In depth | Evangelicals Now

Missionary who survived massacre dies age 99

Brian Davis

A missionary who survived a massacre at a mission station where she was working, many years ago, has died.

Margaret Hayes MBE had to take to the jungle with others where she survived for many weeks before being rescued, having been presumed dead – with a funeral and thanksgiving service being held for her.

Christian Institute founder John Burns dies

Nicola Laver, Christian Institute

Christian Institute (CI) founder John Burn has died aged 86 following a long illness. His death on 25 October comes eight months after the sudden death of CI director Colin Hart in March.

Originally a science teacher, John’s work in improving standards in schools brought him an OBE for services to education. While a lay reader in the Diocese of Newcastle at Jesmond Parish Church, John was invited to be a member of the Archbishop of Canterbury’s Commission on Urban Priority Areas.

Timothy Dudley-Smith: A life in three scenes

Julia Cameron

RT REVD TIMOTHY DUDLEY-SMITH OBE: 1926-2024

Timothy Dudley-Smith will be remembered best for his rich contribution to hymnody. He is widely-regarded as the greatest modern hymnwriter of the 20th and early 21st centuries. At his 90th birthday celebration, Pam Rhodes, presenter of BBC Songs of Praise, described his popularity as springing out of ‘his understanding of the human condition’.

Remembering Malcolm Laver

Luke Randall

Malcolm Laver, General Secretary of the Fellowship of Independent Evangelical Churches (FIEC) between 1988 and 1998, has died aged 87. He was a husband, father and grandfather.

Born in 1936, he served as FIEC’s Assistant General Secretary in 1979, before serving as General Secretary from 1988 until his retirement ten years later. During retirement, he helped form the FIEC Pastor’s Association, which he served as Secretary until 2002.

Colin Hart dies suddenly

The Christian Institute

Colin Hart, founder and director of the Christian Institute, has died suddenly of a suspected heart attack, aged 60.

In a letter to its supporters, acting director Ciarán Kelly wrote: ‘It is with a heavy heart that I am writing to let you know that our director and brother in Christ, Colin Hart, has been called home by the Lord to be with Him in glory.

‘Patient, gracious’ Roger Forster dies

Luke Randall

Roger Forster, the founder of Ichthus Christian Fellowship, has died aged 90.

A husband to Faith and father to three children, he was a well-respected theologian, best known for founding the neo-charismatic Ichthus Christian Fellowship in 1974.

Larry Crabb 1944 – 2021

Richard Goodwin

Larry Crabb has been a major influence in the Biblical/Christian Counselling movement. Yet often misunderstood.

Many Christians have seen his use of non-Scriptural terminology and quoting secular authors as being suspect. However, Crabb was not an integrationist. Scripture always trumped secular insights.

Matthew Hill

Malcolm Lane

1939 – 2021

Matthew Hill became widely known as Home Secretary of the Spanish Gospel Mission and did much to raise the profile of the Mission amongst churches.

Born in the New Forest, he was converted in his teenage years and his life was Christ-centred from that point onwards. It was not long after leaving school that he was accepted to study at Birmingham Bible Institute and on leaving there, he (and Jean, who he had known from their teenage years and who he had recently married) left for the unknown territory of Stockton-on-Tees to take over the running of the Quayside Mission. This was a place of refuge for the homeless and a gospel ministry was also carried on there.

Mary Gladstone 1926 – 2020

Julia Cameron

While Mary Gladstone’s name may not be widely known, the fruit of her labours is clearly evident.

As a new Christian at Cambridge, she and her friends befriended an unconverted fresher, Helen Roseveare, later to become one of the foremost missionaries of the 20th century.

Co-founder of MAF dies

Mission Aviation Fellowship (MAF)

Mission Aviation Fellowsip (MAF) co-founder, former RAF Flight Lieutenant, and Normandy Landings veteran Stuart Sendall-King, has died aged 98. He was one of the early pioneers to take light aircraft to the remotest parts of Africa in the aftermath of World War II.

Serving as an aircraft engineer during the Second World War and ending his RAF career as Chief Technical Officer at RAF Duxford, Stuart nurtured a growing desire to use aircraft for good – helping to establish MAF in 1945.

Robin Dowling 1946 – 2020

Geoff Gobbett

Robin Dowling, a well-known former Grace Baptist pastor, missionary and theologian, departed to be with Christ on 31 July 2020.

He will be sorely missed as a much-loved husband, father and grandfather. He served his generation in the ministry of the gospel from the 1970s till fairly recently. Coming from Bristol, he was well known amongst churches there when he took on the pastorate at Salem Baptist Church in Kew, Richmond, Surrey in the late 1970s. He immersed himself in encouraging Grace Baptist Churches, serving the Association of Grace Baptist Churches (South East).

David Preston 1939 – 2020

Christopher Idle

If it is scandalous that so many Reformed churches have abandoned psalm-singing, David Preston has left them without excuse. His meticulously-crafted metrical versions provide an accurate and truly poetic text of all 150 psalms.

Many are in print, while others await a discerning publisher. Has his Psalm 84, ‘O LORD of hosts, how lovely is your dwelling place’ (to the Londonderry Air) any serious rivals?

Peter Maiden 1948 – 2020

OM

On 14 July 2020, our dear brother in Christ Peter Maiden met his Saviour face to face. With his passion for exegetical preaching and his shepherd’s heart, Peter leaves a legacy of sharing God’s truth with love and compassion that will live on within world missions.

As the International Director of OM from 2003 to 2013, Peter emphasised the spirituality of OM team members and the importance of God’s word permeating the entire life of Jesus followers. While leading a life of total surrender to Jesus, in both his public and personal life, he demonstrated a quiet steadiness coupled with a visionary passion for seeing the lives of people around the world changed by Christ. Under his leadership and guidance, new ministries developed as part of OM’s growing holistic approach to mission.

David Ide 1935 – 2020

Jeremy Marshall

David Ide went to be with the Lord on Friday 12 June. David was born into a difficult family situation with an absent father. His family were also Exclusive Brethren and, as a young man, he and a number of others left. These trials all inflicted painful wounds. Yet David’s faith was resilient, and these early experiences created a deep humanity.

David married Marion and they had two children, Julian and Joanne. He then made a successful career in building. Indeed, for a while, David’s office was a Rolls Royce. Yet over time he became more interested in Christian work. He was very involved in setting up Friends International, and he and Marion entertained up to 100 students at a time at their home.

In Depth: obituary