St Paul’s Church Camberley was packed with 250 family and friends and a further 70 online for the Service of Thanksgiving to celebrate the life of The Venerable Norman Russell, a former Archdeacon of Berkshire (1998 -2013), Prolocutor of the Lower House of the Convocation of Canterbury and Chair of the House of Clergy of General Synod.
A video tribute was given by the Archbishop of York, Stephen Cottrell. He recalled becoming Bishop of Reading in 2004 when Norman was Archdeacon of Berkshire and greatly appreciating the knowledge that he had of the history of every parish to which an appointment was to be made, stretching back over the last few centuries. He closed by referring to the letters of hope that Norman had sent out at the end of his life. In one he wrote that:” I am not afraid of death, and will be happy to be to be with the Lord I have sought to serve, albeit imperfectly, for most of my life’.
An ”Evangelical Churchman”
The Bishop of Winchester, Philip Mounstephen, who had been Norman’s curate in Gerards Cross spoke in his sermon of Norman as an “Evangelical Churchman”, who took both the faith and the church with the ‘utmost seriousness’. Norman had grown up in the Church of Ireland which he had regarded as “Anglicanism in its purest form”:
Historically rooted
Biblically founded
Orthodox in doctrine
Liturgical in worship
Accountable in governance
Locally committed
Bishop Stephen recalled that as his curate he had been with Norman when a form had to be filled in. This asked for the denomination of the signatory. Norman had left this blank. When asked “Why?”, he had replied “We are not a denomination, we are Church of England”.
In particular Norman had valued the parish system where the incumbent was not solely a chaplain to the congregation but appointed to the whole parish. Bishop Stephen noted that Norman had given detailed instructions for this service and had asked that this point be included in the sermon!
Seeking the good of the city and the kingdom of God
Bishop Stephen pointed out that the reading from Jeremiah 29 spoke of God’s calling to ‘seek the welfare of the city’ which Norman expressed in his breadth of concerns, for example in his work as vice-chair of the Ecumenical Council for Corporate Responsibility and governorships of a number of schools.
The reading from Mathew 6 spoke of seeking first God’s kingdom, which Norman sought to do in making the kingdom of God and the presence of the king real wherever he was called. His evangelistic ministry was not universally welcome as he disturbed the comfortable.
The service was enriched by two pieces of music chosen by Norman: a recording of “I was glad” by Sir Hubert Parry, and “How lovely are they dwelling places” sung by the choir of Sy Paul’s Camberley.
Guests remained chatting for a considerable period over refreshments after the 70 minute service, whose timing was thought by one guest to have been no longer than Norman would have wanted.