St John the Baptist, Middleton

Five Years On: From Chemistry to Church, and a Journey We’ve Shared By Revd Dr Noel Phillips, Rector of Curdworth, Middleton & Wishaw If you had told me, as a teenager in a Surrey comprehensive school, that one day I’d be a vicar in a rural Warwickshire parish, I wouldn’t have believed you. Back then, my world was full of test tubes and textbooks, not liturgies and lectionaries.

I studied Chemistry at university and graduated in 1992 with a first-class degree. I went on to complete a PhD, researching iron compounds in water systems — a long way from vestries and village fêtes! After that, I trained to teach and spent several years helping sixth-formers unlock the beauty and logic of science. I loved it. And I thought that might be the shape of my career.

But God had other plans.

In time, I sensed a deeper calling — not just to teach about atoms and molecules, but to walk with people through the complex, beautiful chemistry of human life and faith. I trained for ordination through the Diocese of Coventry, studying at Ripon College Cuddesdon, and completed a diploma in Theology, Ministry and Mission through Durham University in 2017.

I arrived here in Curdworth, Middleton and Wishaw not long after. And somehow, five years have flown by.

It has been a journey filled with joy, discovery, challenge, and grace. From weddings and baptisms to coffee mornings and choir concerts — and not forgetting faculty applications, PCC meetings, and the odd church roof! — you have welcomed me, supported me, and allowed me to grow with you.

But what I am most grateful for is how you have walked with me and my family through the more difficult seasons. Two years ago, my wife suffered a disabling stroke. Both of our children have additional needs and attend specialist schools with EHCP support. These are not easy paths to walk — but you have never let us walk them alone. Your kindness, prayers, understanding, and patience have been a quiet lifeline.

Sometimes people ask if I miss chemistry. The truth is, not really. Ministry is its own kind of experiment — a laboratory of love, grace, and transformation. And like any good experiment, it requires faith, courage, and the willingness to learn from failure as well as success.

So, as I reflect on these five years, I want simply to say thank you. Thank you for your welcome, your honesty, your humour, your hard work, and your faith. Thank you for letting me share in your lives and for sharing in mine.

I look forward, with hope and gratitude, to what the next chapter brings — and to continuing this journey together.

Noel

St John the Baptist, Middleton

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