A NEW superintendent minister of the Ilkley Methodist Circuit has been appointed, adding to the number of female clergy working in the area.

Christine Hey has moved to the Addingham and Ben Rhydding post from Nottingham after seven years of service there.

Her new position follows the appointment of Susan Roe as Pastor of Mount Hermon and Mirella Moxon at Salem United Reform Church in Burley-in-Wharfedale.

Peter Whittaker, chairman of the West Yorkshire Methodist District, conducted Rev Hey's recent welcome service and her family visited to see where she would be living and working.

"My mum and dad were especially pleased to see the welcome service; they wanted to see where I'll be living for the next five years."

Miss Hey has been appointed for the five year term, and may be able to stay longer. She is pleased to have moved to the area. "It's beautiful scenery in this area, I've got a wonderful view from my study window.

"It's nice to be somewhere 'local'. Where I was in Nottingham was a 'local' area, and it's lovely being part of the community. You learn about the area because you are living in it.

"It's nice to recognise people when you go shopping and so on. At my welcome service, people were coming over and saying they lived near me or whatever, and that's good, too."

Miss Hey hopes to achieve a lot in her time in Ilkley. She would like to move the church on as well as carry on the work of the Rev Peter Sheasby: "I want to encourage people to come to the church and I want them to feel like they can come and not feel out of place and I'd like to help the church move into the 21st century.

"It's nice to take over from someone who's done a good job and done some good work, but it's also something to live up to, to carry on his good work at the same standard."

Miss Hey will be working as superintendent of the Ilkley Circuit, which means more responsibility than she previously had.

"It will be odd not being able to pass the responsibility on to someone else, I am used to having someone there who I say 'well that's your job' to, but now I have to do it all!"