Thomas Murray Chapman, pastor of Surrey Chapel Free Church in Norwich, went to be with his Lord on 23 September, after a ten-year battle with brain cancer. Aged only 45, he leaves behind his devoted wife, Suzanne, their four children, and the church he loved and shepherded for 15 years.
In 1990 Tom went up to King’s College, Cambridge, to study Earth Sciences. As a student he was immediately active as a Christian, sharing the gospel and rejuvenating the Christian Union in his college. He went on to train as an assistant minister at Eden Baptist Church in Cambridge from 1995 to 2002. With his ability to engage people of all ages and backgrounds he was soon recognised as ‘one of the finest preachers of his generation’.
In 2002, Tom was appointed as pastor of Surrey Chapel in Norwich, a large Evangelical Free Church with a strong tradition of Bible-based preaching that had been without a pastor for seven years. From the start of his 15 years as pastor he proved to be a man with wisdom beyond his years, yet unpretentious, humble and compassionate. He loved his church, cared for each individual and showed understanding of their personal challenges. His knowledge and understanding of the Bible informed every aspect of his ministry.
Creative to the end
Tom was a great leader, enabling the church to clarify its vision for the Lord’s work. He encouraged us by both precept and example to be more inclusive and to have a greater commitment to serving the local community.
His preaching was expository in style, practical and relevant, exceptionally creative in its use of illustration, and always Christ-centred and scripturally based. His ‘Burning Issues’ series of talks was hugely effective in helping non-church people to hear Christian answers to some of the big contemporary questions. As his battle with cancer went on, he bravely drew on this experience to speak openly about the issues of suffering and healing. When his mental faculties were reduced by the effects of the tumour, Tom found new ways of preaching that enabled him to continue his ministry powerfully and effectively; his final sermon on ‘The Way of Suffering’ was just three months before his death.
A moving, yet joyful, Thanksgiving Service at Surrey Chapel on 7 October was attended by around 500 people.
