André Urbanczyk

My name is André Urbanczyk. I'm a minister from the Lutheran Church in Bavaria, Germany. I have been serving in the East Bristol Partnership of Churches since September 2006. Now I am moving on to join the Bedminster Team with a half post from 1st May 2009 for about a year. I am quite excited about this new challenge and the opportunity for my ministry in your churches. The other half of my working time will be spent on advertising the "Ecumenical Kirchentag", which is hosted by my church in Munich in May 2010, across the UK. You can learn more about this event soon if you'd like to.

Bavarian Lutheran ministers have been working in the Bristol Diocese for 10 years, mainly in the University Chaplaincy, under the terms of the Meissen agreement, an ecumenical document signed bt the German Protestant Churches and the Church of England in 1988. I feel that my ministry in Bristol offers a great chance to get to know each other's traditions and backgrounds a bit better. I look forward very much to sharing thoughts and experiences with you in Bedminster.

Before I came to Bristol I studied theology for seven years at Neuendettelsau, Heidelberg and Chennai, India; followed by a curacy in Ingolstadt where I was ordained in July 2006. In my spare time I enjoy swimming, reading and watching films. I also have an extensive collection of music which I love listening to.

My wife Bettina moved to Bristol with me. she is working as a midwife at southmead Hospital. As keeping in touch with our friends and families over the great distance is not always easy, we are very pleased to have quite a few visitors from Germany every year and love to spend time with them as well.

I look forward to meeting you at some point within the next weeks or months in Bedminster!

André Urbanczyk