Lesslie Newbigin (1909–1998) was born in Newcastle-on-Tyne in the UK. He completed his undergraduate studies in Cambridge and then served as staff secretary of the Student Christian Movement in Glasgow, Scotland. He studied theology at Westminster College at Cambridge and was ordained by the Presbytery of Edinburgh, Church of Scotland in 1936. That same year, he married Helen Henderson and the couple left for India, where he was to be missionary of the Church of Scotland. In 1947, he was consecrated Bishop in the Church of South India, formed by the union of Anglican, Methodist, and Reformed churches. He also served on the Central Committee of the World Council of Churches and as chairman of the Advisory Committee on the main theme of the Second Assembly. He was called to be General Secretary of the International Missionary Council with offices in London and New York in 1959. He was responsible for carrying through final negotiations for the merger with the World Council of Churches. In 1962, he became the first director of the Division of World Mission and Evangelism and associate general secretary of the World Council of Churches with headquarters in Geneva. In 1965, he was recalled by the Church of South India as Bishop in Madras and remained there until his retirement in 1974. He lived in London, until his death. |
