A great man has been taken from us. Mike was a very gifted man, speaking French and German, having prodigious administrative gifts, gifted also in sports - rowing for his Cambridge College as well as the RAF, gifted as a leader who could take hold of a tough situation and calmly turn it around, he was a good pianist and several churches were blessed by this gift. He had a wonderful personality and was able to interact easily with a huge variety of people and put them at ease. With him there was no pompousness or pretence, no attempt to project a particular persona: he was humble, in fact in his heart a servant of many. Having said that Mike had a presence about him and there were times when I saw that in operation!
All these gifts, and many more, he devoted to the service of the newly independent countries of West and especially of Central Africa. Zambia is the country that benefitted tremendously from Mike’s expertise, where he used his gifts in the educational sphere to give leadership to St. Marks in the Southern Province and Mpelembe in the Copperbelt, and in developing educational broadcasting on ZNBC. He also led the CMAZ, assisting the Mission hospitals all over the country - a vital and essential part of the national health system.
Underlying everything was a clear, straightforward Christian faith. I don’t think Mike was very interested in doctrinal issues as such; his faith was worked out in service wherever he was placed. I was very struck, for example, by the way he came back to Chengelo in his 70s as an English teacher - purely on a voluntary basis. Many years before he had been the Head of the school for a short period, now he re-appeared as assistant English teacher! By the way the kids loved him and I believe one girl wrote thanking him because he was the best English teacher she every had!
These are just a few thoughts. He was loved and respected by so many especially in the land he loved. Yes, a great man has been taken from us, but he has gone to his eternal reward! Thank God for every memory of Mike!