 After four years teaching engineering in the Royal Air Force he was ordained in 1964 and became a curate at St Martin's in the Bull Ring, Birmingham.He was then a lecturer at the same church before becoming the Vicar of Luton.He was appointed the Rural Dean of Luton in 1974 and then the Archdeacon of Bedford (1979–1985) before his appointment to the episcopate as the Bishop of Wolverhampton in 1985.