Ordained to the
priesthood in 1940, his first posts were
curacies in
Bishop Auckland and
Ferryhill. He was then a
Chaplain in the
Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve from 1943 to 1945. Following this, he became
Warden of
King's College London's post-graduate
college at Warminster, and then from 1956 was Dean of King's until 1977, when he was elevated to the
Deanery of Salisbury. Hall Evans's career at King's made him one of the most influential churchmen of his generation, as he trained over one thousand Anglican priests. He was primarily a pastor and a nurturer of the potential he saw in people. He personally interviewed candidates for the Theology course at King's and made offers of places in advance of 'A'-level results. A low requirement, of perhaps only two 'A'-levels, would ensure that many men got their only chance of a university education. The first year at King's was designed to sort 'the sheep from the goats', so that some would continue to the degree and ordination qualification combined (BD/AKC), with others pursuing the AKC alone for ordination. He retired as Dean of Salisbury in 1986 and at the time of his death on 6 January 1988 was living in
Winchester. He left an estate valued at £116,000. ==References==