“I was born into a Christian family. My father was a Vicar and my parents met when they were training to be Church Army officers.

“I was baptised as a baby and have never known life without God’s love being spoken about and a part of my background.

“I was taken to church as a very young child and can remember enjoying it from a young age as well! I was in the choir and became involved in youth groups of various sorts. I was brought up as a teenager in Plymouth and so went to several church groups including Stoke Damerel Church, St Andrews Plymouth and St Mark Ford.

“At 16 I went with my sister to Taize. Taize is an ecumenical religious community in France created by Brother Roger after the Second World War. It is ecumenical and focuses on peace and bringing people from all over the world together.

“I was there for a week with about 5,000 other young people. Worship was extraordinary not least because three times a day and three times within each service we were in silence for ten minutes at a time. Imagine 5,000 young people silent for such a time so many times a day!

“We also had discussion groups and bible study groups together so we met youngsters from across Europe with strikingly different and strikingly similar views to our own.

“While I was there I found some space to be on my own and read from 1 Timothy chapter 6 verses 11 – 17 and found God speaking to me and asking me to offer my life to Him.

“I came back clear that I should offer my life as a priest and so began a process which saw me at the age of 19 accepted for training. I went to university and read Theology and went straight on to Theological College and was ordained deacon at 23.

“I have spent all my life within the church and Christian community. I have times of real doubt and uncertainty but I feel that God is through it all and I have also had many moments during my life when my faith has been refreshed, restored and renewed.

“Most recently I have found great closeness to God when I visit our link Benedictine Monastery at Landevennec in Brittany.”