I first thought about pursuing Christian ministry whilst doing my second degree in London. It was a law degree and I was invited to attend a meeting for those who might like to think about such things in the future. I was about 24.

It was at that meeting that I asked an Anglican clergyman if he enjoyed his job, to which he replied, "Is there anything more important that you could do with your life than help to prepare people for an eternity with God?" To which my answer was, "Gulp, I guess not ... by the way how are your children?"

That got me thinking. After completing my law degree and bar and pupillage, I took a year out before returning home to Bermuda to do a practical preaching and theology course to see if I had the skill or desire for this kind of thing. It was a great year, but at that time I felt I could be both a lawyer and involved in telling people about Jesus both within and out of the 'church' context.

When I came home to work it wasn't long before I realised that I couldn't do both well. When my wife finally came around to the idea, we approached the then Bishop, Bill Down, about being ordained. That was in 1993 when I was 30.

Having become a Christian in 1986, I became convinced that whatever I did in life, it was ultimately God's plan for me that counted more than my plans. He had saved me and called me to know him for myself and to make him known. As a lawyer, I was frustrated by the inability to share my faith with colleagues, other staff or clients ? both because of time commitments and because it was not what I was hired to do. Yet, at the same time, when I met clients and they discussed their fears about the future or their families, I always felt that there was more that I wanted to tell them of an eternal nature, of hope and of faith in a God who loved them and their families and was longing to have a relationship with them.

While working, I was involved in our church, Christ Church, Devonshire. Canon Thomas Nisbet was a great encouragement to me and allowed me to be involved in the life of the church. Although law was in my blood as a fourth generation barrister, it was the work of the gospel of Jesus that kept me awake at night and got me dreaming ? not the thought of a partnership in a law firm.

When we returned to Bermuda initially, I had promised to give the law a real go. But in the end, the moment came, after much prayer, when my wife said, "We've got to try this", and I began to explore the possibility of theological training with a view to being a full-time minister in the church.

I went through a selection procedure, was accepted by the Diocese of Bermuda as an Ordinand, and then went to Wycliffe Hall at Oxford University. As I was over 30, the training offered was for a two year period. We left Bermuda in 1996 with two small children with the view of returning as an Anglican minister. As it was, once the academic training was completed, I had to undertake practical training in a parish church, which was not possible in Bermuda, so we remained in England to do a Curacy in an evangelical Anglican parish church called All Saints in Lindfield.

After the four year was up, there were no jobs back in Bermuda. So I remained in the parish for a further three years. We came back in August, 2005 to be licensed as Priest-in-Charge in Pembroke Parish, coming home with five children.

You will have to ask my family how they felt about all of this. All I can say is that from my perspective they have always been very supportive.

Even if they didn't fully share my enthusiasm and were no doubt anxious about the material consequences of such a decision, they never tried to dissuade me. There was no doubt that there was some disappointment that I did not continue with the family legal tradition. Also, disappearing from Bermuda with grandchildren must have been hard for them, but I think that it helps that they can see that we are happy and are doing something that we passionately believe in. I owe them a huge amount of gratitude for their example of honesty, hard work and caring for others, as well as their great love and support of their children.

Initially, the challenge for us was finding the funding for two years of training. Whilst the Anglican Church of Bermuda supported me emotionally and prayerfully, they didn't have anything in the Ordination Fund. But after many letters and enquiries we did receive support from a Bermuda-based Christian charity.

I do sometimes look at my contemporaries and see their boats and skiing holidays ? the opportunities that wealth affords ? but then again there is also the pressure and stress, the over-indulgence and sometimes shallowness of life. Jesus once said, "What good is it to gain the whole world and yet forfeit your soul?" Good question. But we do need Christian lawyers, politicians, members of the judiciary ? more so now that before. I just couldn't be one of them.

You say the future is uncertain? I would not use that term. I believe in a living God who is Sovereign over everything. The future may be unknown to me but is never uncertain. God promises to watch over us ? when he calls he also equips. But as they say, if you know the one who holds the future ? no worries! We just need to be available, willing to serve and to go where God wants and the rest is His-story.

In talking about blessings there are many levels. Apart from the spiritual blessings that come just from knowing Jesus, the greatest blessings of ministry is to see people's lives transformed by the grace of God ? to see people becoming followers of Jesus and grow in that relationship with him.

To help people die well, to see people find hope and strength and direction in their daily lives and to find the purpose for their existence these are wonderful blessings. To see myself under go that gradual change with the thought that one day I will see my Lord face to face is a great blessing. To work from home and to be a part of my family's day to day life.

As a family we share all of this together. They are my best fans and most honest critics. I love being a minister and I love being a Dad and a husband. I have been blessed with wonderful relationships in my family and in the church. None of this could have happened with out the love and support of Fiona, my wife who shares in everything with me.

There are many scripture passages that motivate me. But I guess I share in the apostle Paul's desire:

'Whatever was to my profit I now consider loss for the sake of Christ. What is more, I consider everything a loss compared to the surpassing greatness of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord for whose sake I have lost all things. I consider them rubbish that I may gain Christ and be found in him, not having a righteousness of my own that comes from the law, but that which is through faith in Christ - the righteousness that comes from God and is by faith. I want to know Christ and the power of his resurrection and the fellowship of sharing in his sufferings, becoming like him in his death , and so, somehow, to attain to the resurrection from the dead. Not that I have already attained all this or have already been made perfect, but I press on to take hold of that for which Christ Jesus took hold of me. I do not consider myself yet to have taken hold of it. But one thing I do: forgetting what is behind and straining towards what is ahead, I press on towards the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ" (Philippians 3:7-14)