November 2011
He was a quiet, intense young man with an impressive dark beard, a rich bass voice and a sudden deep smile. “Mr Williams is here to lecture and to spend time in study” we were told on asking about his unexpected appearance as we began our second year of ordination training.
And he did. His love of the Bible and command of the early church writers were profound and inspiring. He opened up to us the wonders of scripture and of Augustine, Martin Luther, St Teresa of Avila and the Eastern churches. His preaching was direct and sometimes painfully challenging. But we also learned quickly of his commitment to faith and learning being essentially a shared experience, not a one-person show.
He loved conversation which engaged all, whether our thoughts were petty or worthwhile. He was endlessly patient as we shared our thinking, our feelings and our faith. And, despite what seemed to us his boundless knowledge, he always thirsted to know more. When he found that I had just come back from three years in Zambia, he slowly drew out every detail I knew of its life, its struggles, its church and its hopes. ...
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