Tremeirchion Church hosts the first licencing service as churches re-open

The Bishop of St Asaph has conducted his first face-to-face licensing service since lockdown restrictions were lifted earlier this month.

The Rt Revd Gregory Cameron led the service at Corpus Christi Church in Tremeirchion to license Revd Rebecca Sparey-Taylor (left) as the new priest in charge of Tremeirchion, Trefnant , Cefn and Sinan and Canon Pauline Walker as the Mission Area Leader of Denbigh Mission Area.

With social distancing in place, the congregation consisted of just 16 place. During lockdown, licensing services were carried out via Zoom .

Rebecca, along with her family, founded a PPE Hwb in Wrexham during lockdown, manufacturing face visors, initially for health and social care workers, but now they are distributed to anyone who needs them, as a CE marked product.

Rebecca’s move to Denbigh Mission Area from Wrexham was delayed due to Coronavirus. She said: “I am really pleased to be in post finally, after my licensing was delayed from April due to the lockdown.

“Whilst it has been a pleasure to chat with people from the Mission Area over social media and Zoom, as Covid regulations are slowly lifted I am looking forward to being able to meet people in person.

“It is particularly exciting to be able to start in this role as churches are being allowed to reopen, albeit under strict guidelines and I am looking forward to being able to lead worship, whilst still providing spiritual support for those who will be unable to attend.”

Rebecca grew up in Cornwall and left to go to university in Cardiff to read neuroscience. She has lived in Wales ever since. Prior to becoming a vicar, she spent many years as a software engineer and data analyst. She is married with three children.  As a family, they love walking, and strode the length of Hadrian’s wall when her three boys were small.  Rebecca is learning Welsh and keeps ducks.

Bishop Gregory also licensed Canon Pauline Walker (right) as the Mission Area Leader for Denbigh, which includes Trefnant, Henllan, Llandyrnog Caerwys and surrounding areas. Pauline who looks after St Mary’s and St Marcella’s churches in Denbigh thanked the local church wardens for preparing the church for the service. She said: “The church wardens did a great job to get the church ready for the service after five months lockdown.

“It was a simple service, with charges given and oaths taken, declarations signed, and licences given all in an ancient church.  It was a very moving service indeed.”

Pauline is a Cursal Canon of St Asaph Cathedral meaning she has a place on the Cathedral chapter which oversees the running of the building.

Denbigh Mission Area is one of 20 Mission Areas in the Diocese of St Asaph, one of the six dioceses in the Church in Wales, an independent Province of the worldwide Anglican Communion.