A tattooed priest is bringing rock ‘n’ roll to the church.
Rev George Bearwood is set to take North Wales by storm as a pioneer priest in the Holyhead Ministry Area.
George, who started as a musician in the mid-70s, has a passion for rock music and hosts a Christian rock show on Total Rock Radio.
As a music producer and remixer, George worked with British pop acts Big Fun and Ant and Dec, German singer Nina Hagen, and techno-punk act Bent USA, before composing music for Discovery Channel and Discovery Science.
Having lived and worked globally, with stints in London, Berlin, Osaka, and Los Angeles, George retired at 40 and opened a tattoo shop in London.
Later, he became a full-time auctioneer with his own auction house in Ross on Wye and a collectables dealer with a shop in Gloucestershire.
But beneath the ink and the rockstar persona lies a profound commitment to his faith and a desire to connect with people.
George said: "I think it is very difficult to pinpoint what inspires anyone to pursue a calling to ministry.
"But I suppose for me it was that despite my successes in my previous careers, I always felt something was missing, a potential that I wasn’t fulfilling, and that drew me initially into the church, which of course led me to where I am now."
Ordained in 2020, he sees his new role as a pioneer priest as an opportunity to reach out to those who might not usually find themselves in church, using his life experiences to bridge the gap between contemporary culture and Christian faith.
He said: "My background and my faith journey are quite unusual.
"I’m often told that I’m not your usual vicar.
"Bringing other people to know how God can truly change their lives allows me to meet them where they are, at whatever stage in their faith journey that might be."
George is on a mission to connect with the community, using his life experiences to bring faith to those who might not find it through traditional paths.
He said: "There are people today who have very little knowledge of the Christian faith.
"Some have never entered a church but I do know that people often think about faith whether they know it or not; through movies, literature and music.
"They already connect with God, they just don’t know it yet."
Whether it’s through his Spooky HaT Club—a horror and theology film group—or simply by being a non-judgmental, open-hearted presence in the community, George is determined to bring the message of Christ’s love to everyone, no matter where they are on their spiritual journey.
He said: "Horror movies by their very nature are all about theology.
"At their most basic level, it’s about good overcoming evil but quite often the faith messages in these films are deeper and more elaborate than that."
Members of the Spooky HaT horror and theology group have started attending church.
George’s wife, Canon Alex Mayes, also serves as a priest and was recently appointed as director of ministry for the Diocese of Bangor.
As he prepares for his new role in Holyhead, he brings with him a breath of fresh air, a touch of the unconventional, and a message of faith that’s as vibrant and dynamic as the man himself.
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