The Rev. Joseph Manchester is to be formally inducted as the interim supply minister of Emmanuel Methodist Church, Middle Road, Southampton during a special covenanting service tomorrow at 3 p.m.

Speaking at the service will be Dr. Leo Mills, a lay preacher at Wesley Methodist Church in Hamilton.

Rev. Manchester, who was born and raised in St. Kitts, West Indies, is no stranger to Bermuda. He first arrived here in 1970 to teach physics at Berkeley Institute, and subsequently rose to become its deputy principal.

A devout Christian, during this time he also filled in for short periods in 1972 and 1973 as an interim supply minister at Wesley following the sudden death of the Rev. Joseph Berridge.

In 1977 the then-Mr. Manchester left the Island for Canada, where for the next five years he served as a lay supply minister for the United Church of Canada before entering the Atlantic School of Theology in Halifax, Nova Scotia in 1982 to study for the ministry. He was ordained in 1985, and thereafter served in two pastoral charges in Nova Scotia until his retirement in 1998.

Rev. Manchester returned to Bermuda for the second time in 1998 as interim supply minister at Wesley Methodist Church, where he served for two years and five months before returning to home to Canada.

Thereafter, the ever-active clergyman became an interim supply minister in the River Philip pastoral charge near Oxford, Nova Scotia.

Then came this year?s call to return to Bermuda for the third time ? on this occasion to temporarily fill the vacancy left by the sudden departure of Rev. Graeme Carruth at Emmanuel.

As a retired United Church of Canada minister, Rev. Manchester may not accept full-time postings, although he can continue to serve his church as an interim supply minister wherever he is needed. In this instance, he has agreed to serve for a year.

?After St. Kitts and Canada, Bermuda is like a third home,? the delighted clergyman said. ?It is always a pleasure to be here, and to serve the people of Bermuda.?

Joining him, as always, on his current posting is his wife, Florice, who is also originally from St. Kitts. The couple have two sons, Alan and Arthur, who continue to reside in Canada.

All are welcome to attend tomorrow?s covenanting service.