FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
September 13, 2023
Contact: [email protected]
Word on Fire is excited to announce our expansion to the United Kingdom with the hiring of Brenden Thompson as UK Program Director
ROCHESTER, MN — Word on Fire is excited to announce the hiring of Brenden Thompson as our first-ever United Kingdom Program Director. This new position furthers our mission of being a global apostolate and will allow the Word on Fire Community, already strong in the United Kingdom, to continue growing and spreading the Gospel.
As UK Program Director, Brenden will work to create and implement a comprehensive plan for Word on Fire to further expand its mission in the UK. This plan will include acting as Word on Fire’s official representative in the UK, developing a network for our evangelization efforts, increasing the reach of the Word on Fire Institute, and enhancing the Word on Fire Institute experience in the UK.
Brenden’s diverse academic background includes a MTh in Applied Theology from Oxford University, an Executive Programme in Leadership & Management from Leadership College London, and a BA in Theology & Religious Studies from St. Mary’s University, Twickenham. His master’s thesis delved into the practice of New Evangelisation within the context of the English Catholic Church, drawing on the thought of St. John Henry Newman. His first-class undergraduate degree culminated in a thesis on Catholic ecclesiology, which was inspired by the thought of Pope Benedict XVI.
Bishop Barron, Founder of Word on Fire, had this to say on Brenden’s hiring as the new UK Program Director: “From its inception, Word on Fire has been a missionary endeavor. I am delighted that long-time friend of Word on Fire Brenden Thompson is our first-ever United Kingdom Program Director. We met many years ago when he was a student at Oxford, and he played a key role in facilitating our journey to London earlier this year. Brenden brings a unique set of talents and experience to Word on Fire, and we couldn’t be happier that he’s joining our team and expanding and deepening our missionary work in the UK.”
UK Program Director Brenden Thompson likewise expressed his excitement about the new position: “I am humbled and honoured to take on the role of U.K. Program Director for Word on Fire. Bishop Barron’s vision and wisdom expressed in the work of Word on Fire has profoundly influenced my life of faith over the years. I saw first hand whilst organising the Bishop’s recent tour of London the huge potential for the ministry to help inspire and raise up evangelists in the UK. This role marks an exciting new chapter in the mission of Word on Fire, signalling not only an investment of resources, but also a desire to learn and receive from the richness of the local Church.”
“Brenden’s academic expertise, media savvy, sharp wit, good humor, and dedication to Word on Fire’s mission make him the perfect person to grow our reach and impact in the United Kingdom and Europe. We’re delighted he’s joined us,” said Matthew Petrusek, Senior Director of the Word on Fire Institute.
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About Word on Fire
Word on Fire Catholic Ministries is a nonprofit global media apostolate that supports the work of Bishop Robert Barron and reaches millions of people to draw them into—or back to—the Catholic faith. Word on Fire is evangelical; it proclaims Jesus Christ as the source of conversion and new life. Word on Fire is Catholic; it utilizes the tremendous resources of the Roman Catholic tradition—art, architecture, poetry, philosophy, theology, and the lives of the saints—in order to explain and interpret the event of Jesus Christ. Word on Fire Catholic Ministries exists to draw people into the Body of Christ, which is the Church, and thereby give them access to all the gifts that Jesus wants his people to enjoy. To be most effective in this mission, Word on Fire places an emphasis and urgency on the use of contemporary forms of media and innovative communication technologies.