I'm a 23-year-old gay man training to be a priest. Though I'm living on only $740 a month, I don't regret it one bit.

Mon, 10/16/2023 - 21:34

Peter Banks before (left) and after (right) his new job. — Peter Banks at the Congress of the European Liberal Youth in Oslo, Norway, in 2022 and at his job as a pastoral assistant in 2023.
Peter Banks

Peter Banks turned in a career in politics for life in a small church.
He says he had considered the idea ludicrous as someone who's gay and used to be an atheist.
He gets a stipend of $740 a month, and the church provides him with lodging.

This as-told-to essay is based on a conversation with Peter Banks, a 23-year-old international-studies graduate in Cambridge, England, who turned in a career in politics for life in a small church. Insider has verified Banks' employment and education details. The following has been edited for length and clarity.