A vicar has bid farewell to his churches after a 20-year-long service.

Reverend Christopher Briggs, church minister for Easton Methodist Church and Underhill Methodist Church in Portland, has given his final sermon before leaving the isle.

Revd Briggs and his family will travel to Nottingham where he will serve as a district mission enabler, a role which involves engaging people with local churches, and his wife Nicola will also take up a new role as a Presbyter, a ministerial role which will involve overseeing congregations at number of churches. 

During his time as church minister, Revd Briggs has helped to support Portland’s residents through hard times, including the closure of the Royal Navy Base in 1995, and has engaged a younger audience with the churches.

Revd Briggs said he is ‘grateful’ to the community for opening its arms to his family, and is happy for what the church has achieved.

He said: “I want to take the opportunity to say thank you to anyone that lives on Portland for enabling us to spend so long here. 

“During that time, there have been joyful moments and challenging moments. We have been graciously invited into people’s lives to share high points and sometimes the most devastating tragedies.

“What we have managed to do is widen the age range so the churches on Portland have people from every decade. 

“That can be quite rare in churches so I am really pleased and I think it really says something- that the gospel is important to all ages. 

“In the 20 years I have been here we have been able to turn around what was a declining congregation.”

Although Revd Briggs is looking forward to his family’s future, he said he will not forget the area and the impact it has had on his family’s life.

He said: “Please know that this has been a rich experience even in the hard times and although I think as a family our hearts will break a little please know that we will hold something of Portland and this area in our hearts for ever.”