TURNING your back on your old life and deciding to become a church minister is a big enough leap of faith for most.

But after qualifying to become a minister last year, the Rev Janie Noble left her home in Amarillo, Texas, to take up a post at Westhoughton Methodist Church. The grandmother-of-two arrived in England in August with husband Frank Amon, a retired professor.

She said: "We love it here. Before we arrived we'd been in email contact with people in Bolton who said everyone here was so friendly.

"When we got here we found that was true. I love it here and Frank and I are applying to stay for five years."

mrs Noble first discovered the possibility of ministering in England when she heard a talk on the subject.

She said: "I am still settling in really and finding out about the church in Britain. It's a challenging time for me but I am loving it."

Mrs Noble, aged 55, was previously a university cleric and worked as a director of education for the Methodist Church in America.

She added: "I didn't have a bolt of lightning moment where I knew I had to become a minister. It was a slower transition but I love what I am doing."