DAWLISH Baptist Church has got a new minister who started earlier this month.
Hailing from Billinghay in Lincolnshire, Stephen Ford, 54, was an Elder in a church, north of England – an Elder is responsible for maintaining the doctrinal position of the church – and only five weeks ago he was still working in the railway industry, where he had been for 35 years.
Responding to an advert in the Evangelical Times, for the job as minister in Dawlish, he was invited down to preach two times before being invited to fill the position.
He has no plans to change anything saying: 'If it isn't broke, don't fix it.'
Services will continue in the same style and at the same times as the old ones.
'We will be looking at other aspects of ministry through the Bible. We have no Sunday school at the moment and are looking into this, and also the possibility of preaching out in the open air,' he said.
'This is a completely new venture for me and I feel it is God's plan for me to be in Dawlish and feel very happy to be serving the Lord in such a beautiful area of Devon.
'My family and I are looking forward to getting to know the people of the town.'