Remembering Counties Evangelist Will Andrews

Will went to be with the Lord on 15 August. He leave behind his wife, Lynne, who he married in April 1980.

In 1991, Will and Lynne felt that God was calling them to leave secure employment and become self-employed, living by faith as evangelists. Their desire, then, and throughout their ministry, was to share the Good News about Jesus.

While Will had been preaching at their church in Southampton, Bitterne Gospel Chapel, they were involved in interchurch outreach and felt God’s calling was for them to work with local churches and the broader community.

Despite the connections and familiarity of their home patch in Hampshire, they accepted the invitation of the group of churches that made up the Regional Fellowship in Bedfordshire and Hertfordshire, and took over the reins from Counties evangelists, Reg and Gladys Whittern, when they moved there in 1992.

They worked part-time with Langdale Evangelical Church, reaching out into the community, which they both enjoyed as they saw much fruit after moving to their new home.

In those early days, their ministry included school assemblies and lessons, as well as children’s Holiday Bible Clubs, where they engaged children with day-to-day themes to which they could relate.

An excerpt from Will and Lynne’s July 1994 prayer letter gives a feel for their very relational approach:

“We look forward to returning to Fuller Hall again, following our last mission there in October 1992, and building on the contacts made. We have good links with the local middle school, helped by the fact that the head teacher is a keen Christian and therefore gives us total liberty, and we have a good relationship with the children, which we look forward to building on.”

Alongside these regular commitments to younger people, both Will and Lynne spoke in churches on Sundays and midweek, and their prayer diaries reveal the range of churches with which they had strong connections.

Will was also involved with others in Counties in a working group examining ways to strengthen and revitalise churches that were facing smaller congregation numbers or seeking to refresh their vision for community outreach.

He developed materials that are widely used today to help church leaders assess their current situation and identify areas for growth. His snakes and ladders worksheet is legendary: it was a simple, yet very effective worksheet based on the game of the same name that examined “opportunities” and “challenges” churches faced.

Will has also been involved in training new evangelists. He began on the Evangelist training program at the same time as Counties CEO, Martin Erwin. He remembers:

“When I met Will, he loved 10-pin bowling. He was the first person I’d ever met who had his own bowling ball and a bag for it.”

Will’s training day for new evangelists included hot tips on how to make money out of not a lot. He recommended Martin Lewis-esque ways to stretch what could often be challenging levels of support for Christian workers – always in a legitimate manner.

Counties Evangelists’ officer, Andy Mugford, adds:

“In our eastern Cluster of Counties evangelists and church planters, we have always appreciated Will and Lynne’s wise counsel, friendship, and support.

“Their faith-filled trust has inspired us in the Lord Jesus as they journeyed with Will’s cancer. He was always honest with us – acknowledging the struggles and yet also sharing the opportunities to connect with other cancer patients and their loved ones during times in the journey.

“Will has been welcomed into his eternal home, most certainly with the words of Jesus, including:

“Well done, good and faithful servant.

You have been faithful and good in many things.” —Matthew 25:23

May we remember Will’s life, ministry, and impact on us personally, knowing that he would not want the focus to remain on him and what he’s done.

Instead, he would urge us to understand the Lord Jesus ourselves as he did, as the One who is alongside us wanting to share His life with us.”