Meet our new CEO
Prayerful, experienced, energetic – and a familiar face!
Photo: Andy Roberts pictured outside Church Mission Society’s offices in Oxford
Church Mission Society has today announced the appointment of Canon Andy Roberts MBE, 40, as its new chief executive officer (CEO).
Andy is a pioneering mission leader, a former CMS mission partner and founder of Brazilian children’s charity ReVive International.
He has been CMS’s director of mission since 2021 and succeeds Alastair Bateman in the CEO role. He will take up his new position from 1 August 2025.
Originally from York, Andy has lived much of his life in Brazil. He and his wife Rose, a Brazilian national, spent several years serving vulnerable children and young people in Olinda, in the northeast of the country.
Beginning their work with the South American Mission Society, and later through CMS, the couple launched multiple pioneering initiatives, including ReVive, a charity providing shelter and holistic support for girls affected by abuse, exploitation and neglect.
Andy’s call to mission began at age 18 during his first short-term trip to Brazil where he immersed himself in life among the urban poor.
Reflecting on that time, he says, “I quickly discovered I had a lot to learn – from street children and from the local church. Their spiritual depth humbled and transformed me.”
Andy’s learning journey continued. Upon discovering there was provision for street-affected boys in Olinda but not girls, Andy and Rose founded ReVive, which has since grown to become a nationally recognised charity and is now thriving under local leadership.
Under the Robertses’ direction, ReVive advocated for changes to legislation governing foster care and adoption in Brazil. Archbishop Miguel Uchoa made Andy a lay canon for services to the Anglican church in Brazil.
In 2021 Andy was awarded an MBE for his work with vulnerable children in Brazil, making him one of the youngest recipients of this honour. That same year, he was appointed to his current role as mission director of CMS and he and his family moved to the UK.
His current role has taken him to Africa, Asia, the Middle East and back to Latin America as CMS continues to develop focused, collaborative work in a number of contexts at the edges, overseas and in the UK.
Jeremy Moodey, chair of trustees at CMS, welcomed the appointment: “Andy brings a rare combination of on-the-ground mission experience, strategic insight and a deep heart for transformation through the gospel. We are excited for this next chapter under his leadership.”
Alastair Bateman, whom Andy will succeed as CMS CEO, said “I’m absolutely delighted with this appointment. Having worked directly with Andy over the last four years, I know he will continue to live out CMS’s values of being pioneering, relational, faithful and evangelistic because they are an expression of who he is. I couldn’t be more pleased to pass on the baton of stewarding CMS for future generations to him.”
Commenting on his new role, Andy said: “It’s a privilege to step into this position at such a pivotal time. My passion is to see mission shaped by deep listening, courageous innovation and local leadership. While CMS has a 225-year legacy, we’re entering a fresh era of pioneering grounded in the same spirit that inspired our founders.”
He added: “Passing on ReVive’s leadership to local hands was a natural and necessary step. Now, at CMS, I see an opportunity to continue that commitment to empowering others, globally and locally, as we follow Jesus to the edges.”
Andy lives in Oxfordshire with his wife Rose and their two daughters, Sofia and Júlia.
