THE minister of Grassington Congregational Church, Graham Adams, has been elected president of the Congregational denomination of churches for England, Scotland and Wales.

The one-year appointment commences in May 2003.

Mr Adams is the only person in the Congregational Federation to have been elected to this position twice - he was also president in 1978.

Prior to moving to Grassington, Mr Adams was general secretary of the Congregational denomination for 11 years and before that, was principal lecturer in business and management studies at Leicester Polytechnic.

As well as his full-time employment, he has been a part-time minister within the church since 1967, serving for 17 years in Leicestershire and 11 years in Warwickshire.

In his last pastorate, he was instrumental in the church purchasing a relatively large primary school which was being closed and converting it into a community, youth and church centre. The classrooms, in what is now called The Graham Adams Centre, are used as dormitories for children and youth groups from churches all over the country.

Mr Adams says that he is enjoying the ministry in Grassington although it is quite different from the other two situations he has experienced.

Mr Adams, wife, Andrea, is the town clerk of Skipton.