the Rev Roy Newell
17th March 1935 ~ 10th May 2012
A Tribute written for PILGRIM, The magazine of the Friends of the Church in India
February 2013
murdoch mackenzie
“All my hope on God is founded; He doth still my trust renew. Me through change and chance He guideth, only good and only true. God unknown, He alone calls my heart to be his own.” These words, sung at Roy’s funeral on 31st May 2012 in the United Reformed Church in Burnham-on-Crouch, give us the measure of the man. The second hymn, which he himself chose, encapsulates his committed response to Jesus’ question as posed by John Bell: “Will you come and follow me?” Roy was quite prepared to risk the hostile stare, to let the blinded see, to set the prisoners free and to kiss the leprosy sufferer clean. He spent his life doing all of this and much more. Appropriately the service ended with these words: “ ‘Tis Jesus the first and the last whose Spirit shall guide us safe home; we’ll praise him for all that is past, and trust him for all that’s to come.’ Singing that hymn surrounded by ‘our Methodist people’ was a truly moving moment, quite unforgettable, all of which echoed and re-echoed the faith and integrity which was the life of Roy Newell.
Roy was born in Farnworth, Bolton, in Lancashire and lived in an end terrace house, with his Mum, Maggie, his Dad, William, and his brother Arthur. In 1951, he and Jo became friends through the Youth Missionary Association. That is also where they both became inspired to work abroad later on. They were married in 1960, part way through Roy’s theological studies at Hartley Victoria College. In 1963 they sailed for India with their toddler, David. Pamela was born in India in 1965 and in 1970, Jo and Roy took a big decision to adopt an Indian child after Roy had visited a children’s home where he felt moved to do something to make a difference. They adopted Sushila and later Peter.
Soon after that, they all returned to the UK and Roy went back into circuit for a couple of years until he was invited to work in London at the East End Mission in Commercial Road with its many challenges. After 7 years, he was invited to Deptford Mission and amongst many other things worked hard to raise money for its work with disabled people, bussing them into clubs and giving them at least one time in the week in which they could get out and socialise. He then moved to Rotherham to work with Industrial Mission in South Yorkshire for 9 years and in ‘retirement’, went to Samoa for two years as a Piula College lecturer at the invitation of the Methodist Church in Samoa. Initially he had been in 1997, during a Sabbatical, to research the life of his great uncle James Newell, a LMS missionary there (1880 – 1910) and a friend of Robert Louis Stevenson.
While in Stepney, Roy was invited to join the Rotary Club. Later, he did sponsored bike rides from Deptford to Burnham and to Sussex for Rotary charities. He was touched when recently, he was honoured by the Burnham Club, as a Paul Harris Fellow “in appreciation of tangible and significant assistance given for the furtherance of better understanding and friendly relations among peoples of the world.” During their eight years in India this is precisely what Roy and Jo did. They were greatly loved, and still are, by their Indian friends and colleagues. Roy’s work included church extension through the Avadi Mission and industrial mission in the rapidly expanding factories of Madras. To be better equipped for this work Roy returned to England in 1965 with the family, where he studied industrial mission and sociology in William Temple College, Rugby. He then returned to India to be part of the industrial team in Madras, becoming, amongst other things, chaplain at St George’s School and port chaplain for the Mission to Seamen. He also became the presbyter of St. Mary’s Church in Fort St. George – the oldest former Anglican church East of Suez.
Roy loved cars and motorbikes, and he had learned how to maintain them in a Saturday job, while at school. This stood him in good stead in India, especially in industrial mission. When he went missing for a while you had only to look for two feet protruding from beneath a clapped-out van! Working with Roy in Christian Service to Industrial Society, was a joy. Rev Felix Sugirtharaj was director and Roy was his deputy. The team included factory managers, trades unionists, factory workers and presbyters – Lutheran and Church of South India. Managers’ meetings, health and safety, family budgetting, Bible studies, Industrial Harvest services, May Day services for Labour Day, in-service training lasting a month for theological students, joint meetings with other teams in Durgapur, Bangalore, Coimbatore and Mumbai – all of these were the order of the day. Halcyon days indeed in which Roy was in his element.
Working alongside him, one discovered that though he didn’t suffer fools gladly, especially sycophantic Bible-bashers, he was incredibly patient with all sorts of people. His sense of humour was abundant. He could always see the funny side of things with his wry smile and muted, chuckling laughter. Roy was able to talk to people from all walks of life and treat them as equal. He was as much at home in the managing director’s office as he was discussing divorce with the crane drivers or having a cosy chat with the shop stewards. In later life while working in Sheffield his son David was surprised once when Roy asked him about good beers! “Dad was teetotal, but we found out that he was doing research so that he could have a subject to discuss with shop-floor workers!”
Roy touched the lives of many people. Mark Twain once said "Let us endeavor so to live that when we come to die even the undertaker will be sorry." Roy did just that. He preached his last sermon on Easter Sunday 8th April, but his whole life was a sermon. To work with him was to learn the real meaning of integrity and one wonders when we shall see his like again.
Murdoch MacKenzie
Roy was born in Farnworth, Bolton, in Lancashire and lived in an end terrace house, with his Mum, Maggie, his Dad, William, and his brother Arthur. In 1951, he and Jo became friends through the Youth Missionary Association. That is also where they both became inspired to work abroad later on. They were married in 1960, part way through Roy’s theological studies at Hartley Victoria College. In 1963 they sailed for India with their toddler, David. Pamela was born in India in 1965 and in 1970, Jo and Roy took a big decision to adopt an Indian child after Roy had visited a children’s home where he felt moved to do something to make a difference. They adopted Sushila and later Peter.
Soon after that, they all returned to the UK and Roy went back into circuit for a couple of years until he was invited to work in London at the East End Mission in Commercial Road with its many challenges. After 7 years, he was invited to Deptford Mission and amongst many other things worked hard to raise money for its work with disabled people, bussing them into clubs and giving them at least one time in the week in which they could get out and socialise. He then moved to Rotherham to work with Industrial Mission in South Yorkshire for 9 years and in ‘retirement’, went to Samoa for two years as a Piula College lecturer at the invitation of the Methodist Church in Samoa. Initially he had been in 1997, during a Sabbatical, to research the life of his great uncle James Newell, a LMS missionary there (1880 – 1910) and a friend of Robert Louis Stevenson.
While in Stepney, Roy was invited to join the Rotary Club. Later, he did sponsored bike rides from Deptford to Burnham and to Sussex for Rotary charities. He was touched when recently, he was honoured by the Burnham Club, as a Paul Harris Fellow “in appreciation of tangible and significant assistance given for the furtherance of better understanding and friendly relations among peoples of the world.” During their eight years in India this is precisely what Roy and Jo did. They were greatly loved, and still are, by their Indian friends and colleagues. Roy’s work included church extension through the Avadi Mission and industrial mission in the rapidly expanding factories of Madras. To be better equipped for this work Roy returned to England in 1965 with the family, where he studied industrial mission and sociology in William Temple College, Rugby. He then returned to India to be part of the industrial team in Madras, becoming, amongst other things, chaplain at St George’s School and port chaplain for the Mission to Seamen. He also became the presbyter of St. Mary’s Church in Fort St. George – the oldest former Anglican church East of Suez.
Roy loved cars and motorbikes, and he had learned how to maintain them in a Saturday job, while at school. This stood him in good stead in India, especially in industrial mission. When he went missing for a while you had only to look for two feet protruding from beneath a clapped-out van! Working with Roy in Christian Service to Industrial Society, was a joy. Rev Felix Sugirtharaj was director and Roy was his deputy. The team included factory managers, trades unionists, factory workers and presbyters – Lutheran and Church of South India. Managers’ meetings, health and safety, family budgetting, Bible studies, Industrial Harvest services, May Day services for Labour Day, in-service training lasting a month for theological students, joint meetings with other teams in Durgapur, Bangalore, Coimbatore and Mumbai – all of these were the order of the day. Halcyon days indeed in which Roy was in his element.
Working alongside him, one discovered that though he didn’t suffer fools gladly, especially sycophantic Bible-bashers, he was incredibly patient with all sorts of people. His sense of humour was abundant. He could always see the funny side of things with his wry smile and muted, chuckling laughter. Roy was able to talk to people from all walks of life and treat them as equal. He was as much at home in the managing director’s office as he was discussing divorce with the crane drivers or having a cosy chat with the shop stewards. In later life while working in Sheffield his son David was surprised once when Roy asked him about good beers! “Dad was teetotal, but we found out that he was doing research so that he could have a subject to discuss with shop-floor workers!”
Roy touched the lives of many people. Mark Twain once said "Let us endeavor so to live that when we come to die even the undertaker will be sorry." Roy did just that. He preached his last sermon on Easter Sunday 8th April, but his whole life was a sermon. To work with him was to learn the real meaning of integrity and one wonders when we shall see his like again.
Murdoch MacKenzie
