Church Chatter

Biography – Fr. Andrew Manning

Fr Andrew Manning studied Agriculture at Weston Agricultural College, after which he went farming, studied through correspondence in Animal Husbandry, and Business Management,  and did an Apprenticeship as a Farrier.  A back injury forced him to take a job in Retail where he managed a Supermarket for 4 years before joining an Environmental Practice as a Public Participation Practitioner, involved with Industry, Forestry, Mining and Water Resource Management and Environmental Authorisations.

While a self-supporting Deacon in the Diocese of the Highveld he conducted a Community Development programme working with community Cattle and worked on an engineering team developing a Health and Safety and Maintenance programme for a Paper Mill.

While working as a Business manger he studied through TEEC and was made Deacon in 2006 and Ordained Priest in 2007. He was appointed as Rector of the Parish of Evander with Secunda – Diocese of the Highveld in 2008 and joined the Diocese of Natal in 2013 as the Team Rector of the Parishes of St Mary Kingsburgh and Parish of Amanzimtoti – Church of the Good Shepherd.

Fr Andrew serves on the Diocesan Property Committee, the Theological Education and Formation Committee and the Diocese of Natal Creation Care Network.

Currently Fr Andrew uses his experience in Agriculture, Industry, Mining, and Environmental Management, to Chair various community forums addressing social and environmental issues, these include:

  • Toti Conservancy;
  • Isipingo/Amanzimtoti Catchment Management Forum (Department of Water Affairs and Human Settlements);
  • Inkwazi Isu – ( An SA Initiatives project to address Plastic Pollution), and
  • Kingsburgh Child and Family Welfare.

Through these Local NGO’s Fr Andrew engages with environmental and social issues affecting our communities.

Building Civil Society capacity to address environmental issues is a critical task and the Church has an opportunity to play a leading role, fulfilling its mandate to preach a “Social Gospel” that influences both individuals and institutions. Caring for God’s people and the environment is the task of all Christians and it is Fr Andrew’s desire to exercise what ever influence he can, to serve God through serving society in these ways.

Education has a large role to play in changing behaviour and building networks to communicate needs and methods to positively impact on our world is an important function.

Fr Andrew believes that we are called to serve and that we need to listen to the world to hear its hurts, and its needs and to listen to God to receive His hope and His healing. Our cross to bear is the tension between the action of humanity that causes degradation of the environment, and the love of God that provides and sustains the world.  The whole of creation is longing for the revelation of the children of God ( Romans 8:19) Everyday, with every sunrise, the creation waits for Christians to stand up for her, to speak for her and to work for the Kingdom of God to be manifest on earth as it is in heaven.