The Rev Craig Groocock, currently curate at St Nicholas church, Kenilworth, will be in charge of a parish for the first time when he moves to Harbury’s All Saints church in May.

He and his family have been in Kenilworth for three years while he was serving his curacy.

He said: “Harbury is a new place for me, although I have always known it in a work capacity as I knew the previous vicar there.

“We are looking forward to the new change enormously, particularly getting to know the village life.”

Mr Groocock, 42, originally from North Shropshire, became involved in the church as a teenager.

He said: “I was not born a Christian - my family were not religious. I started going to church youth clubs purely for the fun of it.”

After leaving school he started working as a printer, then at the age of 22 he went to theological college in London to train with the Church Army.

Before coming to Kenilworth, he worked as a youth work adviser in Warwick for three churches before being appointed to the diocese in 2000.

He said: “Since I was about 18, I increasingly felt God was calling me to leadership.

“It’s a vocational thing - something you feel inside yourself, and it seemed to be confirmed time and time again by people around me.”

Mr Groocock, his wife Sue, daughter Jessica, 15, and son Elliot, ten, are all prepared for the ups and downs of life as a priest and priest’s family.

He said: “The best thing about being a priest for me is meeting different people in different contexts, and being available for people in the most difficult and joyful times of their lives, and being there when they need me.

“The worst part about the job is the feeling of living in a fish bowl.

“Our privacy is often invaded - I have to live on the job. But we are prepared for that.”