New vicar for Coney Hill

The newly-announced vicar of St Oswald with St Aldate, Coney Hill says he is looking forward to welcoming the community to his church to think about some of the big questions in life.

The Revd James Faragher, 40, who grew up in the Isle of Man, is married to Emma. They have three daughters, aged 12, 8 and 1. He comes to Gloucester from St Albans and has also spent 12 years working as a youth leader in churches in North West London and Hertfordshire.

He enjoys watching sport and is an avid supporter of Liverpool Football Club. He plays the guitar and loves listening to music and watching films. In recent years, James has become a keen gardener and grows his own fruit and vegetables. He also brews his own wine and beer.

He said: “My family and I are really excited about coming to live and minister in Coney Hill. I’m looking forward to the opportunity to make connections with local people and serve the community. My vision is for the church to be a joyful and welcoming place where people of all ages can enjoy faith in God, explore the big questions of life together, and make a positive difference wherever they are.”

The Bishop of Gloucester, the Rt Revd Rachel Treweek will be licensing James to this role at a special service on Monday 26 June at 7.30pm. The church meets for worship at St Oswalds at 10am on Sundays.  All are welcome to come along and meet James and his family.