Who We Are
Our Team, Our Beliefs, Our Vision, and Our History
Our Team
Revd Andrew Knight
Vicar of Bowdon
Andrew has a passion for seeing people come to a mature, personal faith and a fulfilling relationship with Jesus, and encouraging and enabling others for Christian service, worship and witness.
Andrew has also often worked alongside the poor or disadvantaged, as Chair of Trustees of Transforming Lives Together in Chester Diocese, previously with street children and their families in Romania, and currently supporting projects that reach the homeless in the city of Manchester.
In his spare time Andrew enjoys outdoor adventure sports, and is most relaxed in a local pub with a pint of real ale.
More about Andrew
Andrew hails from Hampshire, moving to Hull to attend university and completing his studies as a PhD research chemist and toxicologist. With colleagues, Andrew formed a company working in the field of pharmaceutical drug safety in Manchester.
Andrew explored a call to ministry in the Church of England, training at St. John’s College, Nottingham, and starting his curacy in Mottram in Longdendale in 2014. Andrew was subsequently Vicar of nearby Partington & Carrington for eight years prior to coming to Bowdon and is currently the Rural Dean of Bowdon.
Revd Karen Drury
Curate
Revd Karen is our Curate and works closely alongside Revd Andrew.
Sam Wilson
Parish Missioner for Youth & Discipleship
Sam oversees our ministry to young people, aged 11-18. He is involved in our discipleship ministry as well as being one of our lay worship leaders.
Jake Waddington
Parish Missioner for Children & Families
Jake oversees our ministry to children aged 0-11 and their families, as well as being one of our worship leaders.
Michael Dow
Director of Music
Michael leads our choir and organises the musical element of our worship with Revd Andrew and Richard.
Tim Borthwick
Churchwarden
Tim is one of our churchwardens who helps keep our parish running. He has particular care for St Mary’s Church and our church buildings.
Debi Green
Churchwarden
Debi is one of our churchwardens who helps keep our parish running. She has particular care for Zone2 and our employed staff.
Mike Parish
Churchwarden
Mike is one of our churchwardens who helps keep our parish running. He has particular care for St Luke’s Church and our IT.
Patricia Arrowsmith
Churchwarden
Patricia is one of our churchwardens who helps keep our parish running.
Kay Holt
Operations Coordinator
Kay oversees our Parish Office and volunteer staff and helps organise baptisms, weddings, and funerals.
Clive Searle
Parish Safeguarding Officer
Clive oversees safeguarding for our parish, ensuring everyone is safe across our worship, groups, and activities.
Click here to find out more about safeguarding in Bowdon Parish.
Richard Brocklehurst
Organist and Associate Director of Music
Richard provides organ accompaniment to music, including at weddings and funerals, and helps in the training of the choir.
History & Archives
Parish History
The present St Mary’s Church is probably the fifth to stand on the site. We believe there has been a church, or at least a gathering point for Christians to worship, in Bowdon from the 8th Century. This was borne out by the discovery of a fragment of a Saxon cross during some previous restoration work.
Archives & Memorials
The Parish of Bowdon has a long history and our records go back nearly as far as any parish in the country. Most of the statutory records for burials, baptism, and marriages have been digitised.
Selections of our records are often requested by people tracing their family trees. These include all the legible inscriptions in the graveyard and inside St Mary’s Church.
Contact: Derrick Murdie via derrick@bowdonchurch.org
