New manager for the Greenbelt festival

GREENBELT Festival have announced a new festival manager. It is Andy Thornton best known for his work with Glasgow alternative worship event The Late Late Service and his singer/songwriter albums such as 'Victims And Criminals' (Sticky Music, distributed by Kingsway/STL). Andy takes up the post after four years as the Head of the youth team for Greater Glasgow Health Board, Health Promotions Department. Says Thornton, "I believe that Greenbelt should have something to say to the whole Church, that's evangelical, charismatic, Protestant, Catholic, liberal and conservative. We need to recognise that we are each partial owner of something that belongs to everyone."

Known for its radical and sometimes controversial standpoint, "Greenbelt needs to maintain that edge," Thornton says. "One of the Festival's strong points is that it creates a safe place for people to make dangerous explorations. Some of that will always sit uncomfortably with the Church. Part of the journey of faith is to be taken into those uncomfortable places and to look for God there."