Ralph Ernest Gregory: 1932-2025
Electrical engineer and lay preacher in the Bristol area who always got across the message "I love Jesus and you should do as well"
Ralph was a lay preacher in the Bristol area. An electrical engineer by profession, Ralph cut his teeth taking services through Horfield Baptist Church (HBC) Christian Endeavour in his mid teens, when the group would travel collectively to Woodford Baptist on the A38 towards Gloucester. A short time afterwards he became a member of the Baptist Itinerant Society and served until the society 'evolved' into the Association in the early 2010s.
Ralph would take two-to-three services every quarter including churches such as Dundry, Blagdon, Winford, Nempnett Thrubwell among others. In his time he served other Baptist churches through invitation including Eastville, Stapleton, Southmead, Pill, and of course Woodford Baptist. When Woodford closed the members attended Berkeley Independent Church and he was invited there.
He also served for a number of years from the early millennium as Itinerant Plan Secretary producing the quarterly preaching rota for the Baptist Itinerant Society until its close.
Ralph was initially taken by his neighbour to Horfield Baptist Church aged four and was baptised when he was 15.
At HBC he taught in the Junior Sunday School and it was here where he would meet his wife Janet, a Primary Sunday School teacher. They married at HBC in 1957, and had four children: Adrian, Ruth, Bob, and Jenny.
Janet's role was to stay at home looking after the children, allowing Ralph to serve his Lord not only at HBC including as a deacon but also preaching in the country churches.
Ralph's motivation in all things was to serve his Lord and share the good news of the gospel with all he met, be it at work, or socially including the wrestlers at the Colston Hall including Giant Haystacks and Jimmy Breaks who Ralph got to know, and of course at HBC and the itinerant churches.
Ralph on his passing was best summed up in the words of the Revd Ian Thornley (former President of the Baptist Itinerant Society):
'Way back at the very beginning of my time in Southmead (Baptist) Ralph was part of the preaching team and that team made my time as a student minister possible. Through it I came to appreciate the love of Jesus which Ralph had, and the gentle loving way he conveyed that as he preached. His preaching was really Godly chatter and none the worse for that. He always got across the message "I love Jesus and you should do as well".
'Ralph was always so genuine and sincere that our congregation loved him. He was also much loved by the Itinerant Society Churches.'
Ralph died on 31 July, 2025, and leaves his four children; daughter-in-law Paula; sons-in-law Arthur and Colin; grandchildren Jonathan, Thomas, Victoria, Hollie and Sophie, and great grandchild Albert.
Adrian Gregory