Sundays are traditionally a time for quiet relaxation and contemplation. On this Sunday in question I had the pleasure of talking over coffee to the Reverend Martin Jacques, chaplain at the Church of the Resurrection in Bucharest and Sofia.

Martin didn't follow the traditional path to becoming an Anglican priest. In fact, he only became a Christian 12 years ago, at the age of 33. The journey from non-religious man in the street to Anglican priest was both interesting and remarkable. As I discovered, this has led to him having two very distinct sides to his personality that surprisingly coalesce and complement each other. Martin is both a charismatic man of God and voice of the teachings of the Anglican Church, while at the same time remaining a fiercely independent thinker and an individual. Martin explains this apparent contradiction as fitting within the framework of the Anglican Church as a denomination that "does not believe it is the centre of all right and truth" but one in which debate and discussion are admired and differences celebrated.

Martin was born to a working class family in a small village in Kent called West Malling. He describes it as "an ordinary, conventional upbringing which also meant that there was no room for religion". Family life may have had little time for religion, but Martin credits his parents for giving him strong values, a foundation that his Christian faith has built on. "It is where I learnt about grace. My parents may not have always liked what I did but they loved me unconditionally."

As Martin grew older, he became a self-confessed underachiever at school and punk music became an important part of his life, which it remains to this day. Martin identified with the message and attitude of bands such as The Sex Pistols and The Clash and he was left wing and anti-establishment in his outlook. Martin describes the first time he heard the Sex Pistols as "a road to Damascus experience".

As music continued to play an important role in Martin's life, religion never did. Martin bounced around a number of different jobs and it was an event during one of these periods of employment that unexpectedly led Martin to Christianity. By this time Martin had already been married to his wife, Alexandra, for more than 10 years and had a daughter. However, a chance encounter while working at a warehouse "flipped a switch" and started Martin on the path to Christianity. Martin believed that his late embrace of Christianity was an advantage as he brought no baggage or preconceptions, his anti-establishment outlook meant that everything was questioned, and that his decision was a definite personal choice.

Once a Christian, Martin was heavily influenced by those around him into becoming a priest and, true to character, he didn't follow the traditional route. Rather than a vocational calling from within, Martin became a priest on the wishes and advice of his fellow churchgoers. He recalls: "The community recognised something in me."

Taking the path less travelled has been a feature of Martin's life and he regrets little. However, Martin's iconoclastic past, punk roots and independent views have occasionally provoked negative reactions in certain quarters. As Martin explains: "There have been points of friction, but a smile and a sense of humour help iron out any differences in opinion. I try to be clear in my opinions and certainly there are people that do not agree. However, rather than cause a split, these differences are to be embraced."

Having lived such a varied life, it comes as little surprise that Martin is working far away from home in Bucharest and Sofia. The region was brought to the forefront of his mind after he spent time at an AIDS hospital in Romania. When given the opportunity to return he jumped at the chance and has been here nearly two years. Life in Romania has been different to that in the United Kingdom and has presented a number of personal and professional challenges. Being split between two congregations in two different countries creates problems in devoting full attention to certain issues. Martin concedes, "It is difficult to give everything I want to give to Bulgaria."

The two locations in Martin's remit are diverse in character. The Anglican Church in Romania is far more established and has a historical link with the city of Bucharest. The Anglican Church there was built in 1920 and was attended by the British-born Queen Marie of Romania. As such it is embedded within the community and has a large multi-national congregation. The Anglican Church in Sofia faces greater challenges. Martin explained that it had been "a difficult year for the Anglican Church in Sofia and that a period of regrouping and rebuilding is needed". The Anglican Church has far less historical significance within Sofia compared to Bucharest. Martin highlighted that "the Anglican Church, the Orthodox Church and other religions are finding it hard to find a role in the new, more secular Bulgarian society", which is far less of an issue in Romania where he observes religion to be more deeply ingrained. As such, the Anglican congregation is far larger in Bucharest than in Sofia.

There are, however, issues the Anglican Church shares in both countries. The common ground is centred on the desire to work within the local communities and build the financial stability to enable this. As Martin explained: "Much of the energy of the church in Bucharest and Sofia goes on sustaining itself. Currently we do what we can and in the future, as we develop, we hope to direct more of our energy outwards." There are already charitable relationships with elderly and children's homes, as well as specific villages, but much of this is in Romania and there is great scope to expand the Bulgarian side of the charity work.

While he may not say so himself, the way Martin Jacques lives his life is an embodiment of the Anglican Church. He draws insight and wisdom from a wide, and sometimes unconventional, variety of sources. The possibility of conflicting messages isn't deemed a problem as the different outlooks can only bring greater discussion and a healthier understanding of others. Martin deeply believes the origins and purpose of the Anglican Church is to bring people together. It is with this in mind that Martin looks inwards for a solution to the issues faced by the church and the conflicts between its members. "The Anglican Church must find a way to apply its own principles. Jesus focused on peace and reconciliation and the church must focus on this if it wants to apply its own values."

Martin brings his message of independent thought combined with the Anglican teachings of patience, dialogue and understanding to Sofia. He hopes to grow the congregation in Bulgaria and the Anglican Church's role in the community.

Martin is based in Bucharest, Romania, and travels to Sofia to conduct an Anglican service celebrating the Eucharist (in English) every third Sunday of the month at 9.30am at the Catholic Chapel on Oborishte Street.

For further information, please contact: Lionel Sainsbury: + 359 (0)88 95 63 121, lionel@sainsbury.freeserve.co.uk or Martin Jacques: martin@churchoftheresurrection.eu; www.churchoftheresurrection.eu