Bishop Andrew and the vestries of the Church of the Holy Rood, Carnoustie and Holy Trinity, Monifieth are delighted to announce that the Revd Martin Allwood has been selected to be the new priest to lead and serve these church communities on the Angus coast. 

Martin is currently Rector of the Benefice of Street Parishes comprising Amotherby, Barton-Le-Street, Hovingham, and Slingsby in the Diocese of York in the Church of England, a post he has held since 2014.  Martin is married to Colleen, a project development officer for a local voluntary sector infrastructure organisation. Martin and Colleen will move this summer and Martin will start his ministry in July 2021.

Bishop Andrew said, “We are all delighted that Martin will be coming to lead and support the Scottish Episcopal church communities of Carnoustie and Monifieth. The two churches have newly agreed to work together with a shared priest and Martin will be coming to help the process by leading this ‘transitional ministry’ project. We created a blended recruitment process because of Covid restrictions and enjoyed meeting Martin online and then, when possible, in-person. He brings an excellent grounding and experience in parish ministry and an enthusiasm for the new possibilities in these two communities.”

Martin was born in Swaziland (now eSwatini) and grew up in South Africa. He studied and worked in agriculture while in Africa. In 2001 Martin and Colleen moved to England to live and work in a  Christian community at Hengrave Hall in Suffolk. Martin trained for ministry at Ripon College Cuddesdon, Oxford, 2008-2010 and served his curacy in the Diocese of St Edmundsbury and Ipswich. In his present role in the Diocese of York he has a wide range of interests and responsibilities in church, schools and community. He has undertaken training for spiritual direction and has experience in a wide range of church growth and development areas. Martin enjoys the outdoors and is a keen kayaker and is looking forward to making links within the local clubs.

Martin said, “I am delighted to accept the invitation to be part of the next stage of the journey in the  Carnoustie and Monifieth charges. My wife, Colleen and I look forward to being a part of the Diocese of Brechin, meeting new colleagues and friends, and experiencing the area's weather (which we have been told is constantly sunny!)”.

Martin’s role is to be both the priest for the two charges and also a ‘transitional minister’, where churches are guided by a specially trained and supported cleric to work together and explore their history, present gifts and future possibilities. Martin will be part of a cohort of SEC clergy undergoing training for this work.

Categories: Clergy, Installations, Reports on events, Carnoustie, Holy Rood, Monifieth, Holy Trinity