A NEW minister has been warmly welcomed to a church in Walton.

Andrew Openshaw was inducted as the new minister of Homelands Free Church, in Garden Road, on Saturday.

The service was attended by more than 150 people, including representatives of churches from across Frinton, the wider Baptist family in Essex and the Eastern Baptist Association.

Andrew is now looking forward to this opportunity to help the church serve the community on the Homelands estate and across Walton and Frinton.

He said: “The situation of the church in the Triangle, with the life of the shopping centre, school and pub is a great chance to extend the excellent work the church already does and show God’s love and unconditional welcome to the whole community.

“I look forward to working alongside people of all faiths and none, for the benefit of all local people.”

Andrew, along with his wife Kate and the family have moved to the area from Tring in Hertfordshire, where he was minister of New Mill Baptist Church for seven years. He had previously worked in the chemical industry for 20 years, much of this abroad as a senior manager with an American company PPG, living and working in both France and Germany.