[3] Taylor was ordained deacon on July 5, 1876, by Bishop Gregory T. Bedell of Ohio, and served at Grace Church in Cleveland until October 1876, when he left for Europe.

Upon his return to the United States seven months later, he took charge of the missions of Willoughby, Geneva, and Unionville, all near Cleveland.

In September 1877, he was involved in mission work at Highland and Clintondale, in Ulster County, New York.

He served as rector of Holy Trinity Church in Danville, Illinois from 1878 till 1886.

He was also a member of the general convention and in 1895, started instructing church policy and canon law at the Western Theological Seminary.