OUR diocese has appointed an experienced priest to support and empower our clergy and lay leaders.

The Rev Neil Smart, who has been associate vicar at St Jude’s Church, Southsea, since 2018, will become our first Lead for Revive. His role will be to help those in spiritual leadership in our diocese to have faith that is vibrant, growing, deep, and attractive. It’s part of our diocesan strategy for the next five years, which aims to Revive, Revitalise and Renew the Church in this area.

Neil, who has also been working as an assistant director of ordinands within our diocese recently, will begin this new role in March.

Among his responsibilities will be the oversight of 'Cairns' - the Benedictine-style groups of clergy and lay leaders that will help them to eat, pray, study and be inspired by the Holy Spirit together.

He said: “My job will be looking after clergy wellbeing, encouraging them in spiritual direction and training, and setting up study days and conferences. I am excited about this, but it isn’t what I was expecting to be doing and it’s a bit of a surprise to me. But of course God is a God of surprises, and when he calls we should give him our obedience.”

Neil was born in Portsmouth and lived here for a few years before growing up in Farnborough, which explains his lifelong support of Portsmouth Football Club, first visiting Fratton Park as a child. Fascinated by nature, he trained to be a vet at Bristol University and practiced in and around the New Forest. This was where he met his wife Debs, and they have three children.

In 1999, God called him into ordained ministry, and Neil studied at Ridley Hall, Cambridge. They returned for a curacy in Southampton before Neil became vicar of Brockenhurst, Boldre and South Baddesley back in the New Forest. He spent 11 years in this post, enjoying village life and the lovely forest surroundings.

In 2018, he was appointed associate vicar at St Jude’s Southsea, helping the church through an interregnum, the pandemic and supporting the development of St Margaret’s Church.

His hobbies include running, reading, birdwatching, football watching and hiking. Neil and Debs have completed four different Camino routes to Santiago de Compostela. They have recently bought a VW Campervan for future adventures.