Tributes July 2019
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MISSION PARTNERS’ FELLOWSHIP Tributes July 2019 Miss Jean Waddell died April 2019 John Clark writes: Jean served the church in the Middle East for just over twenty years – first as secretary to the last two English archbishops in Jerusalem and the first Palestinian bishop from 1965–77, when Bishop Hassan Dehqani-Tafti invited her to become his Secretary in Isfahan and bring her experience of the process of establishing the new Province of the Episcopal Church in Jerusalem and the Middle East to support him as its first President Bishop. She went to Iran as a CMS missionary. On May 1 1980 while staying in the diocesan flat in Tehran she was shot and severely wounded by two intruders. After a period of convalescence, she was given an exit visa in Tehran to leave Iran but it was blocked in Isfahan. On August 6 she went to offices in Isfahan with a British Embassy official to clarify issues and was arrested, blindfolded and moved around various prisons. She ended up in Tehran’s Evin prison, from which she was released on 14 February 1981, along with six other members of the diocese, into the care of Terry Waite, the Archbishop of Canterbury’s special envoy. She arrived back in Britain on 28 February to a serried rank of press and TV reporters. Her story is briefly told in the National Christian Education Council publication Faith Alive. (Thank you, Doris Sadeqhi, for sending me a photocopy of Jean’s story.) When congratulated upon her endurance, she insists that she did nothing. She insists that God did everything. ‘When I felt particularly helpless and thought that I ought to be doing something’ she says, ‘I was always given the words, “Stand still and see the salvation of our God.” Such quiet and total reliance upon God worked miraculously; fear faded and an inner peace prevailed.’ Mrs Myra Chilvers died Jan 2018 Peter Chilvers writes: Myra Chilvers was a pioneer and champion of the idea of mutual support between a church in the UK and one in Burundi, rather than a church supporting a specific missionary. The support should be prayer, ministry and practical, as each is able. She died (she preferred this word rather than the usual “passed away”) unexpectedly but peacefully in January 2018. 1 Near to her 90th birthday in May 2013 we wrote the following memoir for the church magazine – The background to the Burundi Link with St Marks Woodthorpe – Myra Chilvers and her son Peter: It has been suggested to me that I should explain how the interest in Burundi started. When I was married we lived near to St Peter’s Church, Old Radford, where there was a board on the wall naming missionaries who had gone abroad from there, but nobody recently. This disappointed the vicar, Rev Freddy Ralf. When he moved to the Isle of Wight we visited him on a family holiday. He was thrilled to find that Lucy Turley from his new congregation was in training for going abroad. Peter takes up the story: A few years later, I had to choose an African country for a project, and research was to be started during a holiday. Not being keen on Geography I looked for a small country and found Rwanda-Burundi. When I mentioned the country to mother, she found the first letters that Lucy had sent to her describing it. I used them as the basis of the project report. Some years later when I was at university, I joined the Christian Union. Members were encouraged to take an interest in missionary work and to give support. I asked mum if she still had contact details for Lucy. I followed up, discovered that Lucy was married to Paul Bell and still in Burundi, and so my missionary support began. Myra continues: My memory is no longer clear about it all, but somehow, I also got in touch. My idea was for a direct relationship to be made between the African church and my own, each supporting the other as each was able: something that would endure as missionaries came and went. I thought this would be helped by providing practical support in a form where all ages could contribute. I was introduced to Joan Nicholson (who was the CMS supervisor for schools in Burundi); she told of the need for simple items for the schools, even down to chalk. I listed the items and the vicar and curate gave full support, and so the first Burundi Sunday took place. Letters were exchanged, prayers given in each place for the other. Also, a tremendous amount was given and we spent ages making up parcels to send. The direct link was helped by having a vicar (Rev David Bartlett) and congregation member (Elaine Bingham) fluent in French, so letters could be written and read directly. Visits each way were arranged. Also, as personnel changed at both ends, the link did indeed remain. I must have started something, though I really can’t work it out any more! In discussions with some of my older friends we have concluded it is good to try to start something and pray that it “takes off”. Postscript There are more details that could be told: of the changing nature of support, a church being named St Marks and money for its roof being raised, a baby being baptised with the name Peter, a group of friends paying for a wife to come to the UK to accompany her husband on a course, one of St Marks going to serve in Burundi, and many more. After a number of years, frailty and difficulty getting to St Marks led to the link being left in the hands of others of the congregation, fitting the vision of the link being with the churches rather than individuals. 2 Myra moved first to St Peter’s Nottingham, and then to St James Porchester, where she had been a young member of the PCC on return from college, played a part in helping the foundation of their daughter church (St Marks), and became Guide Captain. It gave great delight that St James also came to support Burundi, and that the arrival of Rev Paul Butler as Bishop led to the diocese formally making a link with Burundi too. Mrs Betty Moore died May 2018 (The diocese offers its heartfelt condolences to Bishop Harry Moore, who was Bishop in Cyprus and the Gulf from 1983 to 1986, on the death of his wife Betty on Friday 18 May.) Maureen and Terry Finney write: We attended the funeral of Betty Moore, wife of Bishop Harry Moore, on Wednesday 30 May at Hopesay in Shropshire. We first met Betty and Harry in Baghdad in 1985 during their first visit around the diocese. Betty had five children who all attended the funeral with spouses, their children and grandchildren – a truly wonderful family gathering. Betty was a very senior and experienced nurse during her working life and did a marvellous job juggling family pressures with work. She retired to travel with Bishop Harry as missionaries with CMS to Iran and India and then all around Cyprus and the Gulf when he became our Bishop. Harry and Betty were founder members of the spring reunions and attended regularly until travelling became too tiring. Betty was 92 years old and was married to Harry for 67 happy years. She will be greatly missed by all the family. Bishop Harry will continue to live in Lytham St Anne’s, where it is rumoured he is still running his infamous Bible studies! Miss Joyce Peel died September 2018 Bob and Isobel Burn (friends) write: We were sad to hear of Joyce Peel’s death in The Call. Joyce had been in the women’s college in Palayamkottai, India, until just before we arrived in 1961, when she had been appointed drama adviser for Madras Diocese. We knew her in India, and she taught us an acted Lord’s Prayer which she sang to Malotte’s tune. We have used this in England when the occasion seemed right. Joyce also had composed very jolly tunes to the Venite and the Jubilate. When I became NSM priest in charge of Foxton she was able to join us for pre-confirmation weekends, and our youth club performed her dramatic setting of Job in church. Later, when our travels took us to Wantage we visited her from time to time. She was still on top of her music and was a wonder at living simply. She had a depth of joy which always remained a wonder for us. 3 Rev Richard Drown died November 2018 Jennifer Barton writes: Rev Richard Drown was born in March 1919 in Scarborough, UK. He attended a prep school in Eastbourne. Richard became a Christian at a children’s camp in Southwold at the age of 11. He attended a senior school at Deal Close, Gloucester, where he was a victor laudarum Head of House and School. He was the captain of the cricket and hockey team. He also won an exhibition to Oxford. He read Classics at Brasenose College and played cricket and hockey for the University while there. He was President of the Christian Union and also met his future wife Gwyneth at the University. He went on to Wycliffe Hall to read theology and while there was seconded to the Dragon School, Oxford, to teach scripture and cricket. Following his training Richard was employed as a curate at St Helen’s, Lancashire. He married Gwyneth in 1945 and together they went to Language School in London before going to Uganda to take up the position of Chaplain at Kings College Budo.