Last week we lost a giant.
Pastor Ray Belfield went to heaven.
I use that term giant deliberately.
No, Pastor Ray wasn’t extremely tall (although, I suppose, compared to my height, yes he was).
I call him a giant because he stood taller in life than most people on the planet.
Here’s why…
Crazy Idea
Back in the 1960s, Pastor Ray made a leap of faith to bring his family from pastoring a successful church in sunny Australia to the Lancashire town of Wigan (certainly not known for its sunshine and beaches).
Back then, the Wigan church didn’t have the large 1000-seater auditorium that we have now.
But they did have a couple of dozen faithful people who went to work delivering leaflets around the suburbs for the crazy idea that their new pastor had come up with.
He was going to take a marquee around the town and conduct some “Divine Healing” services.
That’s where I heard the Gospel preached for the first time, where my Mum was miraculously healed, and where I first met Pastor Ray Belfield.
I quickly learned that Pastor Ray loved people, he talked about God like he knew Him personally, and he never stopped working.
Expensive!
Back then, I thought nothing of it. But the cost of putting on those events must have been massively expensive for such a small congregation and this new pastor with his young family to support.
But such was the passion of the man. Such was his determination to share the Good News he’d personally experienced.
So he and his family and the people of the tiny church made the financial commitment.
Over 47 years on, with a bit more of an understanding of how much things cost, how grateful I am.
Where I am today is a result of that sacrifice.
Potential
Pastor Ray had an incredible knack of seeing potential in people.
He saw potential in me that I never knew I had. And he sought to develop that potential.
“We got this new technology device.”
“Oh yes…” I said, looking at the Overhead Projector.
I turned the cold steel handle. The long roll of acetate moved across the screen with a squeak and a wobble.
“Wow!” I exclaimed.
This was 1970s technology at its best.
“Would you like to operate it in all the meetings?”
“You bet I would.” The technology geek had been recognised.
It was my first voluntary role in the church and I threw myself into the job.
Time went on and Pastor Ray asked me to consider another role… and another…
And not just me. Pastor Ray was always training people on the job. He was constantly giving people opportunities.
- People came from Bible College to put their learning into reality in a live church
- People came from overseas to learn how to lead churches
- Leaders grew up in the church and went on to lead their own churches and grow businesses
Pastor Ray loved training… helping… developing people.
And through it all, he always had a pastor’s heart that cared.
Successful Leaders Aren’t Afraid of Change
When a family inheritance came his way, Pastor Ray decided to use it to spend a year visiting churches around the world.
But not as a tourist.
No, that’s wasn’t in his nature.
Instead, he paid for himself, his wife, and a team of musicians to:
- Experience life in the world’s largest churches, learn from them and catch hold of their culture.
- Visit third world countries and struggling churches – and encourage and help them out.
- Speak, preach, teach – and sing (the musicians, not Ray!).
So he put trusted people in charge of the church – some of those he’d spent years training and developing – and set off.
The New Pastor
12 months later, we had a brand new Pastor.
No, I don’t mean Pastor Ray left.
I mean he was a different person.
From being a pastor who was leading a church, he became the Senior Leader of Area Pastors and Home Group Leaders.
We had a whole new structure. It was revolutionary, and the beginning of a new season of growth.
No Electricity
But perhaps more importantly, what he saw in the impoverished regions of the world lit something in him.
“Project 5000” was born – with its aim to generate £5000 for overseas missions work.
Now that might not sound a lot today. But back in 1979, with a church of around 100, it was a huge ask – possibly on the same level as back in 1970 for that crazy tent mission.
I remember Pastor Ray telling us the story of a chap who had left the civilisation of Great Britain to serve a deprived tribe somewhere in the mountains of Papua New Guinea. With emotion in his voice from experiencing the deprivation first hand, he explained that this man had no electricity… and he wanted to do something about it.
So our first task was to raise enough money to buy a generator and have it delivered.
Now anyone who knew Pastor Ray would know that he could talk… and talk.
But now he had a new fire about him.
The people in the church were also fired up – and they got behind the project, giving and pledging money.
How exciting it was to read in the church’s bulletin after a few weeks that “The Lights are on in Papua New Guinea”. I can still remember that headline today. We’d made one man’s sacrifice a little less tough.
And eventually, the full £5000 target was reached – so we were able to help many other overseas missions projects.
But now, the church was different.
We’d always tried to be generous. But now, thanks to Pastor Ray’s new global vision, the church had a brand new mindset of generosity, responding to specific needs around the world.
We were now truly international.
All because Pastor Ray was willing to be adventurous and wasn’t afraid to change direction.
Ray The Entrepreneur
As the church grew steadily, Pastor Ray was never short of ideas (if he’d been in business, he’d have been an amazing entrepreneur and business leader).
To create more space…
- We built an extension.
- We built a balcony.
- We had duplicate Sunday services.
- We moved the stage and turned the seats around and took down the partition into the overflow hall.
- We hired a nightclub and a cinema for the Sunday services.
And eventually, we moved from the old building at Scholes to our present location.
Now that took an incredible leap of faith, belief and audacity.
I ask myself… if I’d been in his position… would I have taken that leap?
I doubt it.
And that is why I thank God for Pastor Ray, who…
- Went for and achieved the seemingly impossible
- Loved people passionately
- Was a hero of faith
- Saw hidden potential in people and drew it out
- Provided incredible opportunities to hundreds of people
- Introduced thousands to Jesus
- Wasn’t afraid to make changes
- Was internationally known and respected
- Was generous and giving
- Delivered happiness
So, thank you, Pastor Ray.
You’ve gone to your incredibly rich eternal reward.
But here on earth, your magnificent legacy lives on.
RIP
I could say, as tradition dictates, Rest in Peace.
But I’ve never known Pastor Ray to take a rest from anything.
He was always busy.
So I’ll just say “Enjoy Heaven, Pastor Ray.”
Related reading about my Mum’s healing in that tent mission
This is a most wonderful, notable and worthy tribute of a great friend, pastor, servant, leader etc., etc. I agree with all and thanks for putting it together.
Thank you Ernest. Yes, he was a remarkable man indeed.
This us amazing tribute to a great pastor. Reading this brought memories of moving from scholas to pottery road and all the changes. Thankyou David really worthy tribute to amazing friendly passionate man of god.
Thanks Abigail. Yeah, that was a big move from Scholes – but the best thing we did. I’m so glad Pastor Ray had the vision to do it.
What a great tribute to a great man of God. Pastor Ray is to be honoured for the exemplary way in which he lived a life pleasing to God. He was a kind, caring, loving Pastor who was genuinely interested in people. You would ALWAYS get a hand shake from Pastor Ray. Either on your way into Church, on your way out, or somewhere in between. He knew your name and he knew your children’s names. He had a big heart, big dreams and great vision. So many lives today, including mine, are richer by having the privilege of being blessed to have known him.
We are sad at his passing but rejoicing that he is in his eternal home in Heaven.
Thank you, Diane. You summed him up beautifully there: “Big heart, big dreams, great vision”.
A Fantastic Tribute To One Fantastic Man Pastor Ray ,Is A Legend.
Thank You David .
Thanks, Pat. Pastor Ray was a legend indeed.
A beautiful tribute, David!
Thank you, Kathryn. He certainly was a remarkable man.
Pastor Ray truly was a giant and a real man of God. Thank you for this lovely tribute.
Thanks, Angie. A giant… with a doctor’s handwriting. Remember his handwritten Sunday sermon notes with not a millimetre of space wasted? (just remembered that – maybe I should have put it into the tribute!).
Pastor Ray Belfield – what can you say? – LEADER – ENCOURAGER – FACILITATOR – MISSIONS – MESSENGER – I was fresh out of prison and Pastor Ray invited me to Wigan to share my testimony – it was my first time ever speaking in public – I was terrified. He told me to relax and just be yourself – still attempting to do that today. Thank you Nelson Hogg for taking me to see Pastor Ray & Barbara some months back whilst I was in the UK – I kinda knew that would be our final goodbye – will miss you good friend!
Thanks, Pastor David, for sharing that story. I guess we’ll never learn about all the impact Pastor Ray had on individuals and nations until we get to heaven.
I came to Wigan 16 years of age in the mid 1960s with my fiance Derek Hocking who at the end of his time as a Herald was invited by Ray to be his Youth Director running meetings in various districts.around Wigan. It was a privilege to be in Ray and dear Barbara’s home and the Assembly. I learnt a great deal. The prayer meetings as we met in the old church seeking for a mighty move of God were awesome. There was a pressing need to find new premises. I remember Tom Wilson leaning forward as he preached as a piece of ceiling fell in one Sunday am. Someone brought him a metal hat to wear for the evening service whilst preaching! There was fun and faith and answers to prayer. I remember Ray sending a driver with an old ambulance to the bus station to urge folk to get on board and come to the crusade meetings and not to get on their bus. Derek and I were the first couple to be married in the new Scholes church in April 1969. I thank God for Pastor Ray and dear Barbara and the family of course. JAN Hocking.
Thank you for sharing those stories, Jan. Wow! Certainly lots of fun and faith! I’d heard stories of plaster falling and water dripping – but thankfully that was before I joined the “fun and faith” in the new Scholes building in 1970. What lengths Pastor Ray went to… and what a great entrepreneurial spirit.
Ray and Barbra were great friends of dad (George Deakin). It was dad who encouraged and recommended that Ray become the Pastor in Wigan after he previously had pastored there for five years, followed by a revival there. I recall as a child many nights of prayer meetings and sleeping on the seats as those powerful times of prayer for Wigan continued for hours. Ray conducted dads funeral travelling down to Somerset. Dad was a radical man way ahead of his time and suffered rejection from some who were not in agreement with him, however Ray was the man who stood by and supported him at this time, to see today what dad had seen in what was called body ministry etc. Ray no doubt will be praising God along with Dad and my brother Graham who he taught to drive in his Austin Somerset. We pray for Barbara and family at this time.
Thank you, Ian, for sharing that wonderful piece of history. What we experience now in Wigan can be traced back to your Dad and Pastor Ray, and others like them, who set great foundations and wouldn’t settle for the mediocre. Thank you!
Thank you – WONDERFUL tribute to a real man of God. My parents, Gerald and Nora Clowes knew Raymond and Barbara as young people in the Foursquare Gospel church in Macclesfield. As a little girl, I remember being at Ray and BArbara’s wedding and then – in 1968 – they attended mine at Macclesfield Elim when Barbara sang for us, What an amazing marriage and ministry they shared! Since my parents went on to Glory, I have lost touch but learned that Ray too had died and haven’t been able to find contact details for Barbara. Do pass on our love, prayers and gratitude. Thank you, again.
Thank you for your lovely comments. I’ll certainly pass on your greetings to Barbara.
I remember listening to ray preach . I remember him saying if your bored as a Christian then your doing something wrong . Great man . I joined the church then David took other .
O que dizer do pastor Ray?!
Grande homem de Deus, nos ensinou muito durante sua estadia no Brasil.
A semente foi lançada e com certeza muitos frutos do trabalho e empenho do nosso querido Pr. Ray cresceram e frutificaram!