The 73-year-old and his wife Valerie planned to leave the village for Surrey so they could be nearer their grandchildren.

But the move did not progress smoothly until the couple put their faith in the Lord. Mr Lambert, a lay reader at Claverdon, Wootton Wawen and Preston Bagot churches made this the subject of his last sermon on December 2.

He said: "In all things in life we do not know what is ahead of us. My wife, Val, and I know this all too well after the long delays, the enormous disappointments, the prophets of doom about the housing market.

"But so many disappointments occur because as people we try to write our own programme for the future. We had to go beyond the human element and do what we should have done in the first place - wait for God's answer. We speak of His strength, but we do not use His strength."

The couple moved to Warwickshire in 1974, where Mr Lambert worked as head of training at the water industry training centre. Ten years later he retired and travelled to Sudan, where he helped open and run a refugee camp during the Ethiopian famine for Leamington-based Christian charity Cord.

He went on two further missions to Sudan with the charity, and trained to minister to the sick. This led him to train to become a lay reader and take part in services at home.

In a six-month period when Wootton Wawen had no regular priest, Mr Lambert took 83 services without any cancellations, and has also helped with funerals. He also served as a magistrate in Leamington from 1985 to 2005.

Preston Bagot churchwarden Hugh Carslake told parishioners at Mr Lambert’s final service: "John has been a terrific stalwart and we counted on him so much during the interregnum."

The couple have lived in Claverdon for the past 18 years, within sight of the village church.

They moved home on Wednesday.

Mr Lambert added: “I’m going to miss it but if we didn’t move now we never would.

“I’m sure they will give us a nice send-off. You cannot run a modern church without a lot of lay enthusiasm. I just hope the church can find a use for me in Surrey.”