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On July 4 2006 Bishop Nigel had a hectic schedule to keep up with as he visited the four churches of St Michael's, St Phillip's, St George's and St John's in the united benefice of Atherton and Hindsford with Howe Bridge.
Team Vicar Rev Keith Baines explained: "We have four churches in our benefice and Bishop Nigel visited all four churches on the day. He started at St Michael's and All Angels at Howe Bridge, then he moved onto St Phillips; one of the mission churches in Atherton, then St George's; another mission church, ending up at St John's, in Atherton town centre."
The four churches hosted a community reception at St John's and Bishop Nigel was able to meet with people over refreshments. Representatives of the two PCCs of Atherton and St Michael's were there, local councillors and representatives of the community were also present along with members of the Township Forum.
The pilgrimage service was in the evening at St John's and was attended by people from the local community. Members of Atherton Baptist church came along to show their support for the Bishop's pilgrimage and to offer encouragement. A church warden for the parish of Atherton, Margaret Hewitt, said a few words and Reg Shortle contributed some recollections of days gone by.
During the service Bishop Nigel handed over the Common Wealth Games Baton as a symbol to the community to pass on its faith in God. He also invited those present to come forward for a blessing.
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