“GREATEST MORAL FORCE IN LONDON.”

Star (Christchurch), Issue 18008, 19 November 1926, Page 1

“GREATEST MORAL FORCE IN LONDON.”

REV “ DICK ” SHEPPARD LEAVES ST MARTINS, “THE SOLDIERS’ CHURCH.” (Special to the “ Star.”) LONDON, October 27. To mighty congregations—almost innumerable in view of his broadcast services—the news of the resignation through ill-health of the Rev 11. R. L. Sheppard, vicar of St Martin-in-the-Fields, has come with a sense of real personal loss. “ One of the greatest moral and spiritual forces that have moved London since the days of George Howard Wilkinson at St Peter’s, Eaton Square,” is a tribute to “ Dick ” Sheppard given by a writer in a church periodical last week. Three times, it is said, Mr Sheppard was offered a bishopric, but three times he declined, believing that his opportunities for lowly and loving service would be curtailed by the pomp and circumstance involved in preferment. A son of the late Canon Edgar Shep pard, sub-dean of the Chapel Royal. Mr Sheppard was appointed vicar of St Martin in 1914. One of his first acts was to make St Martin a soldiers’ church by opening it day and night during the war. Now it is still an open church every night as a shelter for the homeless. Later Mr Sheppard made the church unique by having the service broad cast oil the second Sunday in every month. In this way he secured what at first, at any rate, was probably the largest congregation in the world. ATTACK ON MARRIAGE SERVICE A man of strong and original views. Mr Sheppard two years ago in his parish magazine attacked the baptismal, marriage and funeral services, describing them as “ well nigh intolerable.” Such was the affection of his congregation for him that when Mr Sheppard, who suffers from asthma, proffered his resignation, on account of ill-health, nine months ago, the Parochial Church Council persuaded him to withdraw it and to take six months’ rest. Since then Mr Sheppard has had to go into a nursing home in the country and now feels himself compelled to resign the living, liis resignation, however. will not take effect until after Christmas.

Mr Sheppard is an honorary chaplain to the King. He was formerly head of Oxford House, Bethnal Green.