Newton was ordained as a Clerk in Holy Orders of the Church of England. He was appointed curate of the parish of Olney in Buckinghamshire.
Newton became a beloved pastor of the people of Olney. He was not polished in his preaching and not always as well prepared as perhaps he should have been, but he visited them in their times of illness and distress and in many other ways showed his love and concern for them.
It was also at Olney that Newton met William Cowper. They first became neighbors and then friends. Both shared
