Andrew Gardner

(Senior Pastor, Fulwood, Preston, Lancashire)

I first gave my life to God as an 8-year old when I knew that I needed to be right with Him. I had a further experience as a sixteen year old. A friend and I blew ourselves up making home -made bombs. This frightened me deeply and I wanted to be sure I would be with God when I died so I prayed again to receive Christ as my Saviour. I rebelled against God through my late teenage years, but eventually realized that anything else I tried in life was shallow compared to knowing Jesus. That was Christmas 1975.

For a while I walked with God as best I could, then in the summer of 1977 God’s Holy Spirit met me in a powerful and life transforming way. I responded at an evening service at my home church which was the Garstang Free Methodist Church. I knelt down at the front and it felt like God’s love hit me in all its fullness and ferocity. I felt my life smashed into a thousand little pieces as I realized my utter worthlessness before God as a sinner. I wept and wept before God for over an hour. I wept because I was a sinner, then I wept because I knew God loved me. He gently pulled me back together. From that point on I had a sense of knowing that God wanted me to be in full time Christian work. During this time I began to study God’s word, lead worship services, preach and get involved in evangelism ministry at my own church. Over a two-year period the sense of calling grew and grew and I went to train for the ministry at London Bible College in 1979. It was a fantastic time for me and I went through a period of intellectual conversion when I realised that God’s truth was true truth throughout eternity, history and for all people.

I also met my wife Katharine at theology college. We were married in 1981. I left college in 1982 and we went to work in a Christian drugs and alcohol rehabilitation centre for 2 years. This was a fantastic finishing school preparing me to train for the ministry. A tough and exacting time but one of great excitement and joy. I became a candidate for the Free Methodist Ministry in 1984 and have served in pastoring and church planting with the Fulwood, Penwortham, Lancaster and Carnforth churches.

I have been at Fulwood Free Methodist Church since 1995. I have three grown up daughters, two sons-in-law and a baby grandson - Joel David. I love woodturning and golf for relaxation. I enjoy reading theology and churchmanship books and especially a good sci-fi book or movie.

My heart is to grow church. Some people think that I am an impetuous kind of guy but I really long to see God’s church here in Fulwood growing steadily through evangelism and winning people for Christ and growing up as people discover his love and his truth and change to become like him. I have now been in Christian Ministry for nearly thirty years and love it more than ever. I am deeply graced and priveledged by God to be pastor at Fulwood Free Methodist Church.

Andrew Gardner