James grew up in Westward Ho!, going to school in Bideford before leaving Devon to train as a nurse in Bristol. Following his training, James forged a career in an inner-city Emergency Department, whilst developing an interest in travel and expedition medicine. This interest has given him the opportunity to travel to amazing places around the globe. James and Sarah moved to Exeter in 2006, where he moved into independent healthcare.

As an ordinand, James undertook the first half of his training at St Matt’s Exeter, an HTB plant. In addition to his ordinand roles on the leadership team, he was responsible for running Alpha and assisting with the marriage courses. The second half of his ordinand training was spent at St Andrew’s, Cullompton, a busy market-town church. During his time there, along with preaching and leading, James led on the CPAS Growing Leaders course.

James is married to Sarah, a physiotherapist who runs her own practice in Exeter. They have two teenage children; Joshua (19), who is studying mechanical engineering at Cardiff, Olivia (17) who is studying A-levels at Exeter College, and ‘Houdini’ the cat As a family, they love the outdoor life, including camping, kayaking, adventurous travel and, having grown up by the beach, surfing.

When you meet James, you will soon realise he loves life, something that is reflected in his interests. With a mechanic for a father, he has a passion for old cars and will often be found, spanner in hand, under his 50-year-old Land Rover. His bushcraft skills have been hugely helpful on his jungle expeditions, but he is equally at home with his feet up, reading a book on history or adventure.

What about his calling? Most people at middle age decide to get a motorbike or tattoo, yet James decided to train as a priest. Sarah recognised his calling many years before he did, which is another story. Suffice to say he felt God’s hand gently guiding him into the ministry during a friend’s ordination. It was at that point he knew he couldn’t put it off any longer and God started opening the doors, or more aptly, God just removed the doors from their hinges.

And why – why begin a career serving God in this way?

“The Gospel of Jesus is that without Jesus, your life will never be complete, despite however much we try to fill it with stuff, and as Christians we believe this emptiness will follow us into eternity. Jesus came to give us life, and life that we may live to the full, not just today, or tomorrow, but in the presence of God for eternity. That’s my kind of adventure and one I don’t want others to miss out on.”