THE new vicar of St Jude’s Church, Southsea, wants to step out in faith to share God’s hospitality with others.

Bishop Jonathan has appointed the Rev Steve Clarke to be the new vicar of the historic church based at the heart of Southsea, subject to DBS. He is currently vicar of St Andrew’s, Whitehall Park, in North London and was previously a pioneer minister at Gloucester Cathedral.

He said: “I was particularly drawn to St Jude’s commitment to being a Word & Spirit church and their heart for worship, discipleship and mission.

“Having the opportunity to join in with what God is already doing here is exciting, and I feel that St Jude’s is a place where we can really share the hospitality of God with those around us. I love how the church shares the good news of Jesus in both words and actions, confidently and with compassion.

“I’m excited that St Jude’s is committed to Jesus being the heart of Southsea and am looking forward to seeing all that the Lord will do through St Jude’s and the local church partnerships.

“The new regeneration coming to Southsea brings new opportunities for mission and service within the community, especially among students and young adults. The opportunity to continue to be a loving and visible presence in our community feels important in this season.”

Steve originally came from Cheltenham, however the south coast has always been a special place as he met his wife Min at Southampton University. He also regularly visited family living in Portsmouth.

He began work as a student pastor at Trinity Cheltenham, where he worked with young adults, led courses for those on a discipleship year, and led a team outreach into the night-time economy. They ran a club night in a local venue with a vision of this becoming an Fresh Expression of church. It was popular, fostering good relationships with bouncers, DJs and clubbers.

Steve trained for ordination at Trinity College, Bristol, and became a curate and pioneer minister at Gloucester Cathedral. Among other things, he led ‘Feig’, a Fresh Expression that had been started years previously, to provide a space for those who wouldn’t normally come to a traditional church setting, to journey towards Jesus in a way that felt more authentic to them.

They explored many different forms of collective creative worship. The midweek discipleship group that met in people’s homes eventually transitioned to meeting in the cathedral itself, using a variety sacred ancient spaces to inspire and lead people on towards Jesus.

Steve became vicar at St Andrew’s, Whitehall Park, 12 years ago. It is in the most northerly part of Islington, and is a place where young families have been welcomed and nurtured in faith.

During this time he has prioritised hospitality, throwing open the church to provide space for those from the local community to meet, both young and old.

He said “One of the things we launched was ‘Brunch and Bounce’, a Saturday gathering for local families, with a bouncy castle, good coffee and pastries. It was a first contact people had with church that led some to connect with faith.

“This inspired us to launch Messy Church to provide a place of belonging, faith and growth as a next step in people’s journey towards Jesus.

“St Andrew's has been a church rooted in its community, sharing the love of God in creative ways. It's been wonderful to see people come to faith grow in their relationship with Jesus and be raised up to serve within the kingdom. It's been particularly exciting to see leaders equipped to serve both locally and more widely in the Church of England.”