Fran takes over reins from Vic at Norfolk church

2010: After 18 years, Vic Ready has stepped down as Senior Pastor of Taverham Evangelical Church (TEC) near Norwich, and he has been replaced by Fran Tregay (right), an ordained Assemblies of God minister.

 

Vic said: “Now whilst it is true that I don’t feel anything like 65, I do feel that in the life of any church there comes a time for new, fresh leadership and vision. I have enjoyed 18 years of very happy and fulfilled ministry at TEC and have seen the church develop from a handful every Sunday morning to the success the church now enjoys, with thriving ministries across every age range. 

 

“I am so pleased that Fran Tregay, a member of TEC for many years, has taken over from me since the beginning of April. It was five years ago at an AOG prayer meeting that I first asked God who would be my successor when I retired in 2010. His answer was as swift as it was surprising - Fran Tregay, a woman. 

 

“During what seemed to be a very long time, but was in fact only a couple of minutes, the Lord outlined very clearly who would take my place, when she would take over and what she would achieve that I could not. It was rather difficult to know that I was being made redundant but in truth I was delighted,” said Vic. 

 

“What convinced me that this was of God was that previously I had never considered a woman for leadership of any kind and this was a revelation that changed my thinking entirely. Something else that was also rather unusual, to say the least, was at that time Fran had never been in leadership, never preached and never led a meeting before. Now, five years later, she is very accomplished in all of these ministries and has shown without a doubt the very clear calling of God on her life and ministry,” he said.

 

But Vic is not stepping down entirely as, along with Marie Hobbs, he is now leading TEC’s new church plant at Queens Hills in Norwich, which has got off to a great start. At Easter 54 people came to the special Easter service and quite a few more for the egg and spoon races afterwards.

 

He is also helping out with the prison chaplaincy each week and thoroughly enjoying the challenge: “Hopefully I might even find more time to enjoy playing tennis, going to the gym, oh and of course, taking my wife out,” said Vic.