Joe Bell, Presiding Bishop of South Africa for more than a decade, has died aged 85.
He was born in Cape Town and was a keen athlete and rugby player at school before injury ended his rugby-playing days. He studied at the Bible Institute of South Africa. After graduating, he and wife Christine served at Christ Church, Sybrand Park, Cape Town and St Mark’s Church, Plumstead, in South East London, where he was first curate and then rector between 1966 and 1972.
Joe was then called to Christ Church, Pinetown, South Africa, where he was greatly used by God in building up that congregation and planting a number of daughter churches around Natal. Joe became the Bishop of Natal in 1979 and, a decade later, was consecrated as Presiding Bishop of the Church of England in South Africa (now REACH-SA), a position he held until 2000. He was instrumental in the founding of George Whitefield College in 1989.
After leaving Pinetown, Joe and Christine moved to Scarborough, where he pastored the work at St Peter’s Church, Fish Hoek for a number of years. He was preaching regularly up until the final weeks of his life.
Mark Norman wrote the eulogy for Joe. He said: ‘Joe was without question one of the most humble men I have ever met, but despite this, as such a strong leader, he always made it very clear at any particular time precisely want he wanted and when – indeed right up until the last few services he ran, literally days before he was welcomed into heaven.
Passion for the gospel
‘And as his curate on one occasion at Pinetown, after I had preached a rather inadequate gospel message, Joe offered feedback. Instead of referring me to my “structural inadequacies” or a “lack of projection”, Joe’s feedback was: “Never lose your passion for the gospel and the lost.” I have never forgotten that mandate’.
Another of his curates was Rory Bell (no relation), who now leads the TnT and Mustard Seeds ministries, which train adults to teach the Bible to children. Rory wrote: ‘Bishop Joe Bell was a formidable and tenacious Christian leader known for his strong personality and clear gospel preaching. ‘As a dying man to dying men’ was inscribed on a plaque in his pulpit at Christ Church Pinetown, where he preached for almost 30 years. Those words defined his life and ministry; he preached until he could no longer physically stand. I recall when serving as a curate that news of Joe’s retirement had barely made its way around the country before news of his further ministry began; he had started pastoring St Peter’s Fish Hoek near where he’d moved to retire – his gospel-driven energy was boundless and inspirational’.
