Born at Upton, near Gainsborough, on 20 September 1916, he was educated at Stamford School. He then worked on his father's farm until he became a lay pastor for one year in the Hunstanton and Docking circuit, followed by a year, from 1939 to 1940, as a pre-collegiate probationer in Rochdale North circuit. He spent one year in succesion at Richmond, Hartley Victoria and Headingley Colleges and at Wesley House, Cambridge and gained 1st Class Honours in his London BD. An MTh followed in 1950 and a PhD in 1971.

After several years in circuit work, from 1955 to 1970 he became Tutor in Systematic Theology and Philosophy of Religion at Handsworth College. From 1970 to 1975 he was Senior Methodist Tutor at the newly formed ecumenical Queen's College, Edgbaston, where he was acting Principal in 1973-1974. He served on the connexional Faith and Order Committee and was convener of the Doctrinal Appeal Committee. He was a representative to Conference from 1955 to 1975 and in 1956 attended the World Methodist Conference at Lake Junaluska, NC. He delivered the Fernley-Hartley Lecture in 1959 on Jesus and the Future Life and the Wesley Historical Society Lecture in 1969 on Methodist Theology 1850-1950 (published in volume 3 of A History of the Methodist Church in Great Britain (1983)).

He retired in 1975 on health grounds, but remained active in writing and other activities. His other publications included The Christian Approach to the Humanist (1963), Teachers and the New Theology (1969) and volumes of his weekly articles from the Stamford Mercury. His influence on generations of ministerial students is reflected in the collection of essays published in his honour in 2004. He died at Cranleigh on 8 March 2015 and s commemorated by a plaque at the entrance to the former Handsworth College.

Entry written by: JAV
Category: Person
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