Friends past and present came together at St Matthew’s Bayswater in West London to celebrate the licencing of Will Coleridge as the church’s new vicar.

For four years Will has served as the Church’s Associate Vicar and his licensing marks not only the start of a bright new chapter in the church’s history, but also the retirement of his predecessor, Jeremy Allcock who also leads the congregation at St Stephen’s Westbourne Park.

The service was led by the Bishop of London (who also licenced Will as Assistant Vicar in 2012) and was attended by representatives of the Greek Orthodox community, local schools and also members of St Michael’s, Chester Square, where Will had previously worked as a curate.

Prior to entering the church, Will  worked as a solicitor specialising in family law before finding himself increasingly drawn to ministry within his local church, deciding to make the switch after a number of factors colluded together including preaching at a friend’s wedding .

Will Coleridge, Vicar at St Matthew’s Bayswater, said “It is a great privilege to become St Matthew’s new vicar after four great years as the church’s Associate Vicar alongside Jeremy Allcock. It speaks of many things and underlying them all, the great faithfulness of God.  My wife Liz and I have made many friends in the parish and to be asked to continue this work of reaching out into the community and building the congregation remains an exciting yet still daunting task.”