However, health problems caused him to return to Wales, where he became successively curate at St. Fagans and Porthkerry in Glamorgan, establishing Methodist societies in both places, and preaching to Methodists throughout South Wales.
The district was formed by the Local Government Act 1972, from the county borough of Cardiff, the parishes of Lisvane, Llanedeyrn, Radyr, St. Fagans and Tongwynlais from the Cardiff rural district in the administrative county of Glamorgan and the parish of St Mellons from the Magor and St Mellons Rural District in the administrative county of Monmouthshire.
In 1940, he became vicar of St Saviour's, Roath, Cardiff (combining this with the post of chaplain to HM Prison Cardiff from 1940 to 1945) and in 1953 became rector of St. Fagans.