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I was born in March on July 2nd 1934 the eldest of three children.
Educated at March Grammar School, my preoccupation with sport constantly got in the way of my studies. It still does. As a National Serviceman, the RAF kindly trained me to be an Instrument Fitter. A posting to RAF Henlow prevented me causing damage to planes. It was a Maintenance Unit. Southampton University then bestowed on me a B.Sc in Physiology. On leaving, this enabled me to impart the rudiments of Maths and Biology to the reluctant scholars of the Homeward School, March. At this time, 1959, I married Rita, the love of my life. A few months later, the Baptist church we attended, went up in flames. Rebuilding the church was a challenge to everyone's faith and, in our case, proved to be the catalyst which led me to apply to Regents Park College, Oxford, for training in the Baptist ministry. After taking a degree in Theology, I was ordained and inducted to the pastorate of Kings Heath Baptist Church Northampton. This was in 1963. Rachel was two years old; Alison was on the way and subsequently we adopted Julian. Kings Heath was a newish monochrome council estate, teeming with children. Rita's teaching and parenting skills were invaluable, both inside and outside the church. We lived in the parish of St Augustine's. In a reversal of roles, the vicar looked after his own and left the care of the community to me. As an aid to dealing with people who had social and mental health problems, Rita and I studied Clinical Theology which was also useful when I became part-time Chaplain at St Crispin's Psychiatric hospital. After eleven years, we moved to St Albans. Marshalswick Baptist Free Church, St Albans, is also an estate church but very middle class and affluent compared to Kings Heath. Initially some of the people were a little wary of a minister, with a beard, who reads the Guardian. In contrast, I hit it off with the local vicar of St Mary's from the word go. The ecumenical activity in Marshalswick was progressive and exciting. Rita was in her element as a remedial teacher, member of Christian CND and chairperson of St Albans Churches Together Peace Group. I was appointed as part-time Free Church chaplain at Shenley Psychiatric hospital, was a founder member of the St Albans branch of Amnesty International and its chairman for ten years. In 1986 I accepted a call to be the senior Minister of the Tameside Fellowship. Tameside is a conglomeration of about nine cotton towns on the east of Greater Manchester. Of the four churches in my care, three were Baptist and the other, Hyde was a joint Baptist/URC local ecumenical project. I needed a ministerial team of ordained and lay pastors plus a student from Northern Theological college and the valuable services of the Hyde Preaching Team to keep the ship afloat. Visitation and pastoral care became a priority but I kept up my interest in mental health by becoming the Chairman of Tameside & Glossop MIND for 10 years. Rita became an Elder in the Hyde church and Chairperson of Hyde Churches Together. Through her teaching and work as doctor's receptionist she also built up strong ties with the Asian community. In 1999 retirement beckoned - and BENINGTON. HERE WE ARE! |