Health Versus Wealth With Dr Ben

Chris Mitton is the Lead Pastor at an Anglican church in Birmingham. A father of 3, he studied Theology at university and worked at other churches before arriving in the city. His father was a vicar until Chris was aged 4 and his mother also did administrative work in the Church. But it was not until Chris turned 18 that he decided his studies and career path would also lead him to becoming a clergyman, which he has now been for 7 years. 

Having contracted Covid at Easter 2023, Long Covid followed that summer. The impact of Long Covid on his health has been “mostly cerebral”, he says, citing headaches and brain fog. He loves running, has done one marathon (Edinburgh) and some HMs, but now feels “wiped out” if he tries to run. He believes reclaiming the ability to run may be the last stage of his LC recovery, which he currently puts at 80%.

On the subject of “Wealh”, unlike many in business, he doesn’t view his wealth monetarily. At school in exams, he got ‘A’s and it later occurred to him he could’ve chosen other career paths that attracted bigger salaries. “Sometimes I think it would be really nice to take the kids to Alton Towers or eat steak more often, but the satisfaction I get from helping people convinces me I made the right choice,” he says. “To me, ‘wealth’ is about making a positive contribution, going to bed thinking that people's lives have been improved due to my contribution. It's also about relationships, like spending time with my kids. Theology touches all aspects of life. I love the potential of helping people. That was the draw, to give them a sense of purpose.”