Former Satan worshipper set for priesthood in Wales

Originally published in Premier News

A former Satanist and heroin user has left behind his life of addiction to serve God.

George Bearwood is training to be a priest for the Church in Wales at St Padarn’s college, Llandaff after searching for God “in all the wrong places”.

Influenced by the music, Bearwood joined a satanist cult when he was 15 and subsequently became a heroin user.

At 30, Bearwood renounced his satanic beliefs and stopped his drug use following an accidental overdose.

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Nine years later he visited an Anglican church after hearing a voice urging him to “come to church” and told a vicar: “I think I want to be a priest,” according to ITV.

Bearwood began regularly attending services and was eventually accepted to the Church in Wales priesthood training programme in 2012.

He hopes to focus his ministry on social outreach to prisoners, addicts and the homeless.

The tattoo-clad punk musician says his appearance and colourful past helps him to be more approachable to those on the margins of society.

“The way I look is useful in many senses. I can talk to people who might be mistrustful because I am more like them – people with alcohol and drug issues and people on the edges of society. I have a lot of friends in the music business and in urban tribes because that’s my background,” he told ITV.

“It’s very important if the church is going to appeal to a secular culture. You have to represent the people you want to include.”

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Bearwood is due to be ordained next summer.