The Church Mission Society (CMS) has announced that Canon Andy Roberts MBE will take over as its next chief executive officer, stepping into the role on 1 August 2025.
Founded in 1799, CMS remains one of the world’s oldest and most active mission agencies. Its work today continues to focus on reaching the edges — geographically, socially and spiritually — both in the UK and around the world.
At 40, Roberts brings with him decades of global mission experience and a strong track record in grassroots leadership and advocacy.
Roberts will take over from current CEO Alastair Bateman, who praised the incoming leader’s deep alignment with CMS’s values: “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.”
A seasoned mission partner and founder of ReVive International, Roberts has spent most of his adult life in Brazil.
Hailing from York, he first felt called to mission at 18 during a volunteer trip to Brazil. There, he was profoundly shaped by his interactions with street children and the local church.
“Their spiritual depth humbled and transformed me,” he stated.
That formative experience led to a lifelong commitment to serving vulnerable communities.
Alongside his Brazilian wife, Rose, Roberts dedicated many years working in Olinda, a city in north-eastern Brazil, where they established ReVive, a home for girls who have experienced trauma, mistreatment, and abandonment.
Under their leadership, ReVive has developed into a widely respected charity with national recognition and a model of locally led child protection.
Their work also helped push forward important reforms in Brazil's foster care system and adoption policy.
Roberts was honoured with an MBE in 2021 for his services supporting at-risk children and appointed as a lay canon by Archbishop Miguel Uchoa in recognition of his contributions to the Anglican Church in Brazil.
He became CMS’s director of mission in 2021 and since then, his work has spanned multiple continents helping develop local, innovative mission strategies.
Reflecting on his new appointment, Roberts remarked: “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. Passing on ReVive’s leadership to local hands was a natural and necessary step.”
CMS chair of trustees Jeremy Moodey welcomed his 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.”
Now based in Oxfordshire with his wife and two daughters, Roberts says he is ready for the challenges ahead: “Now, at CMS, I see an opportunity to continue that commitment to empowering others, globally and locally, as we follow Jesus to the edges.”
