THE Bishop of Durham has embarked upon the first of a series of prayer walks around his patch, aimed at helping him learn more about the area and its people.
The Right Reverend Paul Butler hopes to cover all 16 deaneries in his Durham Diocese during prayer walks over the next eight years.
The first two walks, which will each take four days, are happening this month (May) and today (Thursday, May 14) the first began in Gateshead.
Bishop Butler started at Groundwork on the Central Nursery site in Whickham.
He also visited the fair trade organisation Traidcraft, where he led staff in prayer and worship and enjoyed a Fairtrade coffee.
He said: “Prayer walks are a fantastic way of engaging with communities.
“I have taken part in them before and they are a highlight of my year because of the range of people we meet and the places that we visit.
“As we walk and pray together we seek to bless, and be blessed by, the people and communities that we visit. It is a way of the church and community engaging together for the benefit of that community.”
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