Peter Sanlon writes: For 26 years the Revd Melvin Tinker led what grew to be one of the largest churches in north east England, in the city of Hull which has the lowest per capita church attendance of the country.
Alongside that, he published over 17 books that offered clarity in confused times. Whether engaging the culture or challenging the church, Melvin was, in the words of Professor Kevin Vanhoozer, the ‘consummate pastor-theologian’.
Coming from a Nottingham mining home, Melvin came to love books at school. More importantly, he was brought to faith in Jesus by a Methodist lay preacher whose family befriended him while at school. Melvin said: ‘They were kind, there was no pressure – just genuine faith.’ As soon as he arrived at Hull University in 1973, Melvin began speaking at the CU and was thrilled to discover somebody became a Christian at his first talk.
