A GERMAN clergyman is on a three-month secondment as part of a link between her church and a North-East diocese.

Pastorin Gabriele Voigt, from Lutheran North Elbian Church, in Stellingen, Hamburg, Germany, has been invited to Darlington as part of the Diocese of Durham.

The joint Lutheran Hamburg and Durham venture started in 2005.

Pastorin Voigt will spend three months at Darlingtons All Saints and Salutation Church, in Ravensdale Road, Blackwell, for a sabbatical Shadowing and Sharing.

Last year the churchs vicar the Rev John Dobson and eight of his parishioners visited the church in Germany.

Mr Dobson is showing his guest plans to rebuild the church during the stay.

He said: It is great to be able to host Gabriele for these three months. There is much that we can learn from each other about building up the church to serve the needs of a local residential community.

Needless to say I am looking forward to taking another group over to Hamburg.

Pastorin Voigt was ordained in 1981 in Lubeck, in North Germany. She worked for seven years in Schleswig-Holstein, before moving to two churches in Stellingen, Kreuzkirche and Stellinger Kirche. She is married with two twin 22-year-old sons.

Her stay finishes in December.