In Depth:  obituary

Emily Pollok

Arthur Blessitt, the American evangelist who set a Guinness World Record for longest ongoing pilgrimage, has died aged 84.

Blessitt, who made his final journey on January 14, took Jesus’ command to ‘take up his cross and follow me’ seriously – taking his 45lb wooden cross all over the world with the message of the gospel.

Jack Hemmings, who has died at the age of 103, was co-founder of Mission Aviation Fellowship (MAF), the largest humanitarian airline in the world.

In 1945 Jack, an RAF Squadron Leader tasked with protecting the Bay of Bengal from Japanese invasion, read an article advocating the need to use planes to ‘carry messengers of peace and to unload cargoes of blessing’. As RAF Flight Lieutenant Murray Kendon wrote: ‘Instead of spreading destruction and death why should [aircraft] not now spread life and healing by that message wherein lie the seeds of peace and power?’

Kenneth Kitchen, Personal and Brunner Professor Emeritus of Egyptology at the University of Liverpool, died on 6 February aged 92. His formal title does little to sum up this remarkable man.

As well as being one of the world’s leading authorities on the Ramesside kings and Egyptian chronology, Ken, as he liked to be known, was one of very few people in the world who could read Ancient South Arabian and a whole host of other languages once spoken in the Ancient Middle East – Akkadian, Aramaic, Coptic, Elamite, Hebrew, Hittite, Hurrian, Luwian, Phoenician, Sumerian, and Ugaritic.

Robin Griffiths, who served as a missionary in Thailand for nearly three decades, was called to glory on 28 December 2024 after a short illness.

Robin served Jesus in remote jungle regions in west Thailand, churches in his native Isle of Wight, in Send (Surrey), on the beaches and high streets of the UK with United Beach Mission and Christian Answer, and most recently, in Truro, Cornwall. He loved to help people practically, sharing his love of God’s word, and his testimony of the goodness of God.

Milla Ling-Davies

Gillian Joynson-Hicks, Vicountess Brentford, has died age 81. Lady Brentford had deep evangelical Christian beliefs, a ‘steely determination’ to advance them, and held several influential positions to this end.

Born in Kenya in 1942, Gillian was educated at West Heath Girls’ School in Kent. During her childhood, she suffered from rickets, which, according to The Telegraph, gave her ‘a lifelong fellow-feeling for those who were struggling.’ After training as a chartered accountant, she married the then Hon. Crispin Joynson-Hicks in 1964, bringing up three daughters and a son in Sussex.

Milla Ling-Davies

Eddie Stobart, founder of the famous haulage firm and committed evangelical Christian, has died aged 95.

Growing up with Methodist parents in the 1930s, Eddie came to faith himself at a young age. According to The Guardian, at 17, he preached at his local chapel for the first time – finding, as he did, that a stammer he’d had since childhood had miraculously disappeared. ‘God took me by the hand. God helped me to cure it,’ he said.

Milla Ling-Davies

On 10 January, over 120 gathered in St Nicholas’ church in Sevenoaks to give thanks for the life of OMF (UK) Co-National Director Peter Rowan, with 900 tuning in online from across the world.

The service included songs chosen by Peter, moving tributes from his children, and an address delivered by Dr Krish Kandiah on 2 Timothy 4:1-8. ‘Peter lived a life of service; just like Paul he can say his life was poured out like a drink offering,’ Kandiah said. ‘He can say that he fought the good fight… but his life offers us a challenge – what will we do?’

Emily Pollok

The outspoken American preacher and ‘Red Letter Christian,’ Tony Campolo died last month aged 89.

The evangelical speaker and author was a forceful influence in the American church and was best known for calling Christians to follow Jesus’ teaching by loving and serving the poor and vulnerable in society.

From the Keswick Convention to Word Alive to local church ministry and beyond – it is hard to overestimate the scope and significance of Philip Hacking’s ministry. He died on 6 December with 93 years of life and nearly as many years of gospel ministry behind him.

Philip was born in 1931 into a working-class family and grew up on the terraced streets of Blackburn, Lancashire. He attended the Church of the Saviour, a fairly new Anglican parish. It had a significant impact not just on his life but his ministry with the patterns that were laid down there. Philip wrote: ‘Prayer and Bible study and expository preaching were the order of the day, and I discovered the joy of seeing the treasures of the Bible unfolded’. They would remain the ‘order of the day’ throughout his ministry. He remembered too how ‘as teenagers we were encouraged to lead our own youth groups and to be involved in Christian witness’. Strikingly, at the same time as Philip, three others from the row of terraced houses in which he lived were called into ordained ministry.

A missionary who survived a massacre at a mission station where she was working, many years ago, has died.

Margaret Hayes MBE had to take to the jungle with others where she survived for many weeks before being rescued, having been presumed dead – with a funeral and thanksgiving service being held for her.

Christian Institute (CI) founder John Burn has died aged 86 following a long illness. His death on 25 October comes eight months after the sudden death of CI director Colin Hart in March.

Originally a science teacher, John’s work in improving standards in schools brought him an OBE for services to education. While a lay reader in the Diocese of Newcastle at Jesmond Parish Church, John was invited to be a member of the Archbishop of Canterbury’s Commission on Urban Priority Areas.

Luke Randall

Malcolm Laver, General Secretary of the Fellowship of Independent Evangelical Churches (FIEC) between 1988 and 1998, has died aged 87. He was a husband, father and grandfather.

Born in 1936, he served as FIEC’s Assistant General Secretary in 1979, before serving as General Secretary from 1988 until his retirement ten years later. During retirement, he helped form the FIEC Pastor’s Association, which he served as Secretary until 2002.

Colin Hart, founder and director of the Christian Institute, has died suddenly of a suspected heart attack, aged 60.

In a letter to its supporters, acting director Ciarán Kelly wrote: ‘It is with a heavy heart that I am writing to let you know that our director and brother in Christ, Colin Hart, has been called home by the Lord to be with Him in glory.