Farewells have begun for a Romsey church minister, Rev Terry Hinks, who is moving to Buckinghamshire in April.

Terry Hinks has been minister of the United Reformed Churches in Romsey and Braishfield since 1998, when he and his wife Elizabeth and children Tom and Stephanie came to the town from Reading. Since then he has played a valued part in the Association of Romsey Churches, encouraging the churches to work together.

Work with children and young people has been especially important to him and he is well known at schools and youth organisations. He has served as chaplain to Romsey Hospital, to the Air Cadets and West Country Association and on occasion to the Town Mayor and Mayor of Test Valley. Terry has been appointed as minister of Trinity Church, High Wycombe and Cores End United Reformed Church and will be inducted to this new post on April 25. He said: ‘We have made many wonderful friends during our time at Romsey and Braishfield. It has been a privilege to stand alongside people in their celebrations and times of loss and hardship. It’s been good too, to see the churches develop in new ways in their work and witness. Leaving will be hard, but we are also excited about new beginnings and opportunities ahead in Buckinghamshire.

He admitted that 17 years was a long time to stay at one place with the URC and he was given the option but felt it was time to move on.

“I felt it was time for a new challenge and if I didn’t move now I’d be here until retirement,” he said.

Terry, 54, had been bound for a job in industry and studied economics at St John’s College Cambridge. It was at university that he became interested in the church.

“My tutor told me ‘You’ve served Mammon well now it’s time to serve God well,’” recalls Terry.

After ordination in 1986 his first church was in Hereford During his time in Romsey Terry said the thing he was most proud of was the URC’s redevelopment project, “All Welcome”, an initiative to make the church building more suited to the 21st century and welcoming of people of all ages and backgrounds.

He said the church had become a busy venue for concerts and exhibitions and the URC hall was more widely used by the community including the lunch club and bereavement group.

He said he and his wife will miss Romsey’s vibrant music scene, the War Memorial Park, the arts festival and the Christmas events.

Terry’s new ministry is a new grouping uniting an urban area, High Wycombe (population 120,000) with Cores End, a village on the Thames.

Pointing up the difference with Romsey, Terry said: “High Wycombe is more multi cultural and there will be more interfaith work and work with the homeless.”

A packed Braishfield URC held a special service recently, when members of community paid tribute to Terry’s work. As it was Mothering Sunday, posies of daffodils were given out to all the members of the congregation.

Braishfield Church secretary, Shirley Smith commented: “It was a lovely service led by our minister but, of course, it was a sad one too, but we all wish Terry and Elizabeth every blessing as they start their new ministry.”

The farewells continue with a special church service at Romsey URC on Sunday at 10.30am, to be followed by a presentation and refreshments in church and then a church lunch. Terry’s last services will be on Easter Sunday, April 5, when he will be leading a short communion service at 9.30am at Braishfield URC and then the main Easter Communion at Romsey URC at 10.30 am. He and his wife hope to “escape” to Guernsey for a week’s holiday before moving to their new life in Buckinghamshire.