John Martin with a personal reflection on the life of theologian Richard Turnbull who died recently. A separate obituary was carried by en on 27 November, here.
I first encountered Richard in Southampton, when he joined the clergy team at my home church just as I was moving away to university. When I came home between terms, he had already earned the title of being a “hot Prot”. Whether this label was meant as a compliment or a criticism I am not sure, but he seemed to embrace it with pride.
This somewhat maverick approach to leadership was something I only properly experienced and appreciated many years later when I began as an ordinand at Wycliffe Hall. Hearing Richard’s unabashed vision for ministerial preparation, including a commitment to recruit tutors who had been in parish ministry themselves, I eagerly signed up to be among the first cohort as he began as Principal. Those were wonderful years where my wife Cassie and I made great friends and great memories. Richard became one of those friends – he did not care that we were students and he was the Principal, he was no fan of hierarchy. He became affectionately known to the students as “Turbo”, a nickname which captured a sense of personality – energetic, passionate, with some unashamed bluster, and loud guffawing at his own jokes (usually some anecdote or other about a bishop).
