Reverend Neil Warwick

Vicar, St Nicolas, Earley

I arrived in Earley in July 2009. Immediately prior to this I was Curate at St Lawrence Church in Towcester, a market town in Northamptonshire.

Here is some background information on me...

I was brought up in a loving family in Guildford. I went to Nottingham University to read Geography and afterwards was fortunate to get good business training with British Road Services. I was doing well, but had a yearning to do something more vocational with my work life. So I left BRS and firstly set up and ran my own company for three years. I then joined the overseas development agency World Vision as a marketing manager. This was a life changing experience for me. Working alongside people who were living in crushing poverty made me appreciate all the things I had taken for granted and I was challenged to consider what life and faith was all about.

It was on a trip to Zambia in 2000 that I discerned God calling me into full-time ministry. On my return to the UK, after assessment and guidance from the Church, I was offered a place at Ridley Hall, Cambridge to study theology and ministry. I was ordained as Deacon in 2005 and Priest in 2006, both at Peterborough Cathedral.

Since being ordained I have drawn on my experience in business and overseas development and seen this combined with my calling and the passion to serve God and all the people in my Parish. My extrovert personality is well suited to work that involves dealing with people for most of the day whether it be talking to large groups, facilitating smaller ones or meeting people one-to-one. I have been given the opportunity to grow in my understanding and sensitivity of people with varying opinions, personalities, ages, race and faiths.

I am encouraged to be working alongside people at St Nicolas who are committed and active in fulfilling the vision to be open to God, open to one another and open to community. This first year has been about learning from them and getting to know the the wider community. I have mainly joined in with the good things that are going on.

My family drew up the following list, it’s very accurate…

Likes: being with people, family outings, football, curry, modern jazz, Wii tennis, The Simpsons, films, a good book.
Dislikes: days on his own, fruit, ginger, statistic exams, chick flicks.

Neil

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