He began his ministry in 1896 as the inaugural Wesleyan minister of the newly-established mining settlements of Black Flag and Broad Arrow in the West Australian goldfields.

[2] After postings in the West Australian towns of Collie, Northam[3] and Bunbury, he was appointed to Mount Eden Methodist Church in Auckland, New Zealand, in 1911.

[7] Hay was selected to play for the Otago cricket team in March 1918 against Southland at the Carisbrook ground in Dunedin.

[11] While in Timaru he represented South Canterbury at cricket, taking 7 for 27 (all bowled) in a victory over Ashburton County in January 1923,[12] then a week later he played for a combined South Canterbury, Ashburton County and North Otago team against the touring Marylebone Cricket Club, taking two wickets.

[13] At the time a local newspaper described his bowling thus: "Medium-pace left-hand round-the-wicket bowler; breaks from off or leg at will.