym sessions.

Meg is the Pioneer Evangelist at the Llandaff Centre of Mission, which has a focus on advocating for, enabling and resourcing evangelism across the whole Diocese of Llandaff. The Team are growing a culture of evangelism working closely with newly appointed diocesan Engagement Workers, Growth Enablers and newly formed Ministry Areas. They encourage and enable others to join in through encouragement, access to resources, information and learning and training, including Church Army’s ‘Faith Empowered’ course and Meg’s bespoke ‘Youth Discipleship Training’ programme developed in response to local need. The Centre of Mission is fully engaged as part of the wider Integrated Mission Team working collaboratively to contribute to the diocesan strategy ‘Where Faith Matters’.

Sarah lives in Sheffield. Currently, her church is in vacancy, so she’s regularly giving sermons, offering intercessions, and offering prayer and testimony to encourage the congregation. Sarah also leads a small bible study group once a week, in a group that seeks to support new Christians in their journey of faith and allows difficult questions to be discussed, broadening the faith of new and mature Christians in the group. With a very small team of volunteers, Sarah opens up St Peter’s church as a Warm Welcome space on a weekly basis, and has swiftly created a real community with the people who attend. She is currently discerning how to bring faith into this space in a more strategic way. Sarah also shares faith with her neighbours on a regular basis, and is listening to God about how this evangelism could grow.

Tim is the Pioneer Evangelist at the A7 Centre of Mission, based in Galashiels, Selkirk and Hawick in the Scottish Borders. He lives on the Burnfoot estate, the most deprived area in Hawick. The Centre of Mission is working with the Diocese of Edinburgh to create an entirely new expression of church for those who find traditional church unattractive. Tim is also taking modules with the Scottish Episcopal Institute as part of his training. Tim loves sport. In 2020 he ran the 25 miles from Hawick to Gala via Selkirk to raise funds for Church Army. He says “running makes my heart sing” and he posts reflections on Strava (social media for active people) sharing how running informs his faith in God. Tim also enjoys bird watching, sketching and reading. He is married to Kate, who is also a Church Army Evangelist.

Hayley is a Pioneer Evangelist at the St Helier Centre of Mission working alongside fellow Pioneer Evangelist Rachel Marlow and Lead Evangelist and Vicar Tracy Marlow.

Hayley grew up a mile down the road from the estate but was born in the local hospital and went to school locally too.  She has recently discovered a love for painting.

Simeon is the Pioneer Evangelist for the Langley Centre of Mission, in Oldbury, an industrial area west of Birmingham. It is made up of several urban estates, with 11 schools in the area, including three secondary schools. The Centre opened during the COVID-19 pandemic, and Simeon and his Lead Evangelist have been prayer walking in the area and developing relationships with residents. Several exciting opportunities are opening up with people who are keen to work with them. One of these is ‘Living Well’, a weekly Thursday morning group which Simeon is running as a space for getting to know and disciple people from the community, especially those who might not otherwise feel at home in a church, based at Ebenezer Wesleyan Reform Church.

He enjoys socialising, prayer meetings and Bible studies, as well as several sports. He has a particular passion to reach people experiencing addiction and a life of crime.

Claire Lingard is the Pioneer Evangelist at the Southampton Centre of Mission. Claire is developing worshipping communities in Southampton, and helping to encourage pioneering evangelism across the Diocese. Claire is also involved with the Diocese of Winchester to enable evangelism through Envoy and the Winchester School of Mission.

Claire loves animals and has a cat, dog and a horse. Claire says she loves exploring ‘God’s wonderful world either on foot with my dog or on horseback’.

Bing is the Lead Evangelist for the Rochdale Centre of Mission. He is originally from China where he came from following a missional call to serve God in England. Rochdale Centre of Mission started in early 2021, is based on the Belfield & Cray and Firgrove estates, and is supported by St Ann’s Belfield church. Bing shares the Good News of Jesus with those on the estates who have no connection to the church. They hope to grow a new worshipping community (or communities) in the area and to guide and encourage the local churches in their mission and evangelism. They are also aiming to be part of a Learning Network of Pioneer Ministers in the area, supporting and encouraging one another in their work.

Bing is passionate about languages and cultures. He loves food, enjoys nature, and love sports, particularly fishing. He is passionate about God’s revival, and people, especially empowering and releasing people into their calling.

Michelle is the Pioneer Evangelist at the Cross Hands CoM, in south-west Wales. Cross Hands is the fourth most populated area in Carmarthenshire with a high proportion of residents under 45 and a substantial number of people without qualifications. The impact of COVID-19 has – as with most areas – hit most people here. Michelle serves the families of Cross Hands in a very heartful and relational way, through different spaces provided, such as a community café, a soft play area and a safe space for people who would not normally step into a church building to come and worship.

Michelle loves baking cakes and giving them to friends and family. She is a season ticket holder for the Scarlets rugby team, and enjoys exploring nutrition, cycling and walking, and listening to music.

Anna lives in Sheffield, and works for a Church Army project that works with vulnerable people. Anna has also been involved with outreach in Sheffield city centre with a small team, learning to follow where God is leading through things like ‘Treasure hunting’, worship and a having a go at street preaching. She is also involved in leadership team of St Phillips, and loves encouraging people there to be the children of God we are made to be with the resources of Heaven within reach!

When she’s not doing the above, Anna says she’s a taxi driver for her family and also teaches piano at a primary school.

Rachel is a Pioneer Evangelist in the North Sutton CoM, working part-time alongside fellow Pioneer Evangelist Hayley and Lead Evangelist/Vicar, Tracy. The North Sutton CoM is based on the St Helier Estate, Sutton, and was launched in April 2021.

Much of the work at the CoM is focused around ‘gathering’ people together. The estate is home to around 11,000 people, yet there are few places for people to ‘gather’ together (pubs, cafes, youth clubs, etc). Rachel says, “I am passionate about children and youth ministry, so part of my role includes building relationships with schools, running Messy Church and beginning a youth ‘gathering’ which will be starting from September”.

Rachel grew up in Essex, and loves baking, walks in the countryside or by the sea and spending time with friends.

Andrea lives in Nelson, Lancashire. She is the Food bank coordinator at St Philip’s Centre, working with a small team who to provide food parcels and signpost people to other support services. Andrea also does street outreach with homeless people and those living with addiction and poverty through the Lighthouse Project, and using the St Philip’s Centre to offer services, prayer, fellowship and food. Andrea is passionate about reaching out to people, journeying with them and sharing God’s love in action and words.

Andrea also loves walking, reading, listening to music, and playing the flute.

Tracey lives in Ipswich. She discerned a call to be a Church Army Evangelist after taking part in what is now Church Army’s Faith Empowered course and joining the St Edmundsbury and Ipswich cluster. Tracey works in her parish church as an evangelist, running seekers courses, a creative bible study in a community café, and a time of prayer within a food bank each week., is married to Chris, and has two daughters who are 18 and 20.

Outside of church activities Tracey likes walking, reading and catching up with friends – when time allows!

Hannah is the Pioneer Evangelist at the Sligo Centre of Mission, in the Diocese of Kilmore, Elphin and Ardagh. She lives in Finer Parish (Bundoran) and ministers across the Manorhamiliton and Sligo Cathedral groups of parishes. Hannah develops mission activities and outreach in the seaside town of Bundoran, pioneers youth worshiping communities across the area, and ministers at ReCentre Community Church.

Hannah enjoys walks with her dog Rosie and the odd bit of lego building.

Helen lives in Sheffield, and works for a Church Army project that works with vulnerable people. She is also a trained School Chaplain and volunteers as a School Pastor, and is part of the team that offers pastoral, missional and evangelistic outreach at the S6 and The Spires Foodbanks. Helen leads the Hub Support that builds relationships with the foodbank users.

Helen loves reading, watching films, and going to the theatre. She enjoys walking, holidaying, beach combing and antique shop rummaging. Helen is married to David, and they have three sons.

Jack is the Pioneer Evangelist at the Wrexham Centre of Mission in Caia Park, which is recognised by the European Community as an area of significant poverty and deprivation. During the school holidays the Wrexham Centre of Mission has developed an initiative to cook and deliver hot meals to anyone in need of one. These meals go out to families, elderly people and those struggling with loneliness.

Another big part of Wrexham Centre of Mission is the Tin Can Youth Centre. Out of this the team operate an after school drop in, a youth club for young people aged 16-18 and a youth church that meets once a month. This is a place for young people to make their own and safely meet together. Through this ministry there are a number of unchurched young people who have explored faith and are growing into a Christian youth community.

Heather lives in Sheffield with her three children. She is a volunteer children and families minister, and volunteer school chaplain. She set up and leads the Messy Church group “Faith & Fun for Families” in Porter Croft school hall, delivers annual Easter and Christmas Encounter days at Porter Croft Primary school.

She also runs a weekly coffee morning at the school, leads Alpha and Big life groups, and is part of the emerging church plant in Arbourthorne, Sheffield.

Heather loves exercise, especially high energy dancing and bike riding with her kids. She spends a lot of time in the Peak District, going for walks with friends, and playing games and throwing parties. She especially likes silly games like Pie Face, the coin in the flour and strawberry lace races, and wonders if that’s her Kidz Klub roots coming out!