Andrew Forrest
I was born in Virginia. When I was in first grade, my parents moved as missionaries to Sierra Leone, West Africa, where my dad taught in a Bible college for African pastors, and my mom worked in a maternity clinic. We moved back to Virginia, where I attended middle and high school. I went to college at Columbia University in New York City. After college, I worked for five years as a youth director at a Methodist church in Richmond, VA. In 2007, my wife and I moved to Dallas so I could attend seminary at the Perkins School of Theology, Southern Methodist University. I'm currently finishing up my Masters of Divinity degree. While in seminary, I have been working part-time as associate pastor at Christ's Foundry, a small Spanish-language United Methodist mission congregation in Dallas. I am married to Elaine, who is a counselor at the elementary level for the Plano ISD. We are expecting our first child in May.
Who were some of your influences/inspirations? My dad is a Methodist minister, as was my grandfather, and with regard to what a pastor should be like, both of those men have been important influences for me. And, my dad is a very good preacher, and I grew up listening to him preach. I like to read and listen to pastors and leaders like Bill Hybels and Andy Stanley. My favorite preacher in the English language is a South Africa pastor named Trevor Hudson. He is the preacher I most want to be like.
My all time favorite movie is… I don't have one favorite, but here are some movies I like (in no particular order or grouping): To Save a Life, Harvey, The Sting, Facing the Giants, The Mission, High Noon, Casablanca, the Indiana Jones movies, Jean de Florette, Manon de Source, Hoosiers, The Great Escape, The Bridge Over the River Kwai, The Philadelphia Story, Cool Hand Luke, In the Name of the Father, The Royal Tenenbaums, Groundhog Day, You've Got Mail, Bringing Up Baby, Big, The Grand Illusion, It's a Wonderful Life, Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon, Lawrence of Arabia, and Forrest Gump. I know that's a long list, but there are a lot of great movies out there, right?
My favorite food is…New England-style pizza. My favorite local pizza joint is Scalini's, in Lakewood.
My favorite sport is...soccer, to play and watch, although right now I'm really getting into running. Also, my wife and I participate in one of those outdoor, military-style boot camp fitness programs, which we really enjoy.
What's on your Ipod? Audiobooks! And Switchfoot, my favorite band.
What's one of the most important lessons you've learned in life? Planning is invaluable.
My favorite quotation is... "The world is charged with the grandeur of God," from the poem "God's Grandeur" by the English Jesuit poet Gerald Manley Hopkins.
My favorite scripture is…Romans 8:18-39.
