David Sheppard: Batting for the Poor
Total Page：16
File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb
Book Review - Richard Higginson David Sheppard: Batting for the Poor By Andrew Bradstock SPCK, 2019, Hardback, ISBN 978-0-281-08105-9 As a boy from a Christian home who experienced an evangelical conversion, remote hospital in Italy in order to fly developed a passionate interest in and became a regular attender at VPS back to England to play cricket. Grace cricket at the age of seven, I have to (Varsity and Public School) camps, often was a person of nervous disposition, confess that David Sheppard was one of called ‘Bash’ camps because that was and she subsequently developed my childhood heroes. I eagerly devoured the nickname of the man who ran them, agoraphobia; this unusual start to his early autobiography, Parson’s married life can hardly have helped Pitch, when it was published in 1964. her, but the relationship recovered and Interestingly, it had the same cover she emerges as a heroic figure whose picture that SPCK have used for Andrew confidence and distinctive ministry Bradstock’s authorised biography: the blossomed in later life. handsome young Sheppard striding out purposefully, dressed in clerical attire As is well known, Sheppard developed and carrying his cricket bag and bat. a lifelong commitment to inner-city ministry, both in terms of building up Sheppard came from a privileged the church in those areas and improving public school background; what the quality of life for working-class he later described as Comfortable people. His two books Built as a City and Britain, though he lost his father to Bias to the Poor give expression to this. illness at the age of nine. He attended His proven record at the Mayflower Sherborne School where by unremitting was reflected in his appointments as discipline and practice rather than Bishop of Woolwich (1969-75) and huge innate talent he made himself then Liverpool (1975-96). Meanwhile, into an outstanding cricketer. The Sheppard’s social concern developed scores he compiled as a student at into political concern and involvement. Cambridge University from 1950-3 In the 1960s he took a bold stand are extraordinary; he made 227 and on apartheid and boycott of sport shared in an opening stand of 343 with South Africa long before it was against the touring West Indians, who Eric Nash. Following a call to ordination, fashionable to do so. In Liverpool he later bamboozled England in the test he trained at Ridley Hall (1953-5), where collaborated closely with the Roman matches. As Bradstock demonstrates, he became aware that the Gospel had a Catholic Archbishop Derek Worlock to if Sheppard hadn’t sacrificed his social as well as a personal dimension improve ecumenical relations but also to cricketing career to get ordained, there – demonstrated for instance in the bring hope and unity to a seriously run is little doubt he would have become a message of the Old Testament prophets, down city that was suffering from high cricketing great; in a short and patchy or Jesus’ teaching about the Kingdom unemployment and slum housing. career he still compiled no less than 45 of God. This awareness influenced his centuries. What is truly striking (and decision to choose a curacy in what was Bradstock describes how Sheppard reflects the privileged circles which then then a poor area of London (St Mary’s made himself unpopular with the operated) is that whenever he took time Islington, 1955-7); from there he went Thatcher government by his prominent off from the parish and made himself to be Warden of the newly formed role in the Commission on Urban available to play for Sussex or England, Mayflower Family Centre in Canning Priority Areas which produced the he was picked automatically; so it was Town (1957-69). 1985 Faith in the City report. This was that he played a key part - scoring a Along the way David married Grace, and vilified by the likes of Norman Tebbitt century - in the famous Old Trafford their relationship forms a significant as Marxist theology because it was victory over Australia in 1956 when Jim plot within the bigger story. Bradstock critical of Government neglect of these Laker took 19 wickets. diplomatically acknowledges that one of areas. The report made numerous However, as Bradstock tells us, by the less glorious episodes in Sheppard’s recommendations to church and nation. then Sheppard’s life-story had taken story concerns his leaving Grace with Its lasting achievement was to set up a decisive turn in another direction. chickenpox on their honeymoon the Church Urban Fund which financed During his first term at Cambridge he (admittedly with her agreement) in a many beneficial inner city projects. Faith in Business Quarterly, Volume 20.4, page 16 David Sheppard playing cricket, as wicket-keeper, with local boys in the street, Islington, 1956. Sheppard and Worlock had some business as his life proceeded. For the and offer themselves for leadership success in persuading business to most part, Bradstock steers clear of in the Church. But did he encourage reinvest in Liverpool. As a result areas critical judgment, being content to let people from inner-city areas to develop of the city such as the docklands were events and others’ opinions speak for their own businesses, to become dramatically transformed. In retirement themselves, but in the final concluding Christian entrepreneurs? I see little he became a Labour peer. He favoured chapter he makes some shrewd evidence that he did. I believe this was a redistribution of wealth through observations. He comments: significant blind spot, even though we higher taxation, which he saw as wider “…there was something of the ‘patrician must recognise that he lived in a more application of the Christian principle of Anglican’ about Sheppard…He thought corporate age, when large companies being ‘members one of another’. He died the Church’s presence in every employed a far greater percentage of from cancer in 2004 at the age of 75. community, through the parish system, workers and few thought in terms of gave it the duty and authority to speak branching out to develop their own The question may well be asked: why for those without a public voice. But enterprises. review this biography in a journal it was more a voice for the poor than devoted to faith and business? The Whatever his flaws, and we all have of the poor. The Church might hope to answer is not simply because Andrew them, Bradstock’s biography left me empower the poor when it spoke on Bradstock is a member of the ICF Exec, in no doubt that David Sheppard was a their behalf, but it saw itself, not the though that is true; he has brought great man. A good case could be made poor, as the agent of change” (p.293). to this task meticulous research, that he is the most outstanding all- an elegant style and just the right This leads me to make a final round Anglican leader of the post-war amount of fascinating detail. It is also observation relating to business. era. I warmly encourage all FiBQ readers because Sheppard’s ministry impinged Sheppard was zealous in encouraging to buy and imbibe this compelling story increasingly on the areas of work and working-class people to come forward of his life. Richard Higginson was Director of Faith in Business at Ridley Hall from 1989 until his retirement in 2018. He is now Chair of Faith in Business. He is a founder- editor of FiBQ and the author of several books, including Faith, Hope & the Global Economy and (with Kina Robertshaw) A Voice to be Heard. He is an international speaker on business ethics and the theology of work. Faith in Business Quarterly, Volume 20.4, page 17.