Herefordshire folk may not give a second thought to the busy tractors and trailers on the roads carrying hay, potatoes and other farm goods.

But it is part of a scene, along with her church brim-full with local garden produce for harvest festival, that Beth Torkington has found moving.

The Reverend Elizabeth Torkington, has come from a very different landscape - from inner-city Manchester.

Having taken up her post as the new Minister of the Leominster Moravian Church, she has been bowled over by the exceptional kindness and friendliness of local people. Beth knows only too well that not all places are like that. It's a huge strength for the community and she has high hopes.

Her church denomination, which has an international following, has close links with the Anglicans and Methodists. It has a long pedigree in Leominster and the surrounding rural area.

There have been Moravians in the town since at least 1749. The church, in South Street, dates from 1759.

It's a warm, inclusive religion. There have been women preachers for many years. Church members address each other as brother and sister. They were ecumenical long before anyone in the modern era began using the word.

Moravians, traditionally, have encouraged members to worship at any local church which feels right. They build churches of their own when there is a need to be met.

The 'family links' of brothers and sisters around the globe are important.

Several men from the Staten Island Moravian community, fire fighters, are missing following the New York disaster.

Special prayers are being said at the Leominster church. "We are praying very hard every morning for our brothers," says Beth Torkington. "We are praying at 9am - 4am in New York - to time it for the darkest hours."

Bristol-born Beth, 50, is a former secondary school teacher. Her two children recently finished at university.

She married a Moravian - her husband Anthony - but when a church member suggested she would make a good minister her reaction was: "I couldn't do the job in a month of Sundays."

Minister's clear focus

But do the job she did. For 12 taxing years she served as both a church minister and school teacher

Now in Leominster, as the town's fourth female Moravian minister, she has one job and a clear focus. The congregation is delighted. They have a resident minister once more after a long gap.

Things are happening. The harvest festival offering of £160 was given to the Farmers' Crisis Network to help those affected by the foot and mouth outbreak.

The old church hall remains closed because the building is unsafe but the Moravians have formed a partnership with a housing association. They are to get a new hall as part flats-for-the-elderly development.

"Very exciting!" says Beth, who is keen to 'reach out' into the community.

Is the aim to swell the size of the congregation?

"What minister wouldn't want that! All of the churches are facing the same challenge - to make our faith relevant to the 21st century," says Beth.