The Revd Thomas William Stobart: 1932-2023

Tom Stobart, in Baptist ministry for 40 years before his retirement and with an openness to all denominations, died on 26 July 2023

 
Tom was born on 5th March 1932, the first son in a farming family. He spent most of his childhood at Howgill Farm near Sebergham in northern Cumbria, before moving a few miles to Brocklebank. A lifelong love of the countryside and walking probably stems from this time; but a farming life was not for him and, after school at Wigton, Tom went south to the London Bible College to train for ministry in the Baptist Church. National Service in the army followed, where working as a clerk, he was made lance corporal.

He became minister at Crown Street Baptist Church in Millom, Cumbria, in 1957. The following year he and Ruth (née Hutchinson) were married on 2nd August. They had first met when Tom was a student and did a placement with her father, who was in the London City Mission. In 1962 they moved with their daughter Jill to Rawtenstall in Lancashire, where Tom was pastor of Sion Baptist Church, Cloughfold, and Acre Mill Baptist Church, Stacksteads. The family grew with the arrival of Ian, Lyn and Jon.

After 7 years, Tom felt called to the very different context of suburbia in Cranham in Essex. After three years they moved again and settled in Cheshire. The family lived in Tarporley as Tom became minister of the Mid-Cheshire Fellowship of Baptist Churches: Anderton, Little Leigh, Milton and Tarporley.

During his time there, Tom was moderator of the Lancashire and Cheshire Association of Baptist Churches (1980) and was instrumental in reaching agreement to share premises with Tarporley Methodist Church as their building fell into disrepair. Shared services followed and the churches formally united as a Local Ecumenical Partnership – a tribute to Tom’s openness to all denominations.

Tom retired in 1997 after forty years in the ministry, and he and Ruth moved to Barnton. He remained active as a preacher into his 80s, but spent much of his time gardening, reading or helping to look after his seven grandchildren and eight great-grandchildren.

He touched many lives and will be remembered very fondly and with a lot of love by family and friends for his gentleness, kindness, compassion and lovely sense of humour.

Ian Stobart

A Thanksgiving Service will be held at 2pm on 14th August 2023 at Little Leigh Baptist Church, Ash House Lane, CW8 4RJ