Bewes, Richard Thomas

Author

b Nairobi, Kenya 1934, where he grew up. From a strong missionary family, he attended Marlborough Sch, Emmanuel Coll and Ridley Hall, Cambridge (MA) and was ordained in 1959. After a curacy at Christ Ch Beckenham, Kent, became incumbent of Harold Wood, Essex in 1965; Emmanuel Ch Northwood, Middlesex (from 1974), then for 22 years at All Souls Langham Place in central London, from 1983 until retirement to Ealing, W London, in 2004. His first published hymns and songs were in Youth Praise 1 and 2 (for which he was asst editor, 1966 and 1969); subsequently he was on teams preparing Psalm Praise, Hymns for Today’s Church, other Jubilate collections and the 1975 Keswick Praise. He is a broadcaster, musician, journalist, author of a dozen hymns, other adapted texts and 20 books (beginning with God in Ward 12), and an international conference speaker. His published writing includes popular introductions to Acts (The Church Reaches Out, 1981), Revelation (The Church Overcomes, 1984), some ‘wilderness journeys’ (The Church Marches On, 1986) and other Bible themes, and in 2006, The 100 Top Questions. With Michael Baughen and Noël Tredinnick (qv) he has been a frequent presenter of ‘Prom Praise’ at London’s Royal Albert Hall and in many other cities including Moscow, with the All Souls Orchestra. ‘A communicator at heart’, he has presented a popular video study-series on books of the Bible and has a particular gift for pithy topical preaching, as also for ‘rescuing’ older texts by an evangelical facelift. A keen supporter of ‘Christians in Sport’, he loves tennis and photography among his recreations. Through an international London congregation and staff team, he has retained his deep affection for E Africa, which (like the USA and elsewhere) he has often visited in a teaching and preaching ministry. His 2005 OBE was awarded ‘for services to the Church of England’. Richard died in 2019. No.46B.