A WELCOME service was held at Bude Methodist Church on Wednesday, August 31 for Deacon Debbie Marsh.

The preacher was the Rev Graham Thompson, the chair of the Plymouth and Exeter Methodist District.

Moving from Barnsley, Debbie joins the ministry team of the Bude and Holsworthy Methodist circuit, and will focus her work in and around Bude.

A Deacon in the Methodist Church is ordained, and has a pastoral role primarily. Debbie will focus on those aspects of the church’s life that involves meeting and encouraging people, both inside and outside of the church, strengthening existing connections, and building new ones.

Mr Andrew Pitt, a church steward, said: “This is an exciting new phase of the church’s life, and we are looking forward to working with Debbie.”