A MINISTER who has married thousands of couples and baptised countless babies is hanging up his cassock and stepping down from the pulpit.
Ron Evans, who has been the Priest Minister of Connah’s Quay’s St Marks and St David’s churches for the past seven years is retiring after 25 years preaching to his flocks.
And on Sunday he conducted his final service of baptism as he christened Ethan Huw Edwards, the son of Rhian Roberts and Carl Edwards of Connah’s Quay.
Ron, who was a quantity surveyor before joining the ministry, said he would be giving the occasional sermon but would no longer be involved in the day to day running of the church.
He said: “I think it’s time to take things a bit easier although with a family spread around the world I suspect it won’t be so relaxing.
“I have thoroughly enjoyed my time in the church and in particular my seven years here in Connah’s Quay.”
The former curate of Flint added: “I can’t begin to think just how many babies I have christened nor how many couples I have married, it must run into the thousands.”
Ron and his wife June, who live in Hawarden, have four children of their own.
Their daughter, Heather, lives in Vancouver, Canada, their sons, Deniol and Dafydd live in Edinburgh and Maryland, USA respectively while their second daughter, Dawn, is slightly closer to home living in Seven Oaks, Kent.
During his time as a quantity surveyor Ron worked in Kuwait and the UAE as well as on phase two of the Countess of Chester Hospital’s building programme.