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| Andy Langford, Senior Pastor |
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Andy Langford has been the senior pastor of Central since 2003. Andy is a leading expert in worship, evangelism, and reforms in The United Methodist Church. Born and raised in North Carolina, Andy was educated at Davidson College, Duke Divinity School, and Emory University. From 1985-1992, Andy was responsible for the worship, music, and preaching programs of The United Methodist Church. Having returned to the local church in 1992, Andy is now loving working in Central and this great congregation. Andy is a writer in addition to being a pastor. In addition to being the General Editor of The United Methodist Book of Worship, Andy has also written the following: Transitions in Worship: Moving from Traditional to Contemporary Worship, A New Connection: Reforming The United Methodist Church, Christian Weddings, plus four other books on United Methodist worship, two collections of contemporary songs and choruses, and over one hundred articles. Andy also served as a staff consultant to The 1988 United Methodist Hymnal and chaired the international committee that created The Revised Common Lectionary, and is a consulting reader for the new Common English Bible. Andy's latest books are in a new program of the Church entitled Beginnings, a series of programs introducing persons to a wholistic program of spiritual formation: Beginnings: An Introduction to the Christian Faith (2003); Beginnings: The Spiritual Life (2006); and Beginnings: Longing to Belong (2008). We have used all of these at Central. Andy has led workshops and preached from Westminster Abby in London to small native congregations in Panama to the Upper Room Chapel in Nashville to Duke Chapel in Durham, and throughout the United States and in Israel, England, Malaysia, Singapore, Mexico, Panama, and Guatemala. He has been on a number of mission teams in the United States and in Panama, Costa Rica, and Guatemala. Andy also speaks nationally to groups on evangelism, worship, and structural issues facing The United Methodist Church. He is a leader in the Western North Carolina Annual Conference, and has led the clergy from our area to our general church, and now serves on a number of international United Methodist groups. Andy is age 58. His late father (Tom) was Methodist systematic theologian at Duke University and his mother (Ann Marie) lives in Durham and Lake Junaluska. He is married to The Reverend Sally Overby Langford (from Gainesville, Georgia; currently Salisbury District Superintendent) and they have two adult children: Ann Green Langford Duncan and Sarah Overby Langford. Sally and Andy have one cat, and he enjoys cooking, running/walking, reading, writing, and golf. |
Andy Langford