Dr Michael Griffiths, renowned author, speaker and former General Director of OMF International, died at the age of 93 on 9 January.
Michael was born in Cardiff in 1928, and came to faith in Christ in 1942 at a Christ’s Hospital School Christian Union meeting, under the preaching of an exiled German pastor. Studying Natural Sciences at Peterhouse College, Cambridge, he served on the Executive Committee of the Cambridge Inter-Collegiate Christian Union in several positions, including as President. He graduated in 1952, but stayed on at Ridley Hall to train for Anglican ministry. At this time Michael met his wife Valerie, at a conference on English Puritans at Martyn Lloyd Jones’ Westminster Chapel.
Michael was not ordained in the Church of England owing to an issue of conscience over infant baptism. Instead he served Christian Unions as a Travelling Secretary with InterVarsity Fellowship for two years, before he and Valerie went to Japan with OMF in 1957. Serving alongside the Christian student movement there, Michael was responsible for 110 campuses in Tokyo.
