Trevor Huddleston
Encyclopedia
Ernest Urban Trevor Huddleston CR
, KCMG (15 June 1913 – 20 April 1998) was an English
Anglican bishop
. He was most well known for his anti-apartheid activism and his 'Prayer for Africa'. He was the second Archbishop
of the Church of the Province of the Indian Ocean
.
, England
and educated at Lancing College
(1927-1931), Christ Church, Oxford
and at Wells Theological College
. He joined an Anglican religious order, the Community of the Resurrection
(CR), in 1939, taking vows in 1941, having already served for over two years as a curate at St Mark's Swindon
.
, Sophiatown (Johannesburg
, South Africa
). He was sent there to build on the work of Raymond Raines CR, whose monumental efforts there had proved to be so demanding that the community summoned him back to Mirfield in order to recuperate. Raines was deeply concerned about who should be appointed to succeed him. He met Huddleston (at that stage still a novice
in the community) who had been appointed to nurse him while he was in the infirmary. As a result of that meeting, much to Huddleston's surprise, Raines was convinced that he had found his successor.
Over the course of the next 13 years in Sophiatown, Huddleston developed into a much-loved priest and respected anti-Apartheid activist, earning him the nickname Makhalipile ("dauntless one"). He fought against the Apartheid laws and in 1955 the ANC
gave him the rare honour of bestowing on him the title Isitwalandwe
at the famous Freedom Congress in Kliptown.
mother house in West Yorkshire
for two years, and then Prior
of the Order's branch priory in London
where he remained until his election as a bishop. He was consecrated Bishop of Masasi
(Tanzania
) in 1960, where he worked for eight years, before becoming Bishop of Stepney
(a suffragan bishop
in the Diocese of London
). After 10 years in England, he was appointed (in 1978) Bishop of Mauritius, a diocese of the Province of the Indian Ocean, and later the same year was elected Archbishop of the Province of the Indian Ocean.
In 1994 received honours from Tanzania (Torch of Kilimanjaro) and was awarded the Indira Gandhi Award for Peace, Disarmament, and Development. In the 1998 New Year Honours
he was appointed a Knight Commander of the Order of St Michael and St George (KCMG).
, England. A window in memory of him is at the Lancing College
chapel and was visited by Desmond Tutu
. They became friends after Huddleston visited Desmond as a boy ill in hospital with TB, and subsequently worked together opposing [Apartheid]]. The Huddleston Centre in Hackney
has been delivering youth provision to disabled young people living in Hackney for over 30 years, and continues to do so. The centre bears Trevor's surname after he intervened to ensure that part of a church building was converted to provide an accessible nursery, play (and latterly youth club) space for disabled young people in Hackney, regardless of their faith.
The Trevor Huddleston Memorial Centre in Sophiatown was established in 1999, following Trevor's death (in 1998) and the internment of his ashes in the garden of Christ the King church Sophiatown, where he had served for 13 years (see above). This Centre delivers youth development programmes as well as heritage and cultural projects promoting Huddleston's passion for young people, and his commitment to non-racialism, multi-faith work, and social justice.
God bless Africa,
Guard her people,
Guide her leaders,
And give her peace.
Alternative version (with emphasis on children):
God Bless Africa;
Guard her children;
Guide her leaders
And give her peace, for Jesus Christ's sake.
Amen.
Another alternative version:
God bless Africa, God bless Africa
Guard her children, guide her leaders.
God bless Africa, God bless Africa,
God bless Africa and bring her peace.
Community of the Resurrection
The Community of the Resurrection is an Anglican religious community for men. It was founded in 1892 by Charles Gore with Walter Howard Frere and four others....
, KCMG (15 June 1913 – 20 April 1998) was an English
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
Anglican bishop
Bishop
A bishop is an ordained or consecrated member of the Christian clergy who is generally entrusted with a position of authority and oversight. Within the Catholic Church, Eastern Orthodox, Oriental Orthodox Churches, in the Assyrian Church of the East, in the Independent Catholic Churches, and in the...
. He was most well known for his anti-apartheid activism and his 'Prayer for Africa'. He was the second Archbishop
Archbishop
An archbishop is a bishop of higher rank, but not of higher sacramental order above that of the three orders of deacon, priest , and bishop...
of the Church of the Province of the Indian Ocean
Church of the Province of the Indian Ocean
The Church of the Province of the Indian Ocean is a province of the Anglican Communion. It covers the islands of Madagascar, Mauritius and the Seychelles...
.
Early life
Huddleston was born in BedfordBedford
Bedford is the county town of Bedfordshire, in the East of England. It is a large town and the administrative centre for the wider Borough of Bedford. According to the former Bedfordshire County Council's estimates, the town had a population of 79,190 in mid 2005, with 19,720 in the adjacent town...
, England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
and educated at Lancing College
Lancing College
Lancing College is a co-educational English independent school in the British public school tradition, founded in 1848 by Nathaniel Woodard. Woodard's aim was to provide education "based on sound principle and sound knowledge, firmly grounded in the Christian faith." Lancing was the first of a...
(1927-1931), Christ Church, Oxford
Christ Church, Oxford
Christ Church or house of Christ, and thus sometimes known as The House), is one of the largest constituent colleges of the University of Oxford in England...
and at Wells Theological College
Wells Theological College
Wells Theological College began operation in 1840 within the Cathedral Close of Wells Cathedral. In 1971 it merged with Salisbury Theological College, the students moved to Salisbury, and the new institution became known as the Salisbury & Wells Theological College, now Sarum College.The official...
. He joined an Anglican religious order, the Community of the Resurrection
Community of the Resurrection
The Community of the Resurrection is an Anglican religious community for men. It was founded in 1892 by Charles Gore with Walter Howard Frere and four others....
(CR), in 1939, taking vows in 1941, having already served for over two years as a curate at St Mark's Swindon
Swindon
Swindon is a large town within the borough of Swindon and ceremonial county of Wiltshire, in South West England. It is midway between Bristol, west and Reading, east. London is east...
.
South Africa
In 1943, Huddleston went to the CR mission station at RosettenvilleRosettenville, Gauteng
Rosettenville is a suburb of Johannesburg, South Africa. It lies to the south of the city centre.Rosettenville is named after Leo Rosettenstein, who surveyed the land and sold stands before gold was discovered on the Witwatersrand...
, Sophiatown (Johannesburg
Johannesburg
Johannesburg also known as Jozi, Jo'burg or Egoli, is the largest city in South Africa, by population. Johannesburg is the provincial capital of Gauteng, the wealthiest province in South Africa, having the largest economy of any metropolitan region in Sub-Saharan Africa...
, South Africa
South Africa
The Republic of South Africa is a country in southern Africa. Located at the southern tip of Africa, it is divided into nine provinces, with of coastline on the Atlantic and Indian oceans...
). He was sent there to build on the work of Raymond Raines CR, whose monumental efforts there had proved to be so demanding that the community summoned him back to Mirfield in order to recuperate. Raines was deeply concerned about who should be appointed to succeed him. He met Huddleston (at that stage still a novice
Novice
A novice is a person or creature who is new to a field or activity. The term is most commonly applied in religion and sports.-Buddhism:In many Buddhist orders, a man or woman who intends to take ordination must first become a novice, adopting part of the monastic code indicated in the vinaya and...
in the community) who had been appointed to nurse him while he was in the infirmary. As a result of that meeting, much to Huddleston's surprise, Raines was convinced that he had found his successor.
Over the course of the next 13 years in Sophiatown, Huddleston developed into a much-loved priest and respected anti-Apartheid activist, earning him the nickname Makhalipile ("dauntless one"). He fought against the Apartheid laws and in 1955 the ANC
African National Congress
The African National Congress is South Africa's governing Africanist political party, supported by its tripartite alliance with the Congress of South African Trade Unions and the South African Communist Party , since the establishment of non-racial democracy in April 1994. It defines itself as a...
gave him the rare honour of bestowing on him the title Isitwalandwe
Isitwalandwe Medal
The Isitwalandwe Medal is the highest award given by the African National Congress . Isitwalandwe means “the one who wears the plumes of the rare bird.” It was customarily only given to the bravest warriors, those distinguished by their leadership and heroism.Past recipients...
at the famous Freedom Congress in Kliptown.
Return to England, Tanzania and Mauritius
Huddleston's order asked him to return to England in 1956, where he worked as the master of novices at the CR's MirfieldMirfield
Mirfield is a small town and civil parish within the Metropolitan Borough of Kirklees, in West Yorkshire, England. It is located on the A644 road between Brighouse and Dewsbury...
mother house in West Yorkshire
West Yorkshire
West Yorkshire is a metropolitan county within the Yorkshire and the Humber region of England with a population of 2.2 million. West Yorkshire came into existence as a metropolitan county in 1974 after the passage of the Local Government Act 1972....
for two years, and then Prior
Prior
Prior is an ecclesiastical title, derived from the Latin adjective for 'earlier, first', with several notable uses.-Monastic superiors:A Prior is a monastic superior, usually lower in rank than an Abbot. In the Rule of St...
of the Order's branch priory in London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
where he remained until his election as a bishop. He was consecrated Bishop of Masasi
Anglican Diocese of Masasi
The Anglican Diocese of Masasi is one of 21 within the Anglican Church of Tanzania Created in 1926, its first Bishop was William Lucas. The most notable bishop was Trevor Huddleston. The current incumbent is Patrick Mwachiko.-References:...
(Tanzania
Tanzania
The United Republic of Tanzania is a country in East Africa bordered by Kenya and Uganda to the north, Rwanda, Burundi, and the Democratic Republic of the Congo to the west, and Zambia, Malawi, and Mozambique to the south. The country's eastern borders lie on the Indian Ocean.Tanzania is a state...
) in 1960, where he worked for eight years, before becoming Bishop of Stepney
Bishop of Stepney
The Bishop of Stepney is an episcopal title used by a suffragan bishop of the Church of England Diocese of London, in the Province of Canterbury, England. The title takes its name after Stepney, an inner-city district in the London Borough of Tower Hamlets...
(a suffragan bishop
Suffragan bishop
A suffragan bishop is a bishop subordinate to a metropolitan bishop or diocesan bishop. He or she may be assigned to an area which does not have a cathedral of its own.-Anglican Communion:...
in the Diocese of London
Diocese of London
The Anglican Diocese of London forms part of the Province of Canterbury in England.Historically the diocese covered a large area north of the Thames and bordered the dioceses of Norwich and Lincoln to the north and west. The present diocese covers and 17 London boroughs, covering most of Greater...
). After 10 years in England, he was appointed (in 1978) Bishop of Mauritius, a diocese of the Province of the Indian Ocean, and later the same year was elected Archbishop of the Province of the Indian Ocean.
After retirement
After his retirement from episcopal office in 1983, Huddleston started anti-Apartheid work outside of South Africa, having become President of the Anti-Apartheid movement in 1981.In 1994 received honours from Tanzania (Torch of Kilimanjaro) and was awarded the Indira Gandhi Award for Peace, Disarmament, and Development. In the 1998 New Year Honours
New Year Honours
The New Year Honours is a part of the British honours system, being a civic occasion on the New Year annually in which new members of most Commonwealth Realms honours are named. The awards are presented by the reigning monarch or head of state, currently Queen Elizabeth II...
he was appointed a Knight Commander of the Order of St Michael and St George (KCMG).
Death and legacy
Huddleston died at Mirfield, West YorkshireWest Yorkshire
West Yorkshire is a metropolitan county within the Yorkshire and the Humber region of England with a population of 2.2 million. West Yorkshire came into existence as a metropolitan county in 1974 after the passage of the Local Government Act 1972....
, England. A window in memory of him is at the Lancing College
Lancing College
Lancing College is a co-educational English independent school in the British public school tradition, founded in 1848 by Nathaniel Woodard. Woodard's aim was to provide education "based on sound principle and sound knowledge, firmly grounded in the Christian faith." Lancing was the first of a...
chapel and was visited by Desmond Tutu
Desmond Tutu
Desmond Mpilo Tutu is a South African activist and retired Anglican bishop who rose to worldwide fame during the 1980s as an opponent of apartheid...
. They became friends after Huddleston visited Desmond as a boy ill in hospital with TB, and subsequently worked together opposing [Apartheid]]. The Huddleston Centre in Hackney
London Borough of Hackney
The London Borough of Hackney is a London borough of North/North East London, and forms part of inner London. The local authority is Hackney London Borough Council....
has been delivering youth provision to disabled young people living in Hackney for over 30 years, and continues to do so. The centre bears Trevor's surname after he intervened to ensure that part of a church building was converted to provide an accessible nursery, play (and latterly youth club) space for disabled young people in Hackney, regardless of their faith.
The Trevor Huddleston Memorial Centre in Sophiatown was established in 1999, following Trevor's death (in 1998) and the internment of his ashes in the garden of Christ the King church Sophiatown, where he had served for 13 years (see above). This Centre delivers youth development programmes as well as heritage and cultural projects promoting Huddleston's passion for young people, and his commitment to non-racialism, multi-faith work, and social justice.
Prayer for Africa
A noted and famous prayer of Huddleston's is the "Prayer for Africa" which has been recited throughout South Africa, Tanzania and in other African countries:God bless Africa,
Guard her people,
Guide her leaders,
And give her peace.
Alternative version (with emphasis on children):
God Bless Africa;
Guard her children;
Guide her leaders
And give her peace, for Jesus Christ's sake.
Amen.
Another alternative version:
God bless Africa, God bless Africa
Guard her children, guide her leaders.
God bless Africa, God bless Africa,
God bless Africa and bring her peace.
External links
- Audio samples
- Obituary by Aelred Stubbs
- The Life and Work of Archbishop Trevor Huddleston: links and biography on ANC website
- Items from the Press on the Death of Archbishop Trevor Huddleston: ANC website
- Trevor Huddleston CR Memorial Centre, Sophiatown, Johannesburg, South Africa
- Naught for Your Comfort online text at archive.org