TWO communities came together as one last week to say farewell to outgoing vicar the Rev John Rees, who is taking up a new post elsewhere in the county.

Rev Rees, who has been serving the churches of Rowde and Bromham for six years, said he felt it was time to move on and his service to both villages was celebrated with a farewell service at Rowde Academy last Wednesday.

“The farewell service was incredibly moving,” the 58-year-old said.

“I have loved being a vicar in Rowde and Bromham because I’ve tried to link the village communities and build church connections in helping people discover Christian faith.

“I had some very kind things said at the service, much of which reflected on how I have been working together with both villages. I am not often lost for words but I really was at the service.

“I think one of the things the villages have enjoyed is the way the church has been at the core in getting them to work together through a leadership team and there has been some lovely things we have been able to do together. For example in Bromham we have held a community event to enable an African village to have clean water.

“It is all these things and seeing how people grow in confidence in leadership in church that has been rewarding.”

Prior to moving to Bromham, Rev Rees along with his wife Anne, were based in Highworth where they had lived since 1982. Before getting ordained, Rev Rees worked as a business development manager for BT Defence and it was trying to juggle both his passions that led him to fully dedicate his time to ministry.

He added: “The journey of being ordained was a long one. The idea was posed to me when I was aged 20 and I had a very clear sense of wanting to have a role within the church as I was already a church warden.

“I loved doing my work in the defence industry and I was finding that trying to fit in 50 hours of work and 20 hours with the church was difficult so I went freelance in defence communications.

“It became clear to me that I needed to go full-time in my ministry role and it fitted in well with where my family were at the time.

“The role of being a reverend is a privilege and joy because there has been some sad occasions where you work with people in very difficult times of their lives but on the opposite of that you work with people in their most joyous moments.”

Rev Rees’ final service will be held this Sunday at St Matthew's Church in Rowde at 11.15am. He will take up his new position at the Canalside Benefice of Hilperton, Staverton and Semington on June 27.