Dr. Andrew Fox found his calling in ministry. First as a pastor, then a volunteer chaplain, he provided thoughtful, compassionate spiritual care to people in need.
Though he ministered to people from all backgrounds, Dr. Fox found a special camaraderie among one group, albeit an unlikely one: first responders.
Andrew’s bold Christian faith and keen spiritual insight were invaluable to the many police officers, paramedics, firefighters, and others in his care.
Yet it was that same faith and wisdom that led to his eventual firing from the Austin Fire Department—a role that helped him live out his God-given calling.
Who is Dr. Andrew Fox?
Born, adopted, and raised in England, Andrew wrestled with his identity and struggled to find his place. In his teenage years, he took a non-traditional approach to his education, working during the days as a carpenter’s apprentice and taking classes at night.
All the while, he volunteered in his local church—the beginnings of his career in ministry.
In time, Andrew’s life became defined by his service in the church and outreach to the community.
He met his wife, Renée, at a church conference. They began their family while Andrew helped his father-in-law plant churches.
For four years, Andrew pastored a church in England while spending his nightshifts as a debt collector, knocking on doors and inviting those on the other side to church.
His pews were soon full of “church folk whom you would never think were ‘church folk,’” Andrew explains. “I absolutely loved it.”
Andrew finds his calling
Quoting the prophet Jeremiah, Andrew says that ministering to others is “a ‘fire shut up in my bones.’ It never left me. It’s just crackling away.”
That passion for ministry soon took Andrew and his family to the U.S., where he served as a pastor at a church in Washington state.
There, he was introduced to the police chief of the city of Kennewick, who expressed the department’s need for a chaplain. Andrew agreed to the task.
Earning the department’s favor wasn’t easy; Andrew was subjected to endless hazing and teasing—though that treatment, he came to understand, was a good sign.
“In that kind of world, the ruder they are to you, the more insulting…those are terms of affection,” Andrew says. “If they’re overly polite to you privately, that keeps you at arm’s distance. It’s not like a ‘Sunday morning’ conversation.”
Establishing that deeper, trusting relationship is essential to effective ministry among this group—especially in light of the tragedy and suffering that are daily features of their jobs. From gang violence to shootings to suicides, Andrew witnessed it all alongside the officers.
“You see the face of death in all of its expressions,” Andrew says. “The text, ‘I am the resurrection and the life’ takes on a different form.”
His deep, abiding faith and compassionate heart helped him walk through those tragedies with the men and women he served.
“It is being the hands and feet of Christ in extreme situations—fires, car crashes, storm deaths, accidents—which these people have to process,” he says.
It takes a toll. Andrew learned to recognize when these men and women weren’t OK.
“You live a prayerful life and discern that ‘something’s not right here,’” he says. “There’s a protocol to follow. You get to know someone and, lo, discover they’re going through a horrific divorce, or have lost a child, or something like that. You walk with them…and continue to walk with them.”
A new ministry opportunity
After several years in Washington, Andrew and his family relocated to Austin, Texas, where he was connected to the chief of the Austin Fire Department.
The department had been without a chaplain for over a decade. Though she was an atheist, the chief saw that the men and women in the fire department could use a chaplain.
Andrew built a chaplaincy program from the ground up and served as lead chaplain—among the other roles he had taken on in this new phase of life, including as a lecturer on college campuses, a business consultant, and working in real estate with his wife.
Amid this busy season, Andrew had also been blogging at the encouragement of his friends and students. The blog was a personal outlet, not connected with his other work, including his volunteer chaplain role.
But a post about males participating in women’s sports found its way to members of the department—and cost him his job.
Punished for expressing his beliefs
In a deeply researched and thoughtful personal blog post, Andrew wrote about the history of women’s athletics and the concerns of eroding female-only sports. He built a biblical case, exploring ethical issues and Christian perspectives on the subject.
A few weeks later, the chief requested a meeting with Andrew. His post had offended members of the department who identified as LGBT.
More meetings followed. Andrew was asked to write an official apology to members of the department who identified as LGBT. He said he could apologize to those whose feelings were hurt, but he would not apologize for his beliefs.
With that, “the die was cast,” he says.
He was terminated without so much as a thank you for his eight years of service to the department.
But Andrew did nothing wrong. He simply exercised his First Amendment right to express his beliefs—and was punished for it.
That’s when Andrew found Alliance Defending Freedom, which came to his aid and filed a lawsuit on his behalf.
A victory for religious freedom and free speech
ADF filed a lawsuit on Andrew’s behalf in August 2022. Thanks to the generous support of ministry friends, ADF has represented Andrew without charging him a dime. Praise God, in February 2026, the City of Austin finally agreed to settle Andrew’s case. City officials agreed to pay Andrew damages and wrote a letter thanking him for his valued service.
“Everyone should be able to speak freely without fear of punishment just for expressing a view with which the government disagrees,” said ADF Senior Counsel Hal Frampton, director of the ADF Center for Conscience Initiatives. “Dr. Fox served Austin’s fire department—without pay—for eight years with excellence and integrity, serving everyone, including those in the LGBT community. This vindication of Dr. Fox’s constitutionally protected free speech should give hope to all those who wish to share their voice freely.”
“I’m grateful for my time with the Austin Fire Department and that we could come to a satisfying resolution to this matter,” Andrew said. “The attorneys with Alliance Defending Freedom were a tremendous help in ensuring that my religious beliefs are upheld and respected, just as I showed respect to the brave men and women serving the city of Austin.”
Andrew’s case sends an important message: Christians should be free to live out their faith without losing their jobs.
With your help, we will continue to stand with people of faith like Andrew whose rights have been violated just because of what they believe.
Will you give today to continue supporting the rights of clients like Andrew?
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