A CHURCH congregation will be experiencing a touch of the Lone Star state over the next few weeks following an unusual job swap.

The Rev Dr William Jenkins, from Houston, Texas, has arrived in the Keighley and Worth Valley Methodist Circuit as part of an exchange of pastorates with his counterpart, the Rev Steve Watts.

Mr Jenkins will be staying in the area for six weeks, preaching at Ilkley, Cullingworth and Oakworth.

A pastor for more than 30 years, Mr Jenkins, who is married with four children, was nominated in the 1980s for Texas rural pastor of the year.

He also participated in a similar pastoral exchange at Rustington, in southern England, in 1997.

Of his first impressions of the area, Mr Jenkins said: "I have been most impressed with the helpfulness and the friendly nature of the people of Keighley.

"I asked one couple where we could go for the best fish and chips and they took us there straightaway. Everyone has been so kind."

Having never visited Yorkshire before, Mr Jenkins said that it was a wonderful opportunity he never expected.

Mr Jenkins, who arrived in the country with his wife, Loretta, on July 3, has already visited the Bront museum, in Haworth, and was fascinated by the insight it offered into the famous sisters and history of the region.

During his stay in the area, Mr Jenkins also intends to spend a good deal of time visiting the Yorkshire Dales and the Lake District.