Robert Michael Cawthorn Beak

OBE The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire is a British order of chivalry, rewarding contributions to the arts and sciences, work with charitable and welfare organisations, and public service outside the civil service. It was established o ...

(1925 – 13 January 2018) was an

Anglican Anglicanism is a Western Christian tradition that has developed from the practices, liturgy, and identity of the Church of England following the English Reformation, in the context of the Protestant Reformation in Europe. It is one of th ...

bishop. Beak trained at the London Bible College, was ordained deacon in 1953 and priest in 1954, serving his Title ( curacy) at St John's Church, Tunbridge Wells, 1953–1955. Associated with the

Bible Churchmen's Missionary Society Crosslinks is an evangelical Anglican missionary society, drawing its support mainly from parishes in the Church of England and Church of Ireland. It was known as the Bible Churchmen's Missionary Society (BCMS) until 1992. The BCMS was created as ...

1955–1956 and 1984–1989, he spent 1956–1969 and 1984–1989 in Kenya. Between these stints, he was a parish priest in Devon. There, he was

Rector Rector (Latin for the member of a vessel's crew who steers) may refer to: Style or title *Rector (ecclesiastical), a cleric who functions as an administrative leader in some Christian denominations *Rector (academia), a senior official in an edu ...

of Heanton from 1970 (and of Marwood, Devon from 1979), being also rural dean of

Barnstaple Barnstaple ( or ) is a river-port town in North Devon, England, at the River Taw's lowest crossing point before the Bristol Channel. From the 14th century, it was licensed to export wool and won great wealth. Later it imported Irish wool, bu ...

(1977–1981) and a prebendary of

Exeter Cathedral Exeter Cathedral, properly known as the Cathedral Church of Saint Peter in Exeter, is an Anglican cathedral, and the seat of the Bishop of Exeter, in the city of Exeter, Devon, in South West England. The present building was complete by about 140 ...

(1982–1984). All of these appointments ended with his 1984 appointment and

consecration Consecration is the solemn dedication to a special purpose or service. The word ''consecration'' literally means "association with the sacred". Persons, places, or things can be consecrated, and the term is used in various ways by different grou ...

as Assistant Bishop of Marsabit in the Diocese of Mount Kenya East,

Church of the Province of Kenya The Anglican Church of Kenya (ACK) is a province of the Anglican Communion, and it is composed by 41 dioceses. The current Primate and Archbishop of Kenya is Jackson Ole Sapit. The Anglican Church of Kenya claims 5 million total members. Accordi ...

, where he remained until 1989. He brought development to Marsabit by planted churches and trained evangelists. Through Crosslinks, he oversaw feeding programmes and helped the Government distribute. For his work during the famine and in Kenya, he was later awarded the OBE. Marsabit became an autonomous diocese in 2011. He retired in 1990 and became an

Officer of the Order of the British Empire The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire is a British order of chivalry, rewarding contributions to the arts and sciences, work with charitable and welfare organisations, and public service outside the civil service. It was established o ...

(OBE) that year. From 1991, he was licensed as an honorary assistant bishop in the Diocese of Derby, Church of England. He retired (again) from ministry in July 2013, having been a priest at

All Saints' Church, Ashover All Saints’ Church, Ashover is a Grade I listed parish church in the Church of England in Ashover, Derbyshire. History The porch of the church dates from 1275, the north aisle is mid-14th century. The remainder of the church dates from betwe ...

. He died on 13 January 2018 at the age of 92.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Beak, Robert Michael Cawthorn 1925 births 2018 deaths Alumni of the London School of Theology Anglican assistant bishops of Marsabit 20th-century Anglican bishops of the Anglican Church of Kenya Officers of the Order of the British Empire British expatriates in Kenya