In Memory of Rev. Steven Foster

Around noon on Tuesday I was checking my e-mails and read one from Gillian informing me the Steven had died.       The funeral is to be at Christchurch, Walshaw (Steven’s own parish church) on Wednesday 28^th January at 12 noon.  It will be taken by the Bishop of Bolton who, Yvonne says, has been brilliant and so pastoral."

I first met Steven at a SPUC Evangelicals Committee meeting in 1994 at the home of the Rev. Ian Brown. These two great men changed my view about  Anglican vicars for the better. Steven had a physics degree and worked in the oil industry a few years like an engineer. This was our first point in common. He then trained for the Ministry studying again at Cambridge , and then spending 35 years as an Anglican vicar. I also studied for the Ministry , but never got a call to a church. Steven was a word -smith  par excellence , my worst subject at school was English.

At one time Steven and his wife Yvonne home schooled some of their five children at home. They received a visit from some local council officials to see if they were qualified to teach their children. Steven's first comment to them was " Well my wife and I are both University graduates ". This was not said as a boast but just a statement of fact. He was also the Governor of the local C.of E. school.

Steven edited a book called " Love your Unborn Neighbor " as well as the vast majority of SPUC Evangelicals literature. He was not only brilliant at written English but has a superb knowledge of the Bible and Church history. He could regale you with sad incidents of church heresy and division throughout many centuries. He was the most well informed Evangelical pro-lifer that I have met.

Steven was very kind to me over the past 20 years , he only got as little cross with me for wearing slippers at the odd National Conference.  He also was very generous in my teasing of him especially if Australia beat England in the cricket. He was a quintessential English gentleman of  the first order. 

Steven was a founder of SPUC Evangelicals and served on that Committee for over 20 years. Some of this time as Chairman at others as deputy chairman. Going to those meetings was a great joy to me as he was such great company. He was a wonderful peace maker. In fact your were normally on your best behavior when around him , he brought the best out in people.

I know Steven was very fit , but only recently found out he played squash up until a year of his death.

Steven and Yvonne met at a Church they both attended and were friends for quite some time. Yvonne told me recently that their love for each other grew over time. They were married for quite some years and Yvonne could not conceive , so they knew what it was to desire to have children but to have none. However the Lord was gracious to them and they have five children , all who know and love the Lord. 

I am so thankful to the Lord for having been able to give Steven his Pro Life Hero award  on the 7th January  ( see my blog on that date ).  I was also able to spend some time with Yvonne who had cared for Steven at home for almost a year. Her devotion to her husband was amazing.

Please pray for Yvonne and her five children especially at the funeral  on Wednesday 28th January . 

 I am very distressed that I am unable to attend as I am in New York at the United Nations. 

I have a very strong impression that Steven has already heard the Words , well done good and faithful servant , enter into the joy of thy Lord.