Keith’s ecumenical journey took him from his Baptist roots to
a period of service with the URC before finding his spiritual home with the
Anglican Church. He served as a college
lecturer, a local church minister, a university chaplain and latterly as a bishop
within the Scottish Episcopal Church. All
these phases were represented in the congregation of Wesley’s Chapel at which
the service took place.
The church on Monday was very full. There was, possibly, around six to seven
hundred people present, so the singing was truly uplifting. Indeed, the whole service was inspirational
and led so well. The Bishop of London
was present, along with three of her episcopal colleagues, as were clergy from
Cambridge, Regent’s Park College in Oxford and King’s College in London. There was a veritable sea of clerical
collars!
We heard moving tributes from Keith’s brother and daughters. They spoke movingly about his love and zest for
life and there is no doubt that he leaves behind a family who hold him in high
regard.
The Revd Dr Jennifer Smith, Keith’s wife and the
Superintendent Minister of Wesley’s Chapel, gave the sermon. Her moving and courageous words spoke of both
the pain of loss she felt, along with the Christian hope that she and Keith shared. It was very touching to hear that Keith ‘slipped
away’ surrounded by his family whilst one of his daughters read to him from
C.S.Lewis’ The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe.
Another very profound element of the service was the presence of members of
an African Fellowship, of which Keith was patron, who ‘kept guard’ at either
end of the coffin, as is their custom, all the way through the service,
periodically ‘changing the guard’ and sharing out this duty throughout the
service. It seemed like a great act of
love and respect.
All our group felt it was so good to be at the service, in
some small way representing AFC and the years Keith served here.
Keith was a man of many parts, whose life had many phases. What was clear on Monday is that in each of
these the one constant was his love for God.
May he rest in peace and rise in glory.
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