Glowing tributes were paid to Jeremy Marshall at his thanksgiving service that was held at St Helen’s Bishopsgate just before Christmas.
Rico Tice said he had been giving eulogies for Christians for 30 years and had never called anyone great before. But Jeremy was unquestionably a great man, an exceptional model of integrity in four key areas. Firstly his courage, for he never gave up. Secondly his compassion, for he always worked to bring comfort to others; whether they be refugees from Ukraine or those, such as fellow cancer-sufferers, who benefited from the understanding and empathy he offered in his various books. Thirdly his clarity, for his incisive mind was built on a sub-surface iceberg of deep theological knowledge. And finally, his unquenchable optimism. He loved living in the United States, with its immense can-do spirit, and for Jeremy no issue or problem was ever insoluble – apart from the on-field performances of his beloved Watford FC.
Rector of St Helen’s, William Taylor, highlighted Jeremy’s infectious enthusiasm, his wonderful sense of humour and his ability to offer great personal encouragement to so many.
Passion for personal evangelism
Longstanding friend and fellow banker Akeel Sachak emphasised how much Jeremy wanted believers to be risk-takers for God. He was also intellectually brilliant; one who took no prisoners in arguments, but had the amazing gift of never offending other people in the process. His huge passion was personal evangelism, hence his commitment to ministries that presented the gospel to others, such as The Word One to One and Christianity Explored. At the end, Jeremy’s body was in tatters but his soul was shining gloriously. In his writing and in person he taught us all about hope in the face of suffering – and that our job is to scatter those seeds of hope, which is the title of his final book.
Taking as his text I Peter 1:3-9, in his address Professor John Lennox also stressed the centrality of the Christian hope which so characterised Jeremy’s life. The reason he was so prepared to speak and defend the gospel was that his hope was real, and living, so deep that it transcends death. He pointed the congregation to the verse in one of Jeremy’s favourite hymns, just before it was sung by the 200-strong congregation. It is Wesley’s ‘Hark the Herald Angels Sing’: ‘born that man no more may die/born to raise the sons of earth/born to give them second birth’.
Jeremy Marshall was CEO of the UK’s oldest private bank, C. Hoare & Co., when he was diagnosed with incurable cancer in 2015. Given a short time to live, he found many opportunities in between ongoing treatment to share his faith with many people in homes, churches, universities, schools and even football stadia.
