Billing began his career with a
curacy at St Peter's,
Colchester between 1857 and 1860, and then in
Compton Bishop,
Somerset from 1861 This was followed by a period as
Secretary of the
Church Missionary Society. In 1863 he became
Vicar at Holy Trinity in
Louth the living consisting of a vicarage endowed by the Ecclesiastical Commissioners with £300 a year (in 1872), in the gift of the Bishop of Lincoln. He continued to act as an honorary assistant secretary for the Church Missionary Society, editing their publication
Missionary Leaves. He also held the role of Chaplain of the Manor of
Worlaby near
Brigg, Lincolnshire, in 1870, before moving to London in 1873. After ten years, he became Vicar of Holy Trinity in
Islington, London. He was then promoted to
Rural Dean of
Spitalfields in 1878His work in the London slum areas of east and north London was testing but the church though highly of his work and he was appointed as
Bishop suffragan of Bedford in 1888. (He was Bishop during the era of the
Jack the Ripper attacks). As bishop, he was given responsibility for the
rural deaneries of Islington, Shoreditch, and
St Sepulchre (outside the City) on top of his predecessor's oversight of the
East End. "His work as
Rector and
Rural Dean of
Spitalfields was so conspicuous that on the translation of the Bishop
Walsham How to Wakefield he was appointed
Bishop of Bedford…. The work which this entailed told severely upon his health, so severely in fact that he completely broke down. He took a long period of rest but was compelled in 1895 to resign his bishopric while retaining his old position of Rector of St. Andrew Undershaft in the city in the east end of London few men were better known or more highly popular." He supported the volunteer movement, and was chaplain of the 2nd Tower Hamlets Volunteers during his time in London. == Personal life ==