By Christian Gysin, Nicholas McDermott and Gwyn Rees
Daily Mail
February 13, 2008
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/pages/live/articles/news/news.html?in_article_id=513948&in_page_id=1770
As parishioners arrived for early Sunday worship at the country church, they expected an uplifting sermon from long-serving vicar Jim Tipp.
But Canon Tipp, 62, failed to turn up and a spokesman for the diocese told the congregation he was "unavailable".
Under normal circumstances, his deputy, the Reverend Elaine Northern, 45, would have stepped in. But she, too, was "unavailable".
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| Holy love tangle: Canon Jim Tipp and his deputy the Reverend Elaine Northern have left their spouses and run away together |
The truth dawned in the next few minutes when Canon Tipp's 36-year-old daughter Michelle began an emotional address to the congregation, asking for prayers on behalf of "the families involved".
Today worshippers at Christ Church in Snodland, Kent, are still coming to terms with the fact that their vicar and his deputy have left their spouses and set up a love nest.
Father-of-two Canon Tipp was parish priest for more than 25 years and has been married to his 61-year-old wife Veronica for just over 40 years.
Blonde mother-of-four Mrs Northern has been in the parish for about five years and recently celebrated her 30th wedding anniversary with husband Michael.
Last night a churchgoer said the congregations at Christ Church and at neighbouring All Saints Church were in a state of shock.
"We still cannot believe that they have gone off to be together," they said.
"We have been told it could take months for the Church to decide what to do about this mess."
Another parishioner said: "This has all come as a shock and we have been told not to discuss it because so many people have been hurt by their actions."
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| The congregation at Christ Church in Snodland, Kent, is said to be in a state of shock |
The Diocese of Rochester issued a statement which read: "The Church of England expects the highest standards of all those involved in its ministry.
"Canon Jim Tipp and the Reverend Elaine Northern will not be undertaking any duties in the parish and the Bishop of Rochester will consider their positions."
It is thought that Canon Tipp and his new love have moved into a rented flat in the area as they wait for the authority's decision on their futures.
According to the vicar's Friends Reunited entry, he "worked in the rag trade" after leaving school in Shoreditch, East London.
Then he became a Post Office telegram boy before going to theological college.
He and Veronica married in Hackney in 1967 and they have two daughters, Michelle and Elizabeth, 34.
Until his affair was revealed, the Tipps were thought by parishioners to be the perfect couple.
A friend of the family described Canon Tipp - nicknamed Jim Royle locally because of his remarkable resemblance to the Royle Family character - as "an all-round nice person who has done a lot of work for the local community.
"Jim was the last guy you would expect to do this," said the friend.
Mrs Northern was also described by parishioners as a pillar of the Snodland community, which she joined with her family five years ago.
She and husband met in the 1970s and married in Islington, North London, in 1977. They have two girls and two boys ranging in age from 18 to 26.
At the Conservative-run Snodland Town Council offices, where Mrs Tipp works as an assistant to the town clerk, staff told how she was "on sick leave" for the foreseeable future.
The Tipps lived in the vicarage next to Christ Church while the Northerns lived a five-minute walk away in Lewis Mews, Snodland.
No one was available for comment at either house last night.
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