Pastoral Team

Lead Pastor - Allan Ellershaw

On 1st January 2009 Allan took over the role of Lead Pastor at Carnforth FMC as well as continuing to give oversight to the work of the Free Methodist Church in the United Kingdom in a part time capacity, along with the other members of the National Leadership Team (Rev David Carr and Rev John Townley).
 

Allan was born at Carnforth before moving to live on a farm on the edge of the Yorkshire Dales with his parents, three sisters and one brother. He came to faith in Jesus Christ as a small child. 

As a teenager he worshipped in the Methodist Church and was part of a Christian Youth Fellowship that often took services in village chapels and it was there as a 16 year old he began to preach.
 

In 1974 he and his wife, Sue, moved to Birmingham to study at Birmingham Bible Institute. There they encountered an environment in which spiritual gifts were being used constructively and they grew in understanding and experience of the person and work of the Holy Spirit. After graduating from Bible College in 1977, Allan served as an assistant minister in the Free Methodist Church working alongside Rev J Barrie Walton. 

God has blessed them with three special children; Philip, Elisabeth and Andrew, all of whom are seeking to walk with God. Philip is married to Catherine, they have twin daughters, Maisie & Rebecca and live in Preston. Elisabeth is married to Paul Yates and they and their daughters Emily and Heidi live in Garstang. Andrew is married to Bethany and they live in Carnforth. 

When he arrived at Carnforth he explained that he was keen to:

• Raise up and release a new generation into dynamic Christian living and effective Christian service. 
• Develop ministries that will make a difference on our streets and in our neighbourhood. 
• Work with other effective churches to see transformation across this region

Alongside his other responsibilities he also serves as a member of the FMC World Conference Executive.

Associate Pastor - Cristi Murgu

Cristi was born in Timisoara – a city famous for being the starting place of the 1989 Romanian anti-communist Revolution. He is an only child and was brought up in a very moral environment, strongly influenced by the Eastern Orthodox faith.
 

Through the grace of God, he was introduced to the Gospel message (The Wordless Book), which he received by making a Christian commitment at the age of 9. Soon after that he started attending a local Baptist Church where he experienced revival first hand – seeing people saved weekly. He started preaching at 14 in small rural satellite Churches and got involved in the youth work of the church as well as interpreting for different foreign visitors.
 

He was training to become a nurse and was planning to study Law at the local University but through an amazing and miraculous set of ‘God-incidences’ he felt called into ‘full time ministry’ and in 1993 arrived in Birmingham where he studied at Birmingham Bible Institute for five years, obtaining a Diploma in Pastoral Theology, Cambridge Certificate in Religious Studies and a BA in Theology. 
 

Things took another unexpected turn when he felt called to serve the Kingdom work here in the UK. In October 1998 he started working as a volunteer Church Worker for Carnforth Free Methodist Church. In January 2001 he was recognized as Assistant Pastor in Carnforth and in May 2005 he was ordained (Reverend).
 

He has continued to serve as Associate Pastor in the Carnforth congregation. During that time he has been involved in establishing the Youth Ministry and Small Groups Ministry at CFMC, speaking at local Universities and lecturing at Capernwray Bible School. Cristi has also ministered cross-culturally in Romania, India, Germany and Italy.
 

Trainee Pastor - Andrew Woof
Andrew, married to Tina, grew up in a Christian household, on a farm just outside the village of Dent (nr Sedbergh). Although he believed in God from an early age, it wasn’t until the age of 18 that he gave his life fully to God, having been greatly convicted of his need for Jesus.

Following this, Andrews greatest desire was to see his life used for the glory of God. In 2002, the Lord led him to Manchester for six months evangelism training with the Message Trust. In this period God laid some important foundations in Andrews life and he discovered for the first time the fullness of the Holy Spirit. He has also had the privilege of studying at Capernwray Bible School and is currently working towards a Degree in Theology with Regents Theological College.

Andrew and Tina have a passion to see God minister in and through the local church. They see it as a great privilege to be a part of what God is doing at Carnforth Free Methodist Church.