The Revd Alan Hugh Edwards: 1929-2017

The Revd Alan Hugh Edwards was promoted to be with his Lord on 31 July 2017. He had been waiting for this day for quite a while and, although he will be sadly missed by many, we can also give thanks for a full and fruitful life

Born in Bishops Stortford in 1929, Alan felt the call to ministry at the age of 17 although it was several years before he took up his first ministry in Newcastle under Lyme Baptist church in 1955 shortly after his marriage to June. This followed a period of studying at Bristol University and then on to Regents Park College in Oxford to complete his MA.

During his time in Newcastle under Lyme he also looked after a church in Butt Lane and took on the Chaplaincy at Keele University as well as becoming a Dad to Sally and Steven. Following his time in Newcastle he moved to Yardley Baptist Church in Birmingham where he also became Association Evangelism Secretary and Chairman of the Ministerial Recognition Committee. After Yardley, Alan and family moved to Broadwater Baptist Church in Worthing and enjoyed 10 years ministry there which also included some part-time teaching in the local schools.

In 1979 Alan and June moved from Worthing to Park Road Baptist in Peterborough where, in 1984, he became President of the East Midlands Baptist Association. He continued to take a keen interest in teaching and spent time on the Cambridgeshire Education Committee along with various other appointments in Education.

After Peterborough, in 1987, Alan and June moved to Lyme Regis Baptist Church where they enjoyed a further seven years of happy ministry together. Alan also became Secretary of the Western Baptist Association during his time there. Alan and June ‘retired' to Billericay in 1994, moving into a Retired Baptist Ministers Bungalow although their ministry continued for many years in several of the local churches.

In his own words, Alan claimed to have been ‘average at pretty much everything’ but messages received over the years and also since his death from those that he had the privilege of serving would suggest that he was far more than average. He did a great work for the God that he loved and we give thanks for all that he did.

There will be a service of thanksgiving for Alan to be held at 1pm on 14 September at Billericay Baptist Church in Perry Street, Billericay.