The Fellowship of Reconciliation was sad to hear of Norman Kember’s recent death. Norman’s contribution to an active Baptist Peace theology and the life of both the Fellowship of Reconciliation and the Baptist Peace Fellowship cannot be overstated. His combination of strong personal faith, sense of humour and deep commitment to a challenging vision of peace meant he left a lasting impression on all who met him.
His contribution to the Fellowship of Reconciliation took many different forms. First, he collaborated for many years on the ‘Peace Zone’ at Greenbelt Festival. There, he brought a natural curiosity and great sense of fun to ensure that a Christian understanding of peace was vibrant and engaging.
Second, and possibly most famously, he was a Trustee of the Fellowship when he was taken hostage in Iraq in 2005 as part of a Christian Peacemaker Team. Much was said about that time, including all he wrote in his book, and he used his experience as a springboard to bring new opportunities for a powerful message of peace and reconciliation. This includes a high-profile interview at Greenbelt Festival in 2006.
Chris Cole, who was Director of the Fellowship of Reconciliation when Norman was a Trustee, said:
“I remember him as a very kind, energetic man who was always keen to support young peacemakers. He was always willing to experiment in communicating about peace-making to try to reach new audiences. He had a terrific sense of humour and loved his wife, Pat, and his family very deeply”
Individual members of the Fellowship carry many other memories, including his images of bathtubs and his work on the Iona to Canterbury pilgrimage in the 1980s. This only captures an element of his lifetme commitment to peace, including being a conscientious objector. His life has left many different ripples, which will continue to spread.
His family have shared a livestream link for the funeral, which is still avaliable
