Exminster welcomed its new vicar on Monday (September 9) as the Reverend Vanessa Pestridge was licensed as priest-in-charge of the Five Red Churches Mission Community.

The licensing service at St Martin’s Church Exminster was led by the acting Bishop of Exeter, the Right Reverend Jackie Searle, the Archdeacon of Exeter, Andrew Beane.

The Five Red Churches Mission, or Benefice of Exminster, includes churches in Kenton, Powderham, Kenn and Mamhead as well as St Martin’s in Exminster.

Vanessa, who has lived in Exminster for over 20 years, was ordained in 2020 after six years of training. Since then, she has been curate of St Matthew’s and St Sidwell’s in Exeter. She has previously served as a school governor and church leader.

Earlier this year, Vanessa told the Mid Devon Advertiser that she was most looking forward to ‘being able to put my energies into working alongside others to build a community that continues to practically care for each other, and, as the church, being a place for people to find love, acceptance and a safe place to explore those big questions of life together’.

She noted that Exminster is an ‘incredible community’ where people really care for each other, but that there are also many challenges such as loneliness, mental health challenges, pressures from the cost of living, climate change and school and social pressures on young people.

She takes on the Five Red Churches Mission from the Reverend John Williams, who retired earlier this year.