THE popular vicar of St John’s Bromsgrove and St Andrew’s church, Charford, is shortly leaving for pastures new.

The Rev Nigel Marns, his wife Penny and two children leave after his farewell service on Sunday, April 26, to begin a new life in Cornwall where he will be team rector of four rural parishes – Ludgvan, Marazion, St Hilary and Perranuthnoe, near Penzance.

Nigel came to Bromsgrove, his third parish, in 2001 from West Bromwich and was immediately and warmly accepted by parishioners.

Thanks to his drive, determination and hard work he can look back on achieving many successes.

He has seen congregations grow, especially among young families. He led the successful Landmark Appeal, which raised £600,000 for vital church repairs and against huge odds secured the services of Captain John Bentley to help bring about stability and compassion in the sometimes troubled Charford community.

Nigel and his family will be sorry to leave, but he relishes the new challenges offered in a smaller community where he hopes to get back to basics by having more time to meet people and to what is a stronghold of Celtic Christianity, something that interests him greatly.

A measure of his popularity can be judged by the number of cards Nigel has received, plus a scrapbook from Charford school in which every pupil contributed. A most pleasing gift, again from Charford, is a new red stole.

During his time in Bromsgrove Nigel has been active with, among other organisations, the Court Leet, several local schools, St John’s middle school, where he chaired the governors, guides, scouts and the Thomas White Cottage Homes.

Meanwhile Penny ran the Sunday school.

“This is a new adventure for me and I feel a strong calling to take it on, but we will be sorry to leave Bromsgrove where we have been made very welcome and where people have been very kind. That was important to us all,” he said.

Nigel takes up his new post on July 7. Services here meanwhile will be conducted by the Rev Andrew Stand.

His replacement, to be announced by the autumn, will be a team rector based at St John’s when Bromsgrove becomes one parish encompassing St Godwald’s, All Saints’ and Catshill.

Nigel added that everyone is welcome to his farewell service, which starts at St John’s at 10.45am.