Weatherhead was born in London in 1893. He trained for the Methodist ministry at Richmond Theological College, in south-west London. The First World War cut short his training, and he became Methodist minister at Farnham, Surrey, in September 1915. After serving in India, Manchester, and Leeds, Weatherhead became the minister of the City Temple, a Congregational Church on Holborn Viaduct in London. He served there from 1936 until his retirement in 1960. From 1930 till 1939, Weatherhead was a member of Frank Buchman's Oxford Group and wrote several books reflecting the group's values, including "Discipleship" and "The Will of God". He often symbolised the "head" of the Oxford Group London.