A CURATE, who became the youngest reverend in the Church of England when he took up his post at St John’s Church in Devizes, has been promoted.

Ben Rundell-Evans, 24, who became assistant curate of St John with St Mary in 2016, has now been appointed as priest-in-charge of Upper Stour on the Wiltshire and Dorset border.

He said: “I have very much enjoyed my time here. My wife, Megan, and I, married a week before we moved here, and so Devizes will always be a special place for us as our first home.”

Mr Rundell-Evans needed a special faculty from an Archbishop when he became a deacon as he was so young.

But he has thrown himself into parish life in Devizes supporting the rector Canon Paul Richardson.

He said: “During my time at St John’s I have been a part of many exciting things including, a trip to Latvia with the Choir in 2018 and a live broadcast on Radio 4 in September 2019.

“I have thoroughly enjoyed getting to know the community of Devizes through the various activities of this busy and social town.

“I have really valued my time spent with the charity Opendoors which supports homeless people.

“Megan and I have got to know some fantastic people here, and we will greatly miss them as we move on to our next home.

“I look forward to the challenge of running my own parish and getting to know a whole bunch of new fantastic people.”

He will be leaving Devizes in December and a new curate is expected to take up duties early in the new year.

Mr Rundell-Evans said he did not grow up in a Christian home but went to a church primary school and later started bell ringing.

He said: “After A-Levels, I did a gap year in a range of parishes and. I then went to my selection panel and straight into training for ministry. If you think God is calling you to ordination, don’t tell him you’re too young.”