Married to Shona. Dad to three daughters: Emilia, Esther & Rhianna. Born in London. Lived in Hayes, Frimley, Exeter, Bristol, Stourbridge. Baptist Minister and currently Pastor of Ashtead Baptist Church. Sports Chaplain. Watford FC supporter. Recreational cricketer and runner. Enjoy family gatherings, National Trust properties, Tim Vine jokes, bass guitar, the Waldensians, the Anabaptists and Jesus! 

I ran in the River Thames Half Marathon on 27th October 2024 to help fundraise for Christian Mission to Gaza who are providing practical support and relief aid to people in Gaza. I did my 250th parkrun in March 2025 and ran it barefooted to raise some more funds for Gaza. The money donated is now well over the £550 target and more donations are gratefully received at Just Giving page

Why Marathonatha?

It dawned on me that the word marathon is similar to maranatha. Most people know what a marathon is: a run of 26.2 miles distance. Few people know what the word maranatha means. Maranatha is an Aramaic word that appears in the Bible in 1 Corinthians 16:22. It can be read in two ways: "Maran atha" ("our Lord has come") and "Marana tha"("our Lord - come!" or "Our Lord is coming"). Theologically it has past, present and future meanings. It expresses the belief that Jesus lived on earth and will one day return majestically as part of God's eternal reign.

My parents named a previous family home "Maranatha". As a runner I like the fact "Maranatha" has got the letters 'r a n' in it! So I combined marathon and maranatha to create marathonatha, which is easier to say than maranathathoner! The Christian life is like a long distance run and race. There is joy assured for those who stay on course, cross the line and enter glory. The journey is strenuous but rewarding. 

General blog: Rev A J Scott

2020 blog: Maranatha Marathoner