Tony Morling

Tony is married to Cathy, an actress, and they have two sons, Columba and Ronan. They moved to Jersey in September 2013 after nine years of ministry in London. Cathy is involved in many aspects of ministry including the charity, Kairos Arts, which uses the arts to bring healing and hope.

Thirty years ago, Tony stopped working within Jersey’s retail jewellery trade and trained at Cliff College, Cambridge and York St John Universities. He has led churches in Portsmouth, Bournemouth and Loughton and is now delighted to be back in Jersey. He has the brief to both lead the Centre and be a presence within the town’s businesses and institutions. It is a diverse role that he finds really stimulating.  In his spare time he walks, supports Chelsea FC (but rarely sees them play) and tries to play tennis.

Tony says:

“Here are some of the things that help keep me spiritually excited: an emphasis upon Wesleyan grace for all; an incarnate theology which is earthed in social justice; a commitment to evangelism; the church as a community for transforming relationships; co-operating with God’s initiative of love for His world; a preference to focus on the priority of the kingdom rather than the church; a tendency to speak of conversion as a journey rather than an event; a desire to see the freeing, liberating work of the Spirit; Holy Communion as a place of change as well as of remembrance; and the privilege of being a member of the world-church.

Recently the writings of Rob Bell, Brian McLaren and Jonathan Sacks have enriched and challenged me in equal measure. In worship and preaching, I try to release the Bible’s application for today and I find the scriptures to be a source of enormous sustenance. Taize and Iona have been great places of enrichment. My wife and I met on Iona.

I try not to take myself too seriously – believing that a smile opens many more doors than a frown – and I am learning to accept that God is often more active in life’s interruptions than my diary’s dictation.”