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.
