Hugh Dawes, who has died aged 75, was a longstanding member of the Sea of Faith Network, and at one time a regular attender at conferences. He initiated and was one of the founders of Pro gressive Christianity Network Britain, which he chaired until 2010. He was a radical priest and gentle pastor. From Brighton and Hove Grammar In 2000 Hugh was appointed vicar at St Faith’s, North Dulwich, a diverse community in the School, Hugh went to University College, Oxford to study history, where he developed his vocation to the priesthood. He had a particular interest in social history, which informed his social con science. He was a life-long member of the Labour Party and latterly proud to be one of the relatively few Guardian readers in Haslemere.
Hugh prepared for the priesthood at Cuddesdon College, influenced by Leslie Houlden, Dennis Nineham, Michael Goulder and John Barton. Following his curacy, he was appointed Chaplain of Gonville and Caius, and then Emmanuel College, Cambridge, where he served under the Deanship of Don Cupitt whilst Don was filming the Sea of Faith TV series. Don became a major influence and a lifetime friend.
Hugh’s increasing embrace of radical faith drew him to enabling a new generation of free-thinking believers. In 1987 he was appointed as vicar to the parish of St James’s, Cambridge and Director of the Focus Christian Institute. Expanding the work of Focus, he believed strongly in giving opportunities for a wider theological education among the laity. He abhorred the tendency of clergy to talk down to their congregations.
In 1992 Hugh published Freeing the Faith: A Credible Christianity for Today, an essay in liberal understanding, advocating change to set faith free from tyrannical tradition and be relevant to today’s world. He was savagely attacked in the Press by traditionalists, who called on him publicly to resign his orders. The Independent and other newspapers carried the story of the ‘atheist priest’.
Hugh braved the storm and proclaimed himself a catholic modernist priest in the C of E with no intention of resigning. He was a prophetic voice, often crying in the wilderness. The book was a suicide note for career preferment.
Diocese of Southwark; I was already a member of the congregation. The eucharist was fundamental to Hugh’s worship. He had a gift for adapting the words, hymnody, actions and movement of the liturgy to make worship contextual, inspiring and integral to the world outside church. He was a gentle pastor, meeting people where they were, never giving people easy answers, instead allowing them to discover faith for themselves. He encouraged children and young people to talk theology and take their full part in the worshipping community.
From 2000 Hugh and I established a close working relationship and friendship, both in the parish and in the development of PCN Britain, and we were married in 2004. We were a team, and it was the most special of marriages.
In 2009 Hugh developed early signs of a Parkin sonism, diagnosed 12 years later as Dementia with Lewy Bodies. He continued liturgical ministry in Guildford Diocese until 2018, and until his death he continued to join in the words of the Mass at St Nicolas, Guildford, when he could find almost no words in any other context. Such is the power of liturgy.
Hugh embraced with joy and enthusiasm the grandparent role, developing special relationships with each of them, including some age-appropriate theological conversations. His two-year-old granddaughter was able to break through the barriers of dementia in the last years of his life, by which time he had minimal awareness of time, place and people.
He is much missed by me, my children, our grandchildren, and the many whose lives he touched in his quietly brave, ‘faithful to truth’ life.
Hugh William Dawes died on 7th February 2024, aged 75. Jill Sandham is his widow. She is the Safeguarding Consultant, Jericho Road Consultancy .