He's been a Policeman, a journalist and a high-profile prosecutor, and now Graveney Bannister is trading in his barrister's wig for an ecclesiastical dog-collar.

A devout member of the Anglican Church, he is turning his back on his legal career to train as a priest, in fulfilment of a life-long ambition.

His spiritual calling means he will return to his native Barbados on August 27 with his wife and children to complete a two-year theological course at Codrington College, one of the oldest seminaries in the western hemisphere. He will then take up a post back in Bermuda.

"It was something I always wanted to do from childhood. I used to sing in the choir at my church in Barbados. This was a gradual progression.

"Everything I have done in the last few years I have seen as a progression towards theology. There was no cataclysmic moment, I always had this feeling, " he explained.

"I remember one time I said to my aunt when I was a youngster in Barbados 'I think I'm going to be a priest' and she laughed. It's amazing how life goes full circle and dreams become reality. I'm excited, and looking forward to getting myself immersed in study."

Mr. Bannister, who is in his 40s, left Barbados for Bermuda after high school and joined the Police, where he served as a constable for five years.

He obtained a Bachelor of Arts degree in Mass Communications and International Relations from Morehouse College, Atlanta, in 1988 before returning to Bermuda to work as a journalist for VSB, the Bermuda Sun, and The Royal Gazette.

In the mid 1990s, he left the media to attend law school at Buckingham University in England and Norman Manley Law School in Jamaica.

Having become a member of the Bar in both Bermuda and Barbados he returned to Bermuda to take up a post as Crown Counsel in the Department of Public Prosecutions in 2000, in which role he successfully brought drug-pushers, fraudsters and rapists to justice. Quizzed about his unusual move to a career in the church after being a member of three of the most-maligned professions in the world, Mr. Bannister maintained that it isn't as odd as it might seem.

"I think careers in the Police, journalism, the law and the church complement each other. If you're a lawyer you've got to be able to speak, if you're a prosecutor you've got to be able to communicate and as a journalist and a priest too.

"I think it's natural progression. All my previous careers have been about dealing with people, relating to people and giving advice," he said. "I had a professor at Norman Manley Law School who said a good lawyer should carry the statutes in his briefcase and a Bible.

"A lot of students saw that as a startling revelation when studying law, but the more I got into it the more I found it to be inextricably linked to things that are more spiritual and moral such as the Commandments. They relate, even though people might not see it that way."

It's clear from the tone in which Mr. Bannister speaks about his time within the controversy-plagued DPP's office that it wasn't a bed of roses.

The last Director, Vinette Graham-Allen, was the focus of discontent with a hard-hitting Government report in 2005 recommending buying the "autocratic" director out of her contract.

The report saw her employees criticise her for an "autocratic" management style and complain of alleged favouritism in a department riven with division, unrest, hasty staff exits and regular leaks to the media.

Her role will be filled by a new appointment from Britain, Rory Field, at the end of the month. Asked about his experience, the diplomatic Mr. Bannister chose his words carefully.

"When I tendered my resignation to Mrs. Graham-Allen the day before she was due to leave in July, to be effective on August 2, it was only when I looked at the calendar I realised August 2 was Emancipation Day. I said it was a historic one for me in more than one sense!" he quipped.

While reluctant to go into details about strife within the Department, he revealed: "The DPP's office has prepared me for any future eventuality. That's all I will say.

"It was truly a character-building experience for me in more ways than one to be frank about that. I don't regret the experience in a sense. I believe life has its challenges and certain experiences in life teach you to cope."

Outside of work, Mr. Bannister has been a member of Christ Church in Devonshire since the late 1990s. In preparation for his college course he completed three-month placements at St. Mary's Church in Warwick and the Anglican Cathedral in Hamilton, during which he preached, did readings and assisted with Communion.

He anticipates taking up a position within Bermuda's Anglican diocese after his course.

"I hope to put my training to the assistance of the church, which has been most kind, and to the broader community. That's my focus. I like to see people excelling in their endeavours," he said.

He also revealed that he may not turn his back on his legal career entirely.

"Law is always in my veins. I might be involved in some aspect even though trained as a priest. I will be a priest full-time but I don't see why one can't do both," he revealed, while observing that he will not return to law on a daily basis.

His return to Barbados means his Bermudian wife of 19 years, Deeanda, and daughters Chelsi, 11, and Britney, eight, previously students at Bermuda High School for Girls — must also leave their Somerset home for a fresh start.

"Having the support of my family made the decision much easier, " he said.

Reflecting on her husband's new path in life, Mrs. Bannister, a supervisor at The Centre community resource in Angle Street said: "I'm just happy for Graveney. I'm really proud of him and the things he does, that's why I'm so supportive. I really think he has a lot to offer and I just feel if we are obedient to God he will lead us to wherever he sees fit."

Andrew Doughty, Archdeacon of Bermuda, said: "It's a very courageous and brave thing to do. There is the family support, and I think Graveney is a man of many talents.

"He's a good cook and a wonderful storyteller and a good faithful Anglican who preaches well and with humour, and I think he will provide a breath of fresh air."