A Personal Tribute to Roland Lamb – former General Secretary of the BEC

The Revd the Hon Roland Lamb died on 23 November aged 94.  The son of Lord Rochester, he trained for the Methodist ministry after graduating from Cambridge University. He served as a chaplain in the Middle East during World War 2 and afterwards in churches in South Shields, Walton-on-Naze, Aberystwyth and Cornwall.  During the 1950’s he was seconded to IVF (now UCCF) for several years as a travelling secretary amongst student Christian Unions.

In 1967, deeply troubled by the denomination’s increasing departure from fundamental Gospel truths, he seceded from Methodism. He and his family moved to St Albans to be part-time Associate Pastor of Spicer Street Independent Chapel and part-time General Secretary of the British Evangelical Council. The BEC had been in existence for about 20 years;but following Dr Martyn Lloyd Jones’ passionate appeal, at a famous meeting in Westminster Central Hall, to evangelicals to come together in a new unity with each other, the BEC assumed a much more important role. Its work grew rapidly and two years later Roland Lamb became full time in his role as Gen Sec, but continued as Moderator of the church at Spicer Street.. Following the appointment of a new pastor there he remained as a highly valued and much loved elder until his retirement from the BEC in 1982.

His BEC role was not an easy one and there were doubtless many discouragements and disappointments.  A great deal of time had to be given to organisational and administrative matters and he had no secretarial help.But his preaching around the country was greatly valued as was his great gift of personal friendship.  He was a people person and unlike a good many ministers he was a good and patient listener!These qualities, together with his own painful and costly experience of leaving Methodism, fitted him admirably to be a counsellor and encourager of those who were facing, or had already faced, a similar decision.

Someone who knew him well has described his preaching as always expository, always faithful to what the Bible says, always clear, always well applied, always warm and passionate, and always Christ glorifying.  In the Autumn of 1972, at very short notice, he had to give the final address at the BEC Annual Conference in Cardiff in place of Dr Lloyd-Jones, who had been taken ill. He preached on 2 Chronicles 20 verse12, part of Jehoshaphat’s prayer when he was facing a major attack from his enemies: We have no power to face this vast army that is attacking us. We do not know what to do, but our eyes are upon you. That text, and his exposition of it, summed up his own deeply held convictions about the state of evangelicalism then (and doubtless now)about the unique sufficiency, grace and power of God to transform apparently hopeless situations, and thus also about the priority of prayer.

Many have much cause to thank God for Roland Lamb’s ministry as a pastor, preacher, Christian leader and faithful praying friend. He is survived by his wife Jill.

Peter Seccombe

1 December 2012