He was the first Church of England bishop in modern times to have started his ministry in the nonconformist tradition.
[1] Born in Heywood, Lancashire in 1917, he left school to begin work before entering Western College, Bristol[2] for training as a Congregational Minister.
The turning point in his career came in 1949 when he joined the Student Christian Movement, working in Bristol.
This meant he liaised with many churches and, becoming drawn to the Anglican tradition, he re-trained for the ministry at Lincoln Theological College; he was made a deacon on Trinity Sunday 1955 (5 June) at Bristol Cathedral[3] and ordained a priest on 26 February 1956 at his title church — both times by Frederick Cockin, Bishop of Bristol;[4] and took up a curacy at St Luke's Church, Brislington.
His, however, was an educational vocation and in 1957 he became head of Divinity at St Matthias Teacher Training College, Bristol, rising to Vice-Principal in 1962.