MINISTERS-STAFF TEAM
Revd Dr Andy Lyons - Superintendent Minister
I entered the Methodist ministry in 2006 at the age of 47. My first appointment was in the Bromsgrove Circuit, which during my time there merged with the Redditch Circuit. That circuit consisted of town and country churches/chapels. My main church was Catshill Methodist Church, but over the 6 years I served in that circuit I had pastoral charge for some of the time for 5 other churches.
I then moved to the Croydon circuit in 2013 where I was the minister at Parchmore Methodist Church and Community Centre and Downsview Methodist Church. I moved to the Lambeth Circuit in 2018 taking pastoral charge of Lambeth Walk and St. Mary’s. In this role I have been managing the demolition and re-build of this church. From June 2023 I was acting superintendent as Revd Andy Dart was unwell.
From September 2024 I will take over pastoral charge at Clapham Methodist Church and become the superintendent of the Lambeth Circuit. I will pass my retirement age but have agreed to work on!
I have been a Methodist all my life. I was brought up in Redhill, Surrey and many of my early memories revolve around growing up in the Redhill Methodist Church where my parents were active members. I went to Methodist boarding schools – to Prior’s Court preparatory at the age of 9 and then onto Kingswood School in Bath.
After leaving school I spent a year at Southampton University studying Economics and Politics – but that did not work out for me and I took time out, doing various jobs and voluntary work trying to decide what I wanted to do with my life. I did my training as a Local Preacher and qualified in 1980. I considered at that time candidating for the Methodist Ministry but felt more drawn to youth work and so I went to study at the Roehampton Institute in 1981 and received my BEd in 1984. As I was studying I began work as a part-time youth worker at Parchmore Methodist Church and Community Centre; and when I was qualified I became the full time worker there.
The early 1980s was a turbulent time in England and I saw firsthand, working mainly with African-Caribbean young people, the effect that racism had on them. I had to reflect deeply on my own privilege and background – it was however the most transformative time of my life and it led me into a new period professionally. In 1988 I switched to working for the Sports Council in a role that enabled me to work with various diverse BEM groups in Birmingham and the West Midlands. I undertook a Masters degree in Race and Ethnic Studies and eventually became the equal opportunities officer in the Sports Council.
In 2002 I heard the call of God to enter the Methodist Ministry and studied at The Queen’s Foundation, gaining my BA in Practical Theology and beginning my PhD studying Methodist Liturgical Practice that I completed in 2010. I am now a member of the liturgical sub-committee of the church.
To contact Rev. Dr. Andy email: andylyons58@gmail.com
Revd Lena Ali
It is such a blessing for Lambeth Circuit to merge with the Clapham Circuit and we look forward to some exciting times as we work cohesively to become a progressive and dynamic circuit. Prior to joining Lambeth Circuit, I was stationed in the New River Circuit for seven years. I am a trained RGN, RMN and SCM before I was called to the Ministry and worked as a Senior Nurse Manager at a Psychiatric Hospital. I am passionate about helping those who are underprivileged, and now I am currently the Chair of a Church based Housing Association which offers accommodation for the homeless and moving on to independent living. Since joining the circuit, I have been humbled by the experience of serving God's people at Railton Road and sharing worship and social events in the other churches. I have been running a Bereavement Support group for members in the circuit.
Over the past 8 months, I have been caring for my husband Kashaf, who was terminally ill and he died peacefully at home on Sunday 2nd of August. We were married for 48 years and made our home in North London. Life will be lonely without him but I know that God will give me strength and courage in my time of greatest need. I am very grateful to you all for your love, support and encouragement over the past few years and especially at this time - for your prayers, cards, phone calls and touching messages of consolation. It has helped ease the pain and sorrow and I consider myself fortunate to have so many caring and loving people in my life.
I pray that God will continue to shower his richest blessings on you and all your families.
To contact Rev. Lena email: lenaali59@aol.com
Revd Rita King
I grew up in a committed Methodist family and in a lively Methodist church with vibrant worship that I still cherish. It was a pleasure for me to serve in different roles in the life of the church from a very early age. I also worked in various organisations including volunteering for a charity that works with people with disability.
The call to pastoral ministry came when I was in Bible School in London and I candidated for ministry in the Methodist Church. My ministerial training was at the Queen’s Foundation, Birmingham and Wesley House Cambridge and I later trained as a Spiritual Director. I served in the Nottingham Trent Valley Circuit, Harrow and Hillingdon Circuit and the Clapham Circuit. I now look forward to serving in the newly formed Lambeth Circuit by God’s grace.
I love spending time with God and with people in general. I am blessed with supportive friends and family that I enjoy spending time with and they are my greatest earthly treasure. Travelling and experiencing nature also gives me great pleasure. I give thanks to God for my ministerial journey so far, that has shaped me into who I am now and trust God for all that is to come.
To contact Rev. Rita: ritadjking@gmail.com
Revd Kristin Markay
I come from a long line of Methodist Pastors, beginning with my great-grandfather. I was blessed to grow up not only in my family but also in the family of the Methodist Church, embraced by people who modelled for me what a life of faith looks like- people who blended John Wesley’s idea of personal and social holiness. I saw how their personal faith in Christ led them to love of neighbour, in all its forms.
My first experience in crossing a culture was as an AFS exchange student to Sri Lanka. I majored in English Literature at university and taught in a high school while exploring a call to the ministry. I began seminary at Duke Divinity School in Durham, North Carolina, and met my future husband, Dave, during the first weekend. In the midst of our seminary training and during our first year of marriage, we took a year to be probationer Ministers in England, in the Goole Circuit. When the year finished, we tucked away the possibility of returning at some point.
After ordination, Dave and I served for 5 years in the West Ohio Conference of the United Methodist Church. During this time, we both felt the call to be mission partners with the General Board of Global Ministries of the UMC. This call took us to Lithuania, where we served in the newly re-established Methodist Church, which had been closed during the 50 years of Soviet occupation. Later, we served 2 multi-cultural Methodist congregations in Milan, Italy. When we completed 7 years in Milan, we told our children, Hannah and Aidan, that they would not need to learn another language! We remembered our time in Goole and decided to apply to be Recognised and Regarded by the British Methodist Church. Dave and I were stationed in the Sheffield District, and I served for 7 years in the Barnsley Circuit.
Now, I am in the Lambeth Circuit, serving with new people who are modelling for me lives of faith and showing me how faith creates a new family in Christ.
To contact Rev. Kristin email: kristin.markay@gmail.com
Revd Sue Shortman
I was born in Manchester and lived in and around the city from childhood until I left home and moved a little south of the city before moving to the South of England in 1998 near Gatwick Airport where I lived until my first appointment as a Minister in the Purley Circuit.
I began training for Ministry in 2011 following a developing call which began many years earlier and trained with what was then SEITE (South East Institute for Theological Education) now St Augustine’s, training part time whilst I continued to work within the clinical Admin team at a hospice in the home care team. It was hard work but gave me the skills I needed to balance the pressures of ministry which can be challenging. I was stationed to the Purley Circuit as a probationer in 2014.
I have been involved in Methodism since my teens as part of a girls gospel choir from the age of 13, I had a great time travelling and singing and found myself drawn into faith through the love and support I received from those who were part of the choir as leaders and fellow singers. The Methodist DNA has always been attractive to me, the social gospel that began with John Wesley, although not as easy to recognise sometimes with the passage of time. I have been stationed in the Birmingham circuit for the last five years, an appointment that has given me some great opportunities to engage my passion for justice and to experience city ministry.
I am now excited to be joining the Lambeth Circuit and to have further opportunities to engage with city ministry at Lambeth Walk and Streatham as well as a new pioneer project in Vauxhall.
I look forward to working together with the people of the Lambeth Circuit to share God’s love, mercy and justice with all the people of the Lambeth Circuit and the wider world.
To contact Revd Sue email: sue.shortman@methodist.org.uk
Sabrina Dessi-Makin
I have been the Administrator to the Clapham Circuit for many years now, and feel incredibly lucky to be part of such a caring and inclusive Church family. I look forward to this new chapter as part of the Lambeth Circuit and to be part of an even bigger church family!
To contact Sabrina email: churchoffice98@yahoo.com
Shirley De Los Reyes
I started work for Lambeth Circuit in 2013 just after the Brixton and Streatham Circuit merged, but before that I also worked in Archway and Harlesden Methodist Churches. My previous job was Advocacy & Outreach Work before I became an Administrator.
I’ve done my Bachelor of Arts (major in Christian Education) in the Philippines and served in 3 different United Methodist Churches managing and teaching in their Nursery, Kindergarten and Preparatory Schools, while doing Children & Youth Work and Family Support work with the Ministry Team.
I lived my first 25 years in the Philippines before travelling and living in different European countries for more or less 12 years and Spain became my second home but after living there for 10 years we decided to join my Mom here in London in 1993 and now London is also home for me and my family.
I don’t know what the future holds for me in the new Circuit just hoping that this will be a blessed one and I am looking forward to working with you all God permitting… Godspeed!!!
To contact Shirley email: lambethmethodistcircuitadmin@btconnect.com
Supernumeraries: Revd Gordon Ashworth
Rev. Gordon Ashworth trained for the Ministry at Wesley College, Headingley & Wesley College, Bristol. He served in the Lambeth Mission Circuit, Railton Road and Kingsacre Methodist Churches and Battersea Central Mission before joining HM Prison Service as a full-time Prison Chaplain. He was a Chaplain at three prisons on the Isle of Sheppey in Kent before transferring to HMP Whitemoor High Security Prison in Cambridgeshire. His last appointment was as Chaplain at HMP Wandsworth. He became a Supernumerary Minister in 2008 joining what is now the Lambeth Circuit.
To contact Rev. Gordon email: gordonashworth@hotmail.co.uk
Revd Graham Thomas
Rev Graham Thomas was born and brought up in the Rhondda Valley (South Wales) and trained for the Ministry at Handsworth College, Birmingham and was ordained in 1959. He is a graduate of Lancaster University and a post graduate of South Bank and Greenwich Universities.
He has served in the following Circuits: Neath, St Just-in-Penwith, Bradford (Shipley), West Bromwich, Wellington (Shropshire), Abertillery, Lancaster and Wimbledon. He has served as part-time posts in hospital, industrial and HM Prison as Chaplain. He was a Samaritan Volunteer for five years and has been an active Rotarian since 1986.
He left from the Ministry after serving for thirty-seven years. He then returned as a Supernumerary at the age of 70, at Wesley’s Chapel & Leysian Mission (City Road Circuit). He later transferred to the Streatham & Dulwich Circuit, which after merging with Brixton became the Brixton & Streatham Circuit and is now the Lambeth Circuit.
In his 90’s he continues to enjoy conducting Services where he is needed - he says ‘whether the congregations share his enjoyment is another matter!
To contact Rev. Graham email: gthomas@aol.com
HOSPICE CHAPLAIN:
Rev. Andrew Goodhead andrew.goodhead@virgin.net
