After university he turned to the Ministry. Denney was licensed to preach by the Presbytery of Greenock on 16 May 1883 and was appointed Missioner to the Hill Street Mission of St. John's (Free Church), Glasgow. In 1886, he was called to be pastor of the East Free Church, Broughty Ferry, where he succeeded his friend and mentor Professor Bruce. At Broughty Ferry Denney was a popular preacher who preached the Gospel to the common people. He married May Carmichael Brown on 1 July 1886. Their marriage was a happy one. According to William Robertson Nicoll, Denney, previously tempted away from the Evangelical and Reformed faith of his parents, was influenced to return in that direction by his wife's encouraging him to read sermons by C.H. Spurgeon.