Haworth rector the Rev Paul Slater has been appointed to a top new post in the diocese.

Mr Slater, 43, who has served at St Michael and All Angels Church since 1995, is to be Bishop's Officer for Mission and Ministry.

The role - which he will take up in November - is one of two new senior appointments created as part of a major restructuring of the Bradford diocese.

Mr Slater - who was ordained in 1984 and served his curacy in Keighley - will have management responsibility for clergy and lay in-service training, children and young people's work, resources and spiritual direction.

He said: "The prime role of the diocese is to support churches in parishes, and it will be great to be at the heart of that.

"I am also particularly keen to help further develop partnerships between clergy and lay people as I believe collaborative ministry is the future of the church."

Mr Slater was born and brought up in Bradford and has been in the diocese since his ordination.

For five years he was priest in charge of St John's, Cullingworth. He has also been the Bishop's personal executive assistant, and was director of the Diocesan Foundation Course - a basic Christian education course for lay people - which he was instrumental in setting up.

Diocesan secretary Malcolm Halliday said about the new post: "This is an important job and it's a significant moment in diocesan life as we gear up for the challenges of ministry for the coming years."

The Bishop of Bradford, the Right Rev David Smith, added: "I am delighted that Paul Slater will be our new Bishop's Officer for Ministry and Mission. He is well known and respected in the diocese and has considerable experience in this field of work."

Paul is married to Beverley - a Health Service manager in primary care - and they have two sons Seb, 16, and Tom, 10.