Chester Diocese
News Item
|
How love bloomed in a Pizza Hut for our newlywed priests
A DIOCESAN priest has married a vicar from Blackburn Diocese – after a courtship developed between them following their use of a Christian introductions agency. The Revd Ian Watts was priest-in-charge of St Mary’s, Newton, Hyde, near Manchester, for more than four years before getting married at the end of October. He married The Revd Rachel Simper, vicar of St Luke’s, Slyne-with-Hest, near Lancaster, at a ceremony in the north Lancashire city. Having returned from a honeymoon in Morocco they now embark on an Advent start to their married life together. They have moved to Burnley, Lancs., where they are working in ministry in adjacent parishes. Both are “theologically mainstream” says Ian. Ian, 41, who is originally from Wirral, formerly worked as a curate at St Bridget’s, West Kirkby and vicar at St Thomas’s. High Lane, near Stockport, before moving to Hyde. Friendship blossomed into romance for Ian and Rachel after they responded to literature sent out by Friends First, the Christian organisation which introduces single Christian people to each other. They were sent profiles of each other, liked what they read, then started to write to each other. Eventually they phoned each other, chatted and eventually arrange to meet up. They met for drinks and a meal in a Pizza Hut restaurant and their relationship went from strength to strength. After an 18-month courtship they married. CDN spoke to Ian just days before his wedding. He said: “We are both in a job that means you don’t get to meet people of our own age (Rachel is in her mid-30s). So after seeing the reading material about Friends First we thought we would explore further. “Now it has come to marriage. I am very excited and very much looking forward to our life together. We are definitely kindred spirits. “When we met for the first time we talked about our family backgrounds, our lives so far, our experiences in ministry, our interests, where we like going on holiday, just the ordinary stuff of our lives, really.” A group of parishioners and friends in Hyde took Ian out on a stag night before the wedding – to an evening of dog racing at Belle Vue track in Manchester. The couple have moved to a vicarage in Lancashire. He is now Priest-in-charge at St Cuthbert’s in Burnley and Rachel is Vicar of nearby St James’ Briercliffe. * Friends First is an organisation run by Christians exclusively for Christians which assists single people to meet new friends and potential partners. It has operated since 1999 and claims endorsement by many churches and vicars. It can be contacted by phone on 0121 427 1286, or c/o PO Box 8377, Harborne, Birmingham, B17 9TE. It can be also be emailed at The website is www.friends1st.co.uk
|
WEDDED JOY: Ian Watts and Rachel Simper
|
