Shropshire clergyman set to take on Euro role

And today the Venerable Colin Williams revealed he is off to pastures new, to oversee the Church of England's presence in Germany and eastern Europe.

Mr Williams is currently rector at Ludlow's Church of St Laurence and is a familiar face in churches across the county.

He revealed today that he has been appointed the Diocese in Europe's first full-time archdeacon, to start in September.

His promotion will see the south Shropshire clergyman relocate to Frankfurt to oversee congregations over hundreds of miles in multiple countries in northern and eastern Europe.

There have been English churches on the continent for hundreds of years, and the Diocese of Europe currently has seven archdeacons covering different regions, answering to the Bishop of Gibraltar, Dr Robert Innes.

However, archdeacons normally perform the role on top of having their own local parishes, whereas Mr Williams will take on two archdeaconries full time.

He has been team rector in Ludlow for five years, with responsibility for 17 churches in 14 Shropshire parishes.

He recently made headlines getting behind the wheel of a dodgem car with Bishop of Hereford Richard Frith at Ludlow's May fair.

He also recently sat in the hot seat for BBC's Mastermind, which will be screened this autumn.

A keen walker, the Oxford-educated former solicitor was attracted to Shropshire because of the hills, but he is no stranger to more European territory having previously served five years in Switzerland as General Secretary of the Conference of European Churches.

He is also a fluent German speaker, part of the reason he was offered the position, Bishop Robert said.

He said: "I am delighted to announce that the Rev Colin Williams has accepted my invitation to be archdeacon.

"Colin is a highly experienced pastor and priest with a wide range of European experience.

"The appointment of this, our first free-standing Archdeacon, is a landmark for our diocese. We trust and pray that Colin's appointment will be a significant boon to the pastoral care of our clergy, parishes and congregations and to the mission of the Diocese in Europe."

Mr Williams will take over care of the Archdeaconry of the East, with responsibility for Austria, Croatia, Czech Republic, Hungary, Slovakia and Slovenia from Patrick Curran, and of the Archdeaconry of Germany and Northern Europe from Peter Potter.

Mr Williams said: "I feel very honoured to have been entrusted with this new and exciting role in the service of Christ's Church within the Diocese in Europe.

"I want to bring to it all the experience which I have gathered as parish priest, as an archdeacon and in the realm of European ecumenism over 34 years of ordained ministry, and am very grateful for having been given the chance to do that."

Sue Bremner, parishes administrator at the Church of St Laurence, said all at the church were very proud of Mr Williams.