Ickenham Church News - November 2006

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Paul as a Parish Priest

During 1977 Paul was invited to become Rector of the parish of St Giles’ Church Ickenham, and it soon became apparent what an excellent choice had been made by those delegated to find the ‘perfect’ person for the task ahead.

It became obvious, immediately, that Paul’s intellectual skills, integrity, and experience, were of the highest order, but no one might have guessed how such an humble and wise man, who asked only that one do everything for God and not for themselves, would have had so great an influence on his flock, and those outside the church.

Paul was a firm supporter of the theology of the ‘priesthood of all believers’ while at the same time recognising that, through specialised training, the clergy had a role to be enablers of others.

The Revd. Philip Robinson attests to this during his time as Lay Reader when finally he decided seek ordination and became Paul’s successor as Rector.

I will always be grateful to Paul who saw something in me that enabled my small, ongoing, contribution to parish life.

We suspect that his time in Preston was of enormous importance as it was there that his discourses with students helped him to discover people of faith in the broadest sense.

His sermons were always finely crafted, sympathetic, and compelling. They always had the sharp edge of intellectual rigour, and it was difficult to ‘drift off’ when Paul took to the pulpit! His final sermon to us delivered, without notes, from the pulpit of the United Reformed Church last May, was nothing short of spiritually electrifying. It was given during the 25^th Anniversary Service of the Covenant between our two village churches.

The creation and solemn signing of this binding Covenant between St Giles’ Church and Ickenham United Reformed Church was an occasion of great joy, and one that has begun to act as a model for a number of parishes in England. There were many other outstanding achievements during the seventeen years of his time in Ickenham, but possibly this one was Paul’s ‘finest hour’.

Paul was one of the kindest people we ever knew and he was always willing to help anyone in ways too numerous to recount fully here and now. He was acutely aware of the damage we are doing to our environment and played his part in maintaining the cleanliness of our community. Paul was often spotted collecting litter, and binning it, as he walked through the Village. He was an inspiration to all of us.

His hospitality was wonderful, and his energy and his attention to the weak, the homeless, the discouraged, the bereaved, and the damaged, legendary. Paul was loved greatly by all who met him, and one could not leave him without feeling the better for having been in his presence.

Paul was immensely supportive and encouraging of others, and he was someone who carried his learning lightly.

Disguised under what was sometimes perceived as a rather serious demeanour, was a man full of fun and with a dry, often irreverent, sense of humour. The actor in him was just crying out to be released and, at the right time, he loved to immerse himself in dramatic stage presentations and choral singing.

During the 650^th Anniversary Celebrations for St Giles’ Church, in 1985, he donned 17^th century costume to play the part of Samuel Pepys. His performance ‘brought down the house’ and did so again the following Sunday when he climbed the steps of the pulpit to deliver his sermon still wearing his long, flowing, wig.

Paul enjoyed, thoroughly, recording his part in the video of the History of St Giles’ Church. He was word perfect on the set, and so disappointed at having created, in film parlance, ‘a wrap’ on his first take that he begged to have several more goes and thereby added spontaneous additions and asides.

In Paul we had a man through who God’s love shone. He was the epitome of a priest with a true sense of vocation and with a great understanding of the world and its peoples.

However, it was the work of the Holy Spirit through him, and the love and steadfast support of his wife Gill and his sons Peter and Jonathan that enabled him to be the man, friend, and colleague, he was. Through him we were privileged to glimpse what we might be and what we can hope to become.

God blessed you Paul as your life of witness blessed all those who love you still. Adieu, and rest in peace until we meet again.

David Crane