RIP: The Revd Canon Geoffrey Evans MA OBE


Today in the Parish Church of Chalfont St Peter, surrounded by his family, friends and former parishioners, we bade farewell to Fr Geoffrey Evans, one of the longest serving priests of this diocese in Europe. Bishop Geoffrey Rowell presided at the requiem eucharist and Archdeacon of Morgannwg Christopher Smith preached and and brought many memories of Fr Geoffrey, some very amusing indeed, as well as reminding us of the Church in Wales heritage which so shaped his priestly ministry.

Fr Geoffrey was born in 1934 and died on Easter Eve, 4 April 2015. The preacher noted how fitting it was that he died on Easter Eve, that great time when the Church gathers in darkness to then encounter the brightness of the Resurrection: Fr Geoffrey's entire ministry centred on bringing joy and light to those around him.

Fr Geoffrey was ordained when I was but one year old! Nevertheless, we got on famously. In fact it was hard not to get on with him. I enjoyed my many visits with him in Turkey when we would remember adventures, in different decades mind you, in Guyana where he was a missionary and where I journeyed frequently as the Latin America and Caribbean Mission Coordinator for the Anglican Church of Canada. There were also memorable visits to the Syrian Orthodox monasteries of Tur Abdin with Fr Geoffrey who was such a faithful friend to the beleaguered Syrian Orthodox community.

A younger (and bearded) Fr Geoffrey presiding at the eucharist in Ephesus

His first appointment in this diocese was in 1973 as chaplain in Izmir and Bornova. He also served in Rome, Moscow, Istanbul and Ankara. He was the last person to hold the glorious title of Archdeacon of the Aegean and the Danube!

This diocese and the Church is richer for his ministry. We thank God for this gift of a faithful servant.
Give rest, O Christ, to your servant with the saints: where sorrow and pain are no more, neither sighing, but life everlasting.

With young Syrian Orthodox friends in Tur Abdin

Comments

  1. Anonymous12 February 2016 at 13:54

    Rest in Peace Dear Father Geoffrey ,I known him when I was live in Ankara an He was a Chaplin of st nicholas church in Ankara located in British Embassy .I learn alot from him and His house 'doors was open to every one and he was helping a lot refugees and Asylum seeker and people in need in Turkey . it is too late fr me to hear that he sleep in jesus. I could say He was smart and brave and in good shape well know about everything and faithful to our lord jesus christ .

    ReplyDelete
  2. Anonymous12 February 2016 at 13:54

    Rest in Peace Dear Father Geoffrey ,I known him when I was live in Ankara an He was a Chaplin of st nicholas church in Ankara located in British Embassy .I learn alot from him and His house 'doors was open to every one and he was helping a lot refugees and Asylum seeker and people in need in Turkey . it is too late fr me to hear that he sleep in jesus. I could say He was smart and brave and in good shape well know about everything and faithful to our lord jesus christ .

    ReplyDelete
  3. Anonymous12 February 2016 at 13:54

    Rest in Peace Dear Father Geoffrey ,I known him when I was live in Ankara an He was a Chaplin of st nicholas church in Ankara located in British Embassy .I learn alot from him and His house 'doors was open to every one and he was helping a lot refugees and Asylum seeker and people in need in Turkey . it is too late fr me to hear that he sleep in jesus. I could say He was smart and brave and in good shape well know about everything and faithful to our lord jesus christ .

    ReplyDelete
  4. keith.suter@bigpond.com11 April 2017 at 10:54

    Greetings from Sydney. I met Father Geoffrey in 2005 at St Nicholas' Church. I did a radio programme on his pioneering Gallipoli ministry (which was of great interest to Australians). He was a wonderful servant of the Lord.

    ReplyDelete

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Farewell to the Diocese in Europe

Image
Deacon Frances and I packed up our office yesterday and turned over our official files, emails and equipment. Thus a close working together for 22 years comes to an end. So it is hard to believe that today, St David's day, a new chapter begins, after 44 years of stipendiary ministry, 22 years as deacon then priest and 22 as a bishop.  Here are just a few memories from the last couple of months...   But now it is time to begin a new chapter.  O God, by whose command the order of time runs its course: forgive our impatience, perfect our faith and, while we await the fulfilment of your promise, grant us to have a good hope because of your Word,  even Jesus Christ our Lord. (St Gregory Nazianzus, 330 - 390)
Read more

Archbishop of Canterbury's Pentecost Letter: A European Consequence

Image
In his Pentecost letter, the Archbishop of Canterbury warned of certain consequences for provinces of the Anglican Communion which have failed to stand by the three moratoria . (No authorisation of blessings services for same-sex unions; no consecrations of bishops living in same-sex relationships; and no bishop authorising any ministry within the diocese of another bishop without explicit permission). One consequence would be that representatives from such provinces w ould not be able to participate in the formal international interchurch dialogues of the Communion. One of those dialogues is the Anglican-Old Catholic International Co-ordinating Council ( AOCICC ), the official instrument set up to deepen the relationship of communion established in 1931 between the Anglican Communion and the Old Catholic Churches of the Union of Utrecht . As the member Churches of the Union of Utrecht are all European, the AOCICC is effectively a European body. (I am one of the members, appo...
Read more

Bishop Austin Rios of California

Image
It was a joyful, colourful, multicultural three-hour liturgy. At Grace Cathedral, San Francisco, the Revd Austin Rios was consecrated the bishop coadjutor of the Diocese of California. I have known Austin from his time as the Rector of St Paul's Episcopal Church in Rome, where he was a great friend and collaborator with our own Church of England All Saints Chaplaincy in that city. The liturgy, appropriately, marked the multiculural make-up of the diocese, with prayers, readings, hymns and songs in English, Spanish, Tagalog, Tonga and Mandarin. The final procession was led by a Chinese dragon! I was told that there were about 300 in the procession and 2000 present in the beautiful gothic cathedral on Nob Hill San Francisco. My good friend and ecuenical colleague from Rome Fr Keith Peckers SJ was also in attenance, so the Church of Rome and the Church of England were both represented! Among the bishop friends present were Bishop Mark Edington of the Episcopal Convocation in Europe, a...
Read more