Andrew has been pastoring in Newcastle for thirty years and commenced at Hamilton in 2003. When Hamilton and Edgeworth Baptist Churches merged in late 2016 he became pastor of the combined church, which retained the name “Hamilton Baptist”. Andrew and Scott have been friends for many years and enjoy co-leading the church.

Andrew loves the church’s open and communal approach to thinking through areas of faith and practice.

Andrew is a natural ’networker’ and a feature of his role at Hamilton has been to encourage and lead the church in an outward focus in a range of community based ministries such as:

• Cafe Estate (breakfast at a large public housing estate);
• Civic Park Community Kitchen (a food van for the homeless);
• Carols in Gregson Park;
• School Scripture;
• a partnership with Smyrna church in Nepalgunj, Nepal.

Andrew has been an enthusiastic facilitator in the church’s journey of being LGBT inclusive. On a wider field he has also been a retreat group facilitator and Church Consultant with the Baptist Association.

Andrew is very involved in the local running community as a regular volunteer at Newy parkrun on Saturday mornings and is affiliated with a number of running clubs where he is affectionately known as Doddy or The Doddfather! Having hit 60 he still tries to run a marathon a year and loves running on trails and by the spectacular Newcastle coastline – as well as swimming, cycling and going to the gym.

Doddy grew up on the northern beaches of Sydney and has spent almost all his adult life in Newcastle and the Hunter. His ministry training has been at Tahlee and Morling Colleges. He has three adult children.