[5] Rayfield was educated at the University of Southampton, where he gained a Bachelor of Science (BSc) honours degree in Biology in 1978.
His final medical post was as a lecturer in immunology at UMDS (Borough & Waterloo, Greater London).
[8][9] His ministerial career began with a curacy at Woodford, London (1993–1997) after which he held his only incumbency, as Priest in Charge (1997–2004, and later Vicar, 2004–2005) of St Peter's Furze Platt (Maidenhead, Berkshire).
He has also been a member of the Society of Ordained Scientists (SOSc) since 1995, and served on the Gene Therapy Advisory Committee (2000–2009) and on the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority since 2012.
[3] Rayfield was Acting Bishop of Bristol after the retirement of Mike Hill in September 2017, until the election of Vivienne Faull in July 2018.