Asking ‘What do you do?’ is perfectly understandable, and until recently, answering was perfectly straightforward!
Ordained since 1997, I’ve served several churches (St Ebbe’s Oxford 1993-94; Christ Church Fulwood, Sheffield, 1997-2001; All Souls Langham Place 2005-2014).
So that’s clear then… I’m a vicar. Except not exactly!
Between 2001-2005, Rachel, Josh and Zanna and I lived on Makindye Hill in the Ugandan capital Kampala. There I taught Biblical Studies at KEST (Kampala Evangelical School of Theology). Perhaps inevitably, however, the longer I was there, the more I was sucked out of teaching and into admin; by the end I was just teaching perhaps one hour a fortnight.
So, I’m a missionary, then. Well, kind of… While in East Africa, I started doing some work for Langham Preaching (part of Langham Partnership).
Then back in London, All Souls generously gave six weeks of my time to Langham. This work developed rapidly, so in 2014 I started the job I held for a decade: Director (for Europe and Caribbean).
22 years in Langham brought amazing privileges and opportunities for cross-cultural work, which is easily my first love when it comes to ministry. I know few joys quite like meeting and learning from people who are different from me, not to mention the occasions when it is possible to work in partnership together. This has given me the chance to teach and train preachers in perhaps 50 different countries.
But it was time to hand the role over to someone with fresh eyes, freeing me up to be spread less thinly and refocus. I now have more time to research and write (in theory!), particularly in the area of theology and the arts; I also can try to do more in fewer places (especially Ukraine and Turkiye). To do all this, I went freelance on 1st January 2025, while remaining accountable to a small support group as well as part of St Mary’s. I’m hugely thankful to become a St Mary’s Mission Partner, not least because it adds to the connections we already have with Rachel on the staff team.
For more information go to markmeynell.net