A SIXTEEN-year-old Bromsgrove churchgoer, chosen for a special day with the Archbishop of Canterbury, has owned up and said she didn't recognise him.

Natalie Pinfield was one of only nine youngsters from the Worcester diocese chosen to visit Rowan Williams' Lambeth Palace in London on Saturday because of her dedicated work at Stoke Prior church.

Natalie joined a group of around 80 from eight other dioceses and were introducing themselves in the Guardroom of the magnificent palace when she felt someone tap her on the shoulder.

"I hadn't realised the Archbishop was mingling amongst us," said Natalie, from Upton Warren.

She turned round and saw a bearded man who looked like a "stereotypical priest/bishop." She asked him his name and where he was from and he said "Rowan from London".

"It suddenly clicked that this man was the Archbishop of Canterbury," she said in a report to the parish newsletter. "I expected this powerful man to be sitting on a throne resplendent in gowns and hat - he was so normal, laid-back, smiling and friendly looking."

Natalie said he told them to call him Rowan and was the "friendliest Archbishop you'd ever hope to meet."

The young people spent an "exhausting" day discussing their faith and walking around the palace grounds before joining in a service with the Archbishop, who gave them each a signed photo. He also autographed Natalie's copy of the Bible.

"The day was amazing," she said. "It was really a never-to-be-forgottten day."