THE Reverend Philip Greenhalgh is to take up the toughest challenge of his ministry, with a lot of help from an old Army jeep.

Mr Greenhalgh, who is at the centre of a "group practice" scheme being introduced by the Church of England, will rely on the sturdy vehicle to get around seven churches.

The new area dean of Stanhope, in Weardale, County Durham, picked up the 30-year-old former Army jeep when he was vicar at Millom, in Cumbria.

"Having to look after eight parishes and get around isolated farming communities there, it would have been impossible to have carried on without it," said Mr Greenhalgh, who takes up his new Weardale post later this month.

The jeep will also come into its own as Mr Greenhalgh travels between isolated North Pennine communities.

The clergyman has already become very popular in the dale as vicar at St John's Chapel.

But the decision by the Durham Diocese to appoint him area dean at Stanhope, in a cost-cutting exercise, has raised concerns among parishioners.

For the first time in its history, Stanhope will not have a vicar in its own right, as Mr Greenhalgh will also be responsible for churches at Frosterley, Eastgate, Rookhope, Westgate, St John's Chapel and Cowshill.

Mr Greenhalgh likens the new approach to group practices run by doctors.

He also revealed that Weardale had been chosen as one of the first areas in the country to pilot a pastoral scheme for laypersons.

Already a man-and-wife team at St John's Chapel have started on a two-year training programme, which will enable them to prepare couples for marriage, counsel parishioners and generally assist the clergy.

By June next year it is also hoped to recruit and train a curate for St John's Chapel.