St John’s Old Colwyn

Our Vicar is from Colwyn Bay. He holds degrees in both Music and Religious Studies from the University of Wales.

In 1985 he was appointed Organist & Choirmaster at The Church of the Holy Trinity, Llandudno where he was encouraged by the Rector at the time, The Rev’d Canon Derek Richards, to explore a vocation to the Sacred Priesthood. He was accepted for training for ministry at Ripon College, Cuddesdon, Oxford. In the course of his training he spent time on Sheffield’s huge Manor Estate, and in his third year he was selected by the college to undertake a year of exchange study at the Church Divinity School of the Pacific in Berkeley, California. During that time he experienced a 7.1 earthquake (17 October 1989 at 5.04pm – the “Loma-Prieta”); joined members of the North Californian Theatre Organ Society who were building a giant Wurlitzer theatre pipe organ at the High School Theatre; and he also met his wife-to-be, Kate, who is now the Vicar of Abergele & Rector of St George. He was made Deacon at St Asaph Cathedral in 1990, and in 1991 he was ordained Priest. He served his title as Curate of Rhyl from 1990-94 with the Rev’d Canon Herbert Lloyd, who later retired to Prestatyn…