THE Archbishop of York, Doctor David Hope, is set to visit a Haslingden church as part of a historic visit to the Blackburn Diocese by English and German church education and mission experts.

Dr Hope will be accompanied to St Peter's CE Church, Laneside, tomorrow by the Most Reverend Manfred Kock, chairman of the Council of the Evangelical Church in Germany, its equivalent of the Archbishop of Canterbury.

The church leaders will attend a Eucharist on a Parade Sunday with the church's young people's uniformed organisations. They will then be given a briefing on the life of the 8,500 population parish and its church-based community centre.

The Rev Jeff Finch of St Peter's Church, said: "The theme of the church leaders' meeting is 'Passing on the faith to the next generation', so this fits in very well.

"I think the Bishop of Blackburn wanted our visitors to see a normal parish at work and worship, and this type of service is one of our ways of passing on the faith. The work we do through our community centre also marks very much our way of standing with the community.

"There's been a developing friendship between the two 'linked' dioceses of Blackburn and Braunschweig, and also between St Peter and St Nickolai, Saltzgitterbad, so there's a personal friendship as well as a theological sharing of ideas.

"It's a great privilege for us to have the Archbishop of York and the German equivalent of the Archbishop of Canterbury in our parish." The church leaders' visit to Haslingden is part of a six-day meeting, which runs until Monday at Whalley Abbey, by experts in the Church of England and the Evangelical Church in Germany.

The visit is taking place under the Meissen Agreement, which foresees regular exchanges between the churches to gain a greater understanding of each other's life and worship.

The Archdeacon of Lancaster, the Venerable Colin Williams, who oversees Blackburn's link with Braunschweig, said: 'It is a great honour for us that this visit is taking place in Lancashire. It is also of national significance and marks the latest fruit of the Meissen Agreement."

Delegation members also toured schools in Blackburn as part of their visit. They watched Religious Education lessons and met pupils and staff at St Wilfrid's CE School in Byrom Street, and visited St Bartholomew's CE Primary School in Bolton Road, St Matthew's CE Primary School in Withers Street and St Gabriel's CE Primary School in Wilworth Crescent, where they attended morning assemblies and met pupils and staff.

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