THE new man in charge of Havant’s city centre church today promised to be seen around town.

(l to r) The Rev Paul Moore, area dean; the Ven Trevor Reader, Archdeacon of Portsdown; Canon Peter Jones, rector of St Faith's Church, Havant; and the Very Rev David Brindley, dean of Portsmouth Cathedral, at the collation and induction service.

Canon Peter Jones, who became rector of St Faith’s Church last night (June 1), aims to get involved with places such as the Meridian Centre, Havant College and Havant Borough Council as much as possible.

His high-profile strategy comes partly from his background as a chaplain – most recently at the University of Portsmouth and before that at Portsmouth hospitals. He helped students, patients and staff with personal and spiritual problems, regardless of whether they had any faith. But it also stems from a belief that his role is to help bring God to those in the local community.

The Archdeacon of Portsdown, the Ven Trevor Reader, led a special service last night (June 1) at St Faith’s Church, at which Mr Jones was inducted and collated as rector.

“St Faith’s is a town centre church that is integral to its community,” said Mr Jones. “This is a great opportunity to be a chaplain to the local community. I’ve got a great interest in those institutions that are around us. I’m not just interested in those who go to church, I want to develop those relationships to find out what makes the commercial sector, the educational sector and politics tick in this town.

“One of the reasons I’m going back to a parish is that I want to use my chaplaincy experience to see the parish priest’s job through a chaplain’s eyes. Havant is a market town that is changing and having to reinvent itself, and I want to be part of that.

“The other thing I love about being a chaplain is being part of a team. I will have high expectations of how we at St Faith’s will operate as a team, mobilised to bring God’s kingdom into the local community. I want to build on the good work of my predecessor, the Rev David Gibbons, in encouraging our congregation to help meet the needs of the local community.”

Canon Peter Jones, 55, has been a clergyman for 32 years. He worked in parishes in Yorkshire and Exeter, and as a chaplain to a deprived part of Plymouth for six years, before coming to Portsmouth diocese to lead the chaplaincy team at the Queen Alexandra and St Mary’s Hospitals from 2001 until 2005.

He switched to lead the chaplaincy team at the University of Portsmouth in January 2005 and was also a residentiary canon of Portsmouth Cathedral. In 2006 he was given the additional role of diocesan interfaith adviser, a post that he has recently relinquished. He will remain an honorary canon of Portsmouth Cathedral in his new post. He is married with two adult children.