Who’s Who ‘L’

Latimer, Hugh Reformer and Bishop of Worcester c1485-1555, son of a yeoman farmer from Leicestershire he was educated at Cambridge and elected a Fellow of Clare College in 1510 and ordained in 1522. Initially opposed to the New Learning but by 1523 was unwilling to preach against Martin Luther for which he had to defend himself before Cardinal Wolsey. By 1532 Latimer was openly supporting Protestant doctrines.  In 1534 He became one of the King’s chief advisers and the following year made Bishop of Worcester. He preached at the execution of John Forest. He opposed the King’s adoption of the Six Articles and resigned his see. He was confined to the Tower but released on the accession of Edward VI. He became a popular court preacher, and denounced ecclesiastical abuses. At the accession of Queen Mary he was arrested, refused to sanction the doctrine of transubstantiation and the Mass. He was. Burnt with Ridley on October16 1555 saying to Ridley, “ Play the man , Master Ridley : we shall this day light such a candle, by God’s grace,  in England, as I trust shall never be put out”.

Lewis C.S., Academic, Author and Theologian 1898-1963 born in Belfast, Northern Ireland his father was a solicitor and his mother’s ancestors were well connected: an MP and a Bishop. His mother died when he was ten. He loved Beatrix Potter and later Norse Legends. He went to various schools in England at Watford and Malvern, but he loved Irish life. Going to Oxford he joined the Officers Training Corps and ended up at the Somme in the Somerset Light Infantry where he was wounded. He resumed his studies getting a Double First in Mods and Greats (Classics) and a First in English.  He was awarded a Fellowship at Magdalene College in 1925 and became a close friend of J.R.R. Tolkein. He became Professor of Medieval and Renaissance English at Cambridge 1954-1963. He published Academic works on Courtly love as in The Allegory of Love 1936. From 1929 he returned to Christian faith in two phases: firstly, a theist and then a Christian. Come the WW II he started to broadcast on Christian themes which became Mere Christianity (1952). He also began the Narnia Series for evacuee children to learn more of the Christian faith. Other books followed the Problem of Pain (1940), Miracles (1947), The Screwtape Letters (1942), Surprised by joy (1955), The Four Loves (1960).  He shared a house for many years with his brother Warnie and Jane Moore. He was briefly was married to Joy Davidman who died soon after from cancer. He wrote A Grief Observed (1961)about his bereavement. Lewis died on the same day as Kennedy’s assassination 22 November 1963.  

Lightfoot J.B New Testament Scholar and Bishop of Durham 1828-1889 Educated Trinity College Cambridge where he was a pupil of B.F. Westcott, Regius Professor of Divinity at Cambridge and Commentator on John’s Gospel and Epistles. Lightfoot became a Fellow of Trinity and was priested in 1858. 1875 he became Lady Margaret Professor of Divinity at Cambridge. Having become Bishop of Durham in 1879 he managed to combine admirable administration of the Diocese and writing acclaimed commentaries on the Pauline Epistles, especially Galatians, Philippians, Ephesian and Colossians an works on the Church Fathers especially Ignatius and Clement of Rome. He established the three-fold ministry of deacon, presbyter and bishop from scripture and church tradition.

Lloyd-Jones Martin Dr. Expository Preacher, Author, Church Leader 1899-1981 raised in LLangeitho, Cardiganshire. Trained at St Bart’s Medical School MRCP. Assistant to Sir Thomas Horder, the Royal Physician. Responding to a call to preach he became minister at an independent church in Aberavon in 1927. He remained there ten years before accepting a call to Westminster Chapel as Associate Minister, alongside G. Campbell Morgan, in 1939. In 1943 he became sole minister.  He became famous for his expository preaching on Sundays and Fridays, and particularly on the Epistles of Paul and the Sermon on the Mount. In 1968 he stepped back from leading Westminster Chapel through ill health. He continued to preach and edit his sermon’s for publication by the Banner of Truth which he helped to found. He was opposed by John Stott when trying to encourage Evangelicals to leave the Church of England in 1966. He was broadly supportive of the Charismatic Movement. But supremely he was a preacher and explainer of the Word of God.         Lucas R.C. “Dick” Preacher, Expositor and Evangelist 1925- Educated Trinity College Cambridge Ordained 1951. Served in the Royal Navy during the war. Rector St Helen’s Bishopsgate 1961-1998. During his long ministry at St Helen’s he saw the church grow from small beginnings to become a large church with an evangelistic ministry among city business men and women, and a thriving Sunday congregation.  With a particular passion for making clear the word of God and unleashing its own authority and power, he not only exemplified expository preaching himself but sought to train others in the same. To this end, with others, he set up the Cornhill Trust and the Proclamation Trust to train others to preach and teach. He was a regular speaker at Keswick, and has continued his occasional preaching into his nineties.