A NEW vicar has been appointed to lead Durham City's parish church.
The Reverend Stephen Bellamy said he was attracted to an advertisement for the post, at St Nicholas' Church by the warmth of its ministry.
The Market Place church counts former Archbishop of Canterbury George Carey among its past clergy.
It had been without a vicar for some time.
Mr Bellamy was installed at St Nicholas by the Right Reverend Tom Wright, the Bishop of Durham, on Sunday, May 11.
The 52-year-old and his wife, Wendy, came to Durham from Birkdale, in Southport. They have two children, Kate, 27, and Andrew, 25.
Although he had no previous link to the North-East, Mr Bellamy said he had already found Durham a great place to be.
"It's a very busy and very exciting city in which to share the good news that God has for us," he said.
Between 450 and 500 people attend services at St Nicholas' Church on a Sunday. There has been a church on the site since at least 994AD, but the current building dates from 1858.
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