Joe Hawes earned a BA degree at St. Chad's College then went to an Abby to start his ordination until 1991 then earned a MA in 2012.
He studied English at St Chad's College, Durham, graduating with a Bachelor of Arts (BA) degree in 1987. He later continued his studies at King's College London, and completed a Master of Arts (MA) degree in 2012. From 1988 to 1991, he trained for ordination and studied theology at St Stephen's House, Oxford, an Anglo-Catholic theological college. Following graduation, he lived in a community at St Albans Abbey and explored his call to ordination. 
