The Bishop of Portsmouth officially appointed the Rev Chris Bradish as the new team rector, set to lead Church of England churches in Newport, Carisbrooke, and Gatcombe.

Currently serving as the rector of Andover parish, the Rev Bradish is set to move to the Isle of Wight with his wife, Naomi, and their three children this summer, with an expected licensing date of September 15.

The Rev Bradish will be stepping into the shoes of interim team rector Canon Sarah Chapman, leading a team that includes team vicars the Rev Emma Cooksey and the Rev Steve Sutcliffe.

Having received formal ecclesiastical training at Ripon College Cuddesdon, the Rev Bradish, previously a solicitor in London, has played an instrumental role in aiding the Church of Andover's growth.

His expertise includes a myriad of worshipping traditions which aligns with his current church, St Mary’s, and its significant civic duties in North Hampshire.

His duties have included a town-wide pastoral reorganisation and the establishment and expansion of the Lighthouse initiative.

This programme, supporting the town, features a Sustainable Food Partnership, mental health schemes, debt counselling, and various missional projects operating from a modified double-decker bus.

Naomi Bradish, a social worker leading an NHS mental health team, hopes to continue her work in a similar capacity on the Isle of Wight, as their three children Peter, 11, Juliette, eight, and Lydia, six, enrol in Island schools.

In an official ceremony, the Rt Rev Jonathan Frost is anticipated to license the Rev Bradish to his new post at 4pm on September 15 at Newport Minster.

The Rev Bradish said: "I am thrilled to have this opportunity to serve Newport, Carisbrooke and Gatcombe as team rector, and to join the team and others in progressing the church’s mission to the Isle of Wight. The churches at the heart of the Island are poised for something new – you can feel it.

"I’m looking forward to building on the prayers, hard work and service of so many parishioners, staff, volunteers and donors, who have transformed Newport Minster into a wonderful, bright space for worship of the living God."