THE Bishop of Selby, the Right Reverend Dr John Thomson has licensed and installed the Rev Stephen Whiting as the new Priest-in-charge of the Benefice of the Forest of Galtres at St Helen and the Holy Cross, Sheriff Hutton.

The Bishop was assisted by the Archdeacon of York, the Venerable Sarah Bullock and the Area Dean, the Rev Liz Hassall in a traditional ceremony involving all the churchwardens from the five churches of the benefice, Stillington, Sheriff Hutton, Sutton-on-the-Forest, Marton and Farlington, civic leaders and representatives of schools in the area.

Lessons were read by Readers, Margaret Price (Stillington) and Jenny Howarth (Sheriff Hutton); the Bishop’s chaplain was Professor Harold Mytum of Sutton and the Benefice choir was led by Andy Hunt and the organist.

A packed and beautifully decorated church welcomed Steve with his wife, Sue and his two daughters who will live at the vicarage in Sutton. He came from Scarborough originally, was ordained at York Minster in 2008 and has held posts in the diocese of York and more recently in the diocese of Manchester. His family and friends from his previous parishes joined the local congregations and enjoyed the service and buffet supper.

The retiring churchwarden of Sheriff Hutton, Roy Thompson said: “We have been working hard in a long interregnum since the retirement of Chris Ellis, who had suffered a serious stroke in 2015, so the arrival of Stephen is a huge relief and who is expected to work with us to further unify the benefice but also to develop the policy of collaborative ministry in the Deanery of Easingwold.

"Stephen is a sharer, believing in the ministry of all people; so we can expect to see a continuity of the pattern of ministry as he works to increase the outreach to many more people to bring them closer to God’s love within the six villages of the benefice."