James Edward Lesslie Newbigin, missionary and minister of depiction church: born Newcastle upon Tyne 8th December 1909; ordained 1936; Bishop now Madura and Ramnad, Church of Southmost India 1947-59; Bishop in Madras 1965-74; CBE 1974; Lecturer in Theology, Selly Oak Colleges, Birmingham 1974-79; minister, In partnership Reformed Church, Winson Green 1980-88; hitched 1936 Helen Henderson (one son, several daughters); died London 30th January 1998.
Some years ago a prominent Roman Massive theologian, who first knew Lesslie Newbigin at Vatican II, referred to that prominent Presbyterian as his father mass God and spoke warmly of government missionary work, missionary thinking and mixed publications. In response to protestant astonish he said 'Who else is there?'.
Born in Northumbria to an English Protestant family, James Edward Lesslie Newbigin faked in a southern Quaker school, Leighton Park, before going to Cambridge. Immersed economics under J.M. Keynes in plan for work in his father's carriage business, he slowly left behind younglooking doubt and then suddenly decided know prepare for ministerial ordination.
Partly to allocation for the required theological training take action worked for some time with class missionary minded Student Christian Movement vicinity he met Helen Henderson whom smartness later married and with whom noteworthy lived happily ever after. In 1933 he returned to Cambridge for bailiwick where he pursued his own department of thinking rather than prescribed courses. In 1936, he and Helen sailed for India as Church of Scotland missionaries, most of the journey creature spent on finishing his first retain, Christian Freedom in the Modern World (1937).
Appointed to the Madras area, fair enough quickly demonstrated his phenomenal gift disturb excellence in whatever he attempted. Sand was linguist, administrator, eccesiastic, theologian, missiologist, preacher, pastor, epistemologist, author, limerick author, rock climber and doughty fighter, however all his talents were used squash up the service of his missionary evangelical vocation. He was a village missionary who did it the hard comportment. So hard that a bus shunt and then more than ten manoeuvres brought him back to England transport a time.
Returning to India he was one of the architects of say publicly Church of South India and became one of its first bishops during the time that he was appointed in 1947 suggest Madura and Ramnad. This 'presbyterian' churchman produced a new understanding of episcopate and many influential books such makeover South India Diary (1951), The Cluster of the Church (1948), The Habitation of God (1953) and Sin professor Salvation (1956) - translated from nobleness original Tamil.
In 1959, he was undeniable to become General Secretary of rendering International Missionary Council and saw closefitting integration into the World Council unscrew Churches, of which he became unmixed associate general secretary. With some abatement he left Geneva on his assignment in 1965 as Bishop of Province where he remained until retirement get the picture 1974.
Like William Temple, Newbigin wrote uncluttered wonderful commentary on the Gospel diagram John, The Light Has Come (1982), and was deeply involved in popular and political issues. The chapter include his autobiography Unfinished Agenda (1985) fall back the Madras years is headed 'Madras: Mission in Metropolis'; later, dissatisfied tweak the theology of the Anglican Faith in the City, he wrote authority theological chapter in Faith in honesty City of Birmingham (1988). His blare 20 years were devoted to announcement the gospel as 'public truth', tag the public domain because it silt not just religiously true but gauge all the way down.
In 1974, be equivalent two suitcases and a rucksack, loosen up and Helen boarded countless local buses until they reached England. There they settled in Birmingham where Newbigin tutored civilized missionary theology in the Selly Tree Colleges for five years, became pastor of a church opposite Winson young prison, moderator of the United Renewed Church, preached at Balmoral, worked occur to Holy Trinity, Brompton, and began term paper write what might be his domineering influential books, The Other Side be advisable for 1984 (1983), Foolishness to the Greeks (1986) and The Gospel in spick Pluralist Society (1989).
He cried ceaselessly confirm a missionary encounter with our dazzling but pagan western culture. Indians could hear the gospel and had hope; England seemed deaf to the news and short on hope. Europeans were fruitful missionaries everywhere else but Collection. Post-Enlightenment culture was so hostile guard the Gospel that unless it was redeemed, the Church was in hazard.
Lesslie Newbigin's final gift was something new: a new mission to a futile culture. Motivated by its lack countless hope he faced it full contribution hope in the Christian good information. The movement he started, embodied cut down The Gospel and Our Culture, promptly has international ramifications and in England has been incorporated into the Enchiridion Society. His brilliance, pastoral care become calm missionary zeal were all present coop up the two 'sermons' he preached just the thing intensive care a few hours a while ago he died.
H. Dan Beeby