Born on 21 February 1914 at Stoke Newington, London, he came into the Methodist Church through the youth club at Cassland Road church, Hackney. He trained as an architect at the Northern Polytechnic School of Architecture (1930-1933), becoming a member of the Royal Institute of British Architects and the Royal Town Planning Institute. He was employed by the Ministry of Works, was a conscientious objector during the War and was then accepted for the ministry. He trained at Richmond College and during seventeen years in circuit work gained a London BD in 1952 and a Manchester MA in 1962. His ministry was marked by a particular interest in youth work and Christian Stewardship. From 1961 to 1966 he was secretary of the Manchester and Stockport District Synod. In 1966 he was appointed secretary of the Chapel Affairs Department (later the Property Division), where his architectural and administrative skills came into their own. His book The Architectural Expression of Methodism: the first hundred years was published in 1964 and remains the definitive work. During retirement from 1979 at Hazel Grove, he wrote a bicentenary history of the church there. Despite losing a kidney through cancer in the 1950s, he lived into his 92nd year, dying on 23 March 2005.

Category: Person
Comment on this entry