Press Release
Church of England commits to London Gatwick Airport
21 November 2008
Church of England commits to London Gatwick Airport
21 November 2008
The Church of England has shown a commitment to London Gatwick Airport with the re-licensing of the Anglican Chaplain, Father Jonathan Baldwin.
In a service today at the airport’s South Terminal Chapel, conducted by Bishop Lindsay Urwin, the Area Bishop of Horsham, Father Jonathan gave a Declaration of Assent giving his allegiance to the Bishop and the Church of England. He was formally granted a renewal of his licence by the Bishop of Horsham.
“I feel honoured to be allowed to continue my work at London Gatwick Airport,” Father Jonathan said at the service. “This chaplaincy is a very different environment to mainstream ministry. We are able to reach out far more and connect with our community, who spend more of their waking hours at their place of work than in their home parishes. It is a privilege to be a guest in somebody else’s workplace.”
Father Jonathan was appointed to the Gatwick Airport chaplaincy in 2003. He is the fourth Anglican Chaplain to hold the post at London Gatwick since the creation of the airport’s chaplaincy in 1973, following Reverends Philip Bloy, Stuart Wilson and Phil Hughes.
“I have been very happy at Gatwick over the last six and a half years. The airport came into its own in 2003 when the airport community pulled together to care for the travelling public in the face of the tsunami, bombings in Bali and Sharm El-Sheikh and Hurricane Katrina. That sort of care, by one community working together, is what Gatwick does so well.”
“Jonathan Baldwin is a real ambassador for Gatwick Airport,” Andy Flower, the airport’s Managing Director said. “As well as offering pastoral care as part of his ministry, he is also our co-ordinating chaplain giving direction to the whole chaplaincy team. We are delighted that the Church of England has shown this commitment in re-licensing him.”
In addition to his work at the airport chapel, Father Jonathan represents Gatwick at the International Association of Civil Aviation Chaplains and has been shortlisted for a board position with the association next year.
