 After being the curate of St Peter's, Walworth (1980–83) he was then the vicar of St Faith's, North Dulwich (1983–88).Urwin was a diocesan missioner in the Chichester diocese from 1988 to 1993 before being asked by the then Bishop of Chichester, Eric Kemp, to be the Bishop of Horsham in West Sussex in 1993 at the age of 37.He was consecrated a bishop on 30 November 1993, by George Carey, Archbishop of Canterbury, at Westminster Abbey.