FOUR generations of the same family have confirmed their faith in a service conducted by the Bishop of Durham.

In what is believed to be a first in the Diocese, and maybe in the Church of England, the four generations from the same maternal line of a family stood together in each of their own Christian journeys.

They affirmed their intentions to live a life of committed discipleship in a service by the Right Reverend Paul Butler at St Andrew’s Church in Stanley.

Great grandma Iris Moffatt, 87, Iris Robson, 67, Julie Bell, 37 and ten-year-old Abigail Grace Robson along with her dad, Mark Bell, were confirmed along with 21 other candidates from seven churches in the Lanchester Deanery area.

Bishop Paul said: “I have never confirmed four generations before, I have done three.

“This is probably a fairly unique and rather special occasion.

“I am also delighted to meet people at their confirmation service and to affirm their faith, but this has been a new milestone for me also.”

Mrs Moffatt said: “We had been talking about it and just made sense for us to all get confirmed together.

“I always wanted to be confirmed from being a little Girl and so this was a great opportunity.”