New Ministry Team members licensed for Welshpool and surrounding communities

The Bishop of St Asaph has licensed a new Ministry Team for the Pool Mission Area which includes Welshpool and surrounding communities.

At a service on Sunday 7 November at the Church of St Mary of the Salutation, in Welshpool, the Rt Revd Gregory Cameron licensed Mr Roy Turner as Mission Area Leader of Pool along with the Revd Adam Pawley as Vicar of Welshpool, the Revd Geoffrey Spencer as Associate Priest for the Berriew Group of churches, and Revd Jim Thompson as Associate Priest for the Border Bridges Group of churches.

Roy Turner, takes up the role of Mission Area Leader of Pool having previously served on the Mission Area Executive and as Mission Area Warden.  Roy has had careers in the Merchant Navy, Royal Air Force and, latterly,  and in Facilities Management with the Environment Agency.  He came to live in Guilsfield seventeen years ago and enjoys bellringing, being tower captain at Guilsfield, and is a former Ringing Master for the Montgomeryshire branch of the North Wales Association of Church Bell Ringers.

The Revd Adam Pawley, comes to Welshpool from Hope, near Wrexham, where he has been Rector since 2013.  Adam and his family make a return to Montgomeryshire, having served in Newtown as Curate between 2010 to 2013. He will have a special role in creating a Mission Church Hub in Welshpool for the whole Archdeaconry of Montgomery that will help resource the local churches for mission and outreach.

The Revd Geoffrey Spencer retired to Wales following ministry in the dioceses of Lincoln and Leicester.  In retirement Geoffrey has been keen to continue to offer his gifts in the ministry of the church and recently served as House-for-Duty priest in the Henllan Group of churches near Denbigh.  Geoffrey has a great passion for music and looks forward to sharing this in Berriew as well as the wider mission area.

The Revd Jim Thompson lives in Deytheur and is the Mission Area’s home-grown priest, having been ordained by Bishop Gregory in 2020 following a dedicated contribution to the life of the local church as a lay person.  Jim will have special pastoral concern for the Border Bridges Group of churches.

Commenting after the service, Bishop Gregory Cameron said: “In welcoming Roy, Adam, Geoffrey and Jim to new roles in Pool, they bring added strength and diversity to the ministry team.  We look forward to all that they have to offer.”

Pool Mission Area is part of the Archdeaconry of Montgomery in the Diocese of St Asaph, one of the six dioceses in the Church in Wales.

Here are some photos from the licensing service.