A FORMER Army wife is the new vicar of St John's, Hindley Green.

The Rev Margaret Sherwin, who has filled a year-long vacancy, will be inducted at the Atherton Road church on March 27 and conduct her first service on March 30.

Mrs Sherwin and her mum are the only ordained mother and daughter in the Liverpool diocese.

A mother-of-two Mrs Sherwin worked at Scargill House in North Yorkshire and at the age of 19 went to Emmanuel Bible College, Birkenhead, and trained to be a missionary.

Two years later she married her childhood friend Mark, a computer engineer, who was in the Army in Germany. She moved abroad to be an Army wife and worked with the padre.

Employed

On coming home to England in 1987 she was employed by Friends Provident until 1992 when Mark left the Army and together with six-months-old son Luke they moved back to Warrington.

In 1995 after the birth of daughter, Leah, Mrs Sherwin completed three years training and became an ordained deacon in 1999 and priest in 2000, a year before her mother was ordained.

Former Litherland curate Mrs Sherwin is chair of the Diocesan Children's Committee and a member of the Domestic Violence Awareness Group.

She said: "As a family we are very excited about our new ministry and look forward to meeting everyone here."