In 1971 he was appointed the first priest warden of Marrick Priory Residential Youth Centre[3] in Swaledale North Yorkshire, using both the opportunities for outdoor pursuits and a mediaeval chapel, the Centre still offers facilities and programmes for individuals, church groups, schools and colleges.
In 1976 he was appointed Vicar of Wetherby,[4] a growing market and commuter town set between Leeds, York, and Harrogate.
In 1982, John Trillo, Bishop of Chelmsford, appointed him Archdeacon of Southend and his Adviser for Industry and Commerce.
From then until 2001 he chaired the Finance Committee of the Advisory Board of Ministry with responsibility for raising a budget and the funding of ordination colleges, courses and students.
From 1997 until his retirement in 2005 he served as Clerk of the Closet to the Royal Household, an ancient title applied to the senior domestic chaplain to the British monarch.