Potton Benefice welcomes new Rector - after waiting almost two years

The Rev Alex Wheatley says he's glad to be joining a wonderful team of churches
L to R: The Rev Graham Buckle, Rural Dean; The Archdeacon of Bedford, the Venerable Dave Middlebrook; the Lord Bishop of St Albans, The Rt Rev Dr Alan Smith; The Rev Alex Wheatley, Rector of Potton, Sutton and Cockayne Hatley Benefice.L to R: The Rev Graham Buckle, Rural Dean; The Archdeacon of Bedford, the Venerable Dave Middlebrook; the Lord Bishop of St Albans, The Rt Rev Dr Alan Smith; The Rev Alex Wheatley, Rector of Potton, Sutton and Cockayne Hatley Benefice.
L to R: The Rev Graham Buckle, Rural Dean; The Archdeacon of Bedford, the Venerable Dave Middlebrook; the Lord Bishop of St Albans, The Rt Rev Dr Alan Smith; The Rev Alex Wheatley, Rector of Potton, Sutton and Cockayne Hatley Benefice.

After 21 months, the Potton Benefice has a new Rector.

The Rev Alex Wheatley was Collated on March 24 by the Lord Bishop of St Albans, the Rt Revd Dr Alan Smith In a service in front of a small gathering at Cockayne Hatley Church.

Rev Alex said: "I'm really glad to be joining this wonderful team of churches. It's a hard time to be starting, but I'm really looking forward to all we might do for the communities of Potton, Sutton and Cockayne Hatley."

The Installation and Induction part of the Service was led by the Archdeacon of Bedford the Venerable Dave Middlebrook. The Welcome was given by the Rural Dean, the Revd Graham Buckle.

Also taking part in the service but remotely by Zoom, was the Rev Ruth Harris who had been responsible for Rev Alex’s ministry and training at the United Benefice of Christ Church, Skipton and St Mary’s Carleton in Craven, in Yorkshire, who commended Rev Alex to the people of our the Potton Benefice.

The service was seen by many over a Zoom link and this included local people, people from Rev Alex’s previous Benefice and family and friends from his home area of Lancashire.