Jerusalem
and the Middle East
Church Association

Download a PDF of our magazine (800k)

Editorial
Treasurer's notes

News

Introducing:

The Venerable Ralph Lindley CBE

Ralph Lindley was successively Archdeacon in the Gulf and General Secretary of the Jerusalem and the Middle East Church Association.

Born in 1920, Ralph Adrian Lindley served during World War Two in the Royal Air Force. After the War, he went up to St John’s Durham where, having taken his degree, he trained for ordination. Ordained in 1953, he served his curacy in Burnley. Then followed fifteen years as a Royal Air Force chaplain.

While in Bahrain, Ralph met George Appleton, recently appointed Archbishop in Jerusalem, who invited him to become Archdeacon in the Gulf and Chaplain in Abu Dhabi and Qatar. Based in Abu Dhabi, Ralph continued the monthly pattern of visits to Qatar and Das Island. This was a significant period in the development of Abu Dhabi, with rapid expansion and a growing expatriate population. Ralph was very much involved, especially, though by no means exclusively, with the British Community. He and his wife Margot, herself active in Church and Community, worked very much as a partnership. One of their projects, taken up by other Churches in the Gulf, was the establishment of the Thrift Centre. Ralph was at heart a pastor and many valued his care and counselling skills. The award in 1975 of a CBE was a great joy to his many friends.

The present Province and the Diocese of Cyprus and the Gulf were inaugurated in January 1976. Ralph was present at the ceremonies in Jerusalem and at the new Central Synod which met immediately afterwards in Amman. Leaving the Gulf, but not the Middle East Church, in 1978, he became General Secretary of JMECA, establishing an office in the Gatehouse of Farnham Castle. Retiring to St Briavels in 1986, Ralph nursed Margot through increasing ill health. He maintained his interest in the Middle East and helped in the local Church.

Ralph Lindley was a ‘people person’, a great conversationalist, always with a pastor’s concern. Almost to the end, he was active with the Samaritans. He was a true servant of God for whose ministry and friendship many will be grateful.

Clive Handford
Bishop Clive Handford was Bishop of Cyprus and the Gulf 1996-2007 and Presiding Bishop of the Province 2002-2007.

The Revd Barry Simmons was a colleague of Archdeacon Lindley in Gulf days and spoke at the funeral in St.Briavels. We add a part of his tribute:

“Ralph was an absolute bundle of joyful energy with many a story to tell. He was a great conversationalist but he liked people, gave the impression he liked you and would listen to you. He didn’t just talk, he listened. Ralph was a gem, there are not many like him. I joined him in the Gulf after 13 years as a priest having served in UK, Jamaica and Hong Kong but I have always realised and been deeply aware that my time in the Arabian Gulf with Ralph Lindley immensely developed and significantly influenced my priesthood, for the good.”

Several people have remembered the Archdeacon with affection. Mrs Mary Greville, a former secretary of this Association, recalls:

“In his RAF days Ralph was training in Canada to be a pilot when he and another chap dived into a swimming pool, the other person’s fingers went into his right eye and he was blinded in that eye and had to leave the RAF which was a sad blow…”

All correspondents comment on his great enjoyment of people and events:

“He was like an eager little boy full of fun, and he never lost it”

A photograph of Archdeacon Lindley is carried in the Advent 2009 Bible Lands