An interview with Andrew Stobart

Andrew, congratulations! How does it feel now that the announcement of your new role is public? Does it feel more real?

Yes, it does. It’s been encouraging reading comments, especially on Facebook. I didn’t share it on my personal page until last night, but the response has been heartwarming. Some messages came from unexpected connections, like someone who I heard preach and remembered me encouraging their sermon. It’s fascinating to see these networks and the tradition of people connected to Cliff College.

On September 1st you’ll become the youngest ever Principal of Cliff College. Does that feel significant?

I’ll still be 41 in September, and the youngest principal before me was Thomas Cook, the first Principal, who was 45 when he took on the role. Throughout my ministry, I’ve often been younger than expected for the roles I’ve taken – I was a superintendent in my early 30s, responsible for 13 churches. This might reflect the Methodist Church’s current situation, with fewer people entering ministry and higher numbers retiring, which opens up opportunities earlier. Leadership roles like this in the world today also require navigating diverse demands, including digital literacy, and I think there are important generational shifts in approach to mission and ministry which younger leaders can bring. I feel humbled to have been entrusted with the College's work at this age.

Tell me about your experience working at Cliff College so far, especially as a part-remote staff member.

I started at Cliff in January 2021 during lockdown and didn’t visit the campus for the first six months! My experience has been a mix of in-person and online interactions. I spend about half my time physically at Cliff, living onsite and engaging deeply with the community when I’m there. This hybrid perspective gives me insight into both the residential and remote aspects of the College. It helps me think about how we can be an inclusive, welcoming community for everyone, not just those physically present. I think it’s easy for communities like ours to become inward facing, focused only on the people in front of us, whereas the nature of my engagement with Cliff means that I can keep an outside view as well as being fully engaged in the onsite community when I’m present.

What’s your favourite spot on campus?

The Orchard. It’s the geographical centre of the campus and makes me think about health growth and bearing fruit. It also offers stunning views!

Can you share a bit about your own faith journey?

I grew up in a Christian home; my father is a Methodist Local Preacher. Music and church were integral parts of my life. A pivotal moment came at age 7 when I read a book called How to Become a Christian and prayed the prayer it described. Another key influence was our local Methodist minister, who encouraged me to share my testimony and become a church member. Later, at a tent meeting when I was a teenager, a message on John 21 and Jesus’ question to Peter of ‘do you love me more than these’ became key in my sense of calling to ministry.

Then you studied at London School of Theology and did your PhD at Aberdeen. What was your research focus?

I completed my undergraduate degree at London School of Theology, then a two-year MPhil at Aberdeen on the doctrine of reconciliation in James Denney’s theology. My PhD, also at Aberdeen, was a constructive analysis of resurrection theology, focusing on Rowan Williams and Robert Jenson. It explored what resurrection means theologically and how it generates life in the church. For me, being evangelical means being firmly committed to the risen Jesus, emphasising transformation through His living presence.

I also trained to be a Local Preacher in Aberdeen and worked with the Methodist Church there as their student pastor. Through those things came the conviction that moving into Methodist ministry was the right step, so I candidated for ministry from Aberdeen and served for eight or nine years in Methodist circuit ministry before having the opportunity to step into theological education. When I first sensed a calling to ministry, I had thought I would go into teaching theology, but my Principal at LST told me, ‘If you’re going to teach it, you need to do it!’. So, it’s pleasing to have come back to where I thought I would be when I first started out, but with hands-on experience of practical ministry and mission.

Can you tell me a bit about your family?

I’m married to Rebekah, and we have two children, Charis and Micah. We live in Northern Ireland, close to Rebekah’s family. Our children are settled in their schools, and we plan to stay rooted there while I commute to Cliff every other week.

What excites you about being part of Cliff College and leading it through the next phase of its life?

Cliff has a unique story and heritage, one that intersects with significant developments in UK and global Christianity. It’s a privilege to be part of that story and to be entrusted with its leadership – I use the word ‘entrusted’, because it strikes me that Cliff has a unique and significant role to play in the world of theological education and training, as well as in the Methodist Church and wider UK Christianity. I’m excited about getting to lead this community that has and can have such a transformative impact on individuals and on communities as well. It seems to me that Cliff is about taking people as they come to us and enabling them to encounter here something of healthy, vital, resurrection Christianity, and then be able to embed that in habits and practices of mission and discipleship that then go and make a difference, for the kingdom.

What can people pray for regarding Cliff College and its future?

Pray that Cliff will discover and implement inspiring next steps, becoming a hope-giving community that reflects healthy, vital Christianity. The higher education sector faces challenges, and the church often feels like it’s in decline. Cliff has the opportunity to be a prophetic community of hope and to help people experience the risen Jesus in transformative ways. So I’d encourage people to pray for the courage to live out this vision.