Downing Street announced this morning that one of the three archdeacons in Portsmouth’s Church of England diocese will become a bishop.

The Ven Peter Hancock, who has been the Archdeacon of the Meon for 11 years, will become the new Bishop of Basingstoke in the neighbouring Diocese of Winchester – one of two assistant (or suffragan) bishops to the Bishop of Winchester. He will be consecrated as a bishop at St Paul’s Cathedral in September.

His appointment was announced at a press conference in Basingstoke today, after which he toured all seven of the deaneries that he will be responsible for. He met clergy and worshippers, dropped into a shopping centre, visited Sparsholt Agricultural College, and travelled on the Alresford steam railway.

Peter grew up on the Isle of Wight and in Fareham, was ordained as a priest 30 years ago in Portsmouth Cathedral and has spent virtually all of his time as a priest in Portsmouth Diocese. As Archdeacon of the Meon, he was responsible to the bishop for churches and clergy in the Gosport, Fareham, Petersfield and Bishop’s Waltham areas.

“Having grown up and worked in the Portsmouth Diocese for so long, it’s a real wrench to leave,” he said. “There are very few churches that I haven’t visited, presided or preached in."

“When I was ordained 30 years ago, I never imagined that I would end up as a bishop, so it is a real privilege to have this opportunity.”

The Ven Peter Hancock, now 54, grew up on the Isle of Wight, living in Ryde and Lake and going to a church school until he was 11. His family moved to Fareham and he made a Christian commitment at Holy Rood Church, Stubbington, as a teenager.

He attended Cambridge University and Oak Hill Theological College before he was ordained in our cathedral aged 25.

After serving as a curate at Christ Church, Portsdown, and then at Radipole and Melcombe team ministry in Salisbury diocese, he became vicar of St Wilfrid’s, Cowplain, from 1987 until 1999. There he oversaw a £700,000 project to expand the church and provide a church hall, developed a church plant and saw congregation numbers expand significantly.

He became the first Archdeacon of the Meon in 1999 and has also spent time as acting Archdeacon of the Isle of Wight and Warden of Readers. He oversaw the work of mission in our diocese for three years and now chairs the Mission and Discipleship Forum. He is chairman of trustees for the Church Pastoral Aid Society. He is married to Jane and they have four children.

“I couldn’t have done any of this without Jane,” he said. “It has been a real partnership as we have sought to serve the Lord wherever we’ve been. Part of us will always be in Cowplain, where our children grew up and where we enjoyed the vibrancy and vitality of the church. But everywhere I’ve served, we’ve been very happy.”

There will be a farewell Evensong for Peter at Portsmouth Anglican Cathedral at 6pm on September 5. His consecration will be on September 21 and there will be a formal service of welcome in Winchester Cathedral on October 2.

His new role will involve him sharing episcopal oversight of the north of Winchester diocese with the Bishop of Winchester. It’s a mostly rural area served by 93 clergy and 195 churches, and includes Basingstoke, Andover and Winchester itself.