David Warnes read History at Jesus College, Cambridge and enjoyed a long career in teaching in secondary schools, during which he specialized in Russian history, leading numerous study visits to the USSR and the Russian Federation. He was ordained as an Anglican priest in 2005 and served as Chaplain to Ipswich School. On retirement from teaching in 2010, he moved to Edinburgh, where he served as non-stipendiary Team Priest at St Martin of Tours Episcopal Church in Gorgie-Dalry until his retirement in 2019.