Like everything else, the Church has had to change with the times, but always at its heart has been getting out into the community.
In Shropshire the servants of God have a large and widely spread patch to contend with, and for newcomers there is the business of getting to know the parish and the people. Then there are all those other things which are part and parcel of serving the community and fostering community spirit, with events like church fetes, coffee mornings, and various other fundraising efforts.
A busy old time then. So let’s give an appreciative nod to those vicars, rectors, and other stalwarts of the Church with this selection which remembers some of those from yesteryear and celebrates the part they have played, and continue to play in an evolving world.
Did you catch the remarkable story of the 1961 tractor rescue and the emotional reunion that followed 41 years later? See it here
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5. Revving up to start work on Ironbridge bypass
The Rev Wim Zwalf about to cut the first sod for the Ironbridge bypass with a mechanical digger in July 1986, watched by Councillor Bill Miller (Wrekin Council chairman), Councillor Noel Richards (Shrewsbury and Atcham Mayor), and Councillor Jack Turner (Shropshire County Council chairman). A terrible accident in Ironbridge a few years earlier had added impetus to get the bypass built | Shropshire Star archive
6. On his way - the new Bishop of Lichfield
The new Bishop of Lichfield, the Right Reverend Kenneth Skelton, on his way to Lichfield Cathedral to be enthroned in February 1975. His "patch" would include much of Shropshire, as the Anglican diocese of Lichfield includes a large part of the county | Shropshire Star archive
7. On board for a bus collecting hobby - The Rev Geoffrey Smith
The Rev Geoffrey Smith of Lilleshall seen in 1976 with his unique collection of model buses. He started collecting them as a hobby about six years previously and had about 90 representing just about every bus company in the Midlands and North Staffordshire. The oldest buses in the collection went back to the 1910 period | Shropshire Star archive
8. Hinstock's new rector gets ready to serve
The Rev Brian Skelding in September 1981. He had been inducted as rector of Hinstock and vicar of the neighbouring parish of Sambrook. He is pictured outside St Luke's Church, Sambrook | Shropshire Star archive