Perhaps prompted by Mary Priestley's ill health, or financial problems, or a desire to prove himself to the community that had rejected him in his childhood, Priestley moved with his family from Warrington to Leeds in 1767, and he became Mill Hill Chapel's minister.
Probabil din cauza bolii soției sale Mary Priestley, a problemelor financiare ori din dorința de a dovedi ceva comunității care l-a respins în copilărie, Priestley s-a mutat cu familia sa de la Warrington la Leeds în 1767, unde el a devenit preot la capela Mill Hill.