Geoffrey Watts Grogan, who died on August 31, was a teacher, scholar and highly-respected mentor to hundreds of theological students who studied with him at two British evangelical colleges.
Born in Bristol, Grogan attended Bromley County School for Boys. He served as a Sunday School teacher at a Methodist church and, under the influence of his pacifist minister, Grogan registered as a conscientious objector during World War II. While serving in the non-combatant corps, he was befriended by numerous evangelical Christians. They, along with C.S. Lewis’s Beyond Personality, encouraged his conversion to evangelical faith in 1945. He entered into membership of Kensington Baptist Church.
In 1947 Grogan enrolled in the Bible Training Institute (BTI) in Glasgow. On completion of the two-year course, he moved to London Bible College (LBC) to study for the University of London BD. In 1952 he was invited to return to BTI to serve as Warden and then Lecturer. He served twice as acting Principal. In 1957 Grogan was ordained to ministry by Kensington Baptist Church ‘with special reference to theological teaching and the pastoral care of students’.
