our aim
Music Ministry exists to serve the local church in helping leadership teams and individuals to serve God with the gifts he has given them in music. We value this ministry because Colossians 3:16 shows us it is a ministry of God’s Word, to build up his church.
We run conferences, in-church workshops, and regular training days, as well as online resources to help anyone involved in music in their churches, whether that be full time, part time, or lay, and whether as a pastor or a musician.
why music ministry?
- because we believe that Colossians 3:16 is true and music plays a critical roll within God’s church, helping us let the Word of Christ dwell in us richly.
- because we believe that music ministry has lacked priority within many local churches for a long time and needs to be encouraged, developed and grown to help God’s people ‘Rejoice in the Lord’ and be filled with ‘an inexpressible and glorious joy (1 Peter 1:8)’.
- because we believe music is such an important part of todays society. To reach this nation with the gospel, the music of the local church needs not to be a stumbling block to hearing the good news of Jesus but rather a tool.
Team
q
Andy Fenton
Director
Andy is director of 9:38 and also Music Ministry, teaching and training with churches up and down the UK . He leads the ‘Music Ministry’ team and has led the music at a number of conferences such as London Men’s & Women’s Conventions, Keswick Convention, Bible by the Beach and numerous youth conferences. He has two sons.
Andrew McKenna
Teaching and Online Resources
Andrew works with Biblical Counselling UK and helps in his local church with their music ministry. He holds an MA degree in Theology where his work focused on the biblical theology of singing. He loves to teach and train church musicians and to help congregations value the sung word of God. Andrew is married to Ruth and they have two sons.
Matt Dennis
PA training
Matt runs Resound: a small business providing a range of professional audio services and often working with local churches and Christian organisations across the UK. Until recently, he served as the Music Minister at Christ Church Fulwood in Sheffield, where he remains a part of the church family with his wife, Stephi. He also serves on the Music Ministry team as technical director. Matt is passionate about helping God’s people to behold Christ through song: through quality, recorded music and by serving the local church. When he’s not working, Matt enjoys cycling, eating out and watching England play cricket.
Richard Simpkin
Apprentice training
Richard is married to Philly, and they have two boys. They are all part of the church family at St Helen’s Bishopsgate, where Richard has overseen the music since 1995. He has written a regular article on church music in Evangelicals Now since 2004. Considering both these things, he’s feeling quite old.
Ben Slee
Apprentice training
Ben is passionate about writing songs that let the gospel dwell richly in us, and training musicians help congregations to sing. He is a past music ministry apprentice and now helps to train the next generation. He often plays at conferences such as Keswick and Word Alive. He is married to Sarah, has two children, and serves as music director at Christ Church Mayfair in London.
Richard Powell
Finance Officer
Richard oversees the music at Emmanuel Bristol. He was an organ scholar in Cambridge, spent nine years as assistant director of music at Emmanuel Wimbledon, two years on the Cornhill Training Course and six years as full-time director of music at St Andrew the Great Cambridge. He moved to Bristol in 2007. He is married to Helen and has two sons. He is especially interested in encouraging worship leaders to see themselves as word ministers and to choose songs that serve the preaching.
Heather Cowan
Creative / Administration
Heather is a full time mum, part time creative, and is married to Andrew with three kids. She runs the music at her local church.
She is a past music ministry apprentice, and is passionate about training up musicians to serve wherever they are, (particularly in her native Ireland!) so that people can sing awesome truths confidently to the Lord. She especially loves arranging songs to be easily played within the local church