Our Pastor

Hi, my name is Andrew Ireland. I am married to Cathryn and we have two boys, Matt (12) and Luke (6). We moved to Wincanton at the end of July 2009, to take up the pastorate of Wincanton Baptist Church.

I was born in Barry, where I lived until 1996. For the first 15 years of life, I attended a local Methodist Church and before leaving taught a Sunday School class and helped run a table football club for the younger children.  

As a member of Barry and Vale Harriers for 19 years, I ran in the Cross-Country, Road Running and Track teams, as well as serving as a coach, team manager and in other administrative roles. During this time, I was fortunate enough to compete, coach, team manage and administrate at county and national levels. I met Cathryn in 1985 at Llantwit Major School, where we both taught. She quickly convinced me that I needed to start reading the Bible and attending church. As a result I started attending a Baptist Church, about 200 yards from the original Methodist Church with her. We married in July 1986. At Spring Harvest (a Christian Week in Minehead) God told me clearly that I needed to give up athletics and that Cathryn and I would be doing something together for him. Six months later I gave up athletics (which was not easy) and we spent the next three years trying different things together, e.g. running the church youth club, producing the church magazine.

In December 1991, we moved to Tabernacle Baptist Church in Penarth. It was here, during a service in May 1992, that I felt a strong call to the ministry. This was a great shock as being a minister had never crossed my mind, especially as I was thoroughly enjoying my role as Head of Lower School in Llantwit Major School. I spent the next year testing the call in different ways, whilst also being given increased responsibility in the school. At the end of Summer Term 1993, I left teaching and have not looked back.

Three years study at South Wales Baptist College, in Cardiff, followed. For part of this time I was student pastor of a Baptist church in Grangetown, Cardiff. Pastorates in Caerphilly (Mount Carmel), Nottingham (Lady Bay) and Bristol (Stockwood Free Church) followed. The skills and experiences gathered in athletics and teaching have been extremely useful so far. God certainly does bring everything together for His purposes.

Cathryn and I have always seen ourselves as called to a joint ministry. We now believe God has called us here and we are looking forward to living in Wincanton and serving our Lord, Jesus Christ, together with the people who make up Wincanton Baptist Church and the wider Christian family, in the community.