A UK Baptist minister has been honoured by an Indian college with a proud place in the history of BMS World Mission.

The Revd Edward Williams, now retired and living in Malvern with his wife Rosemary, became an honorary Doctor of Divinity of Serampore College last month.

The College was founded by BMS pioneers William Carey, Joshua Marshman and William Ward - the Serampore Trio - in 1818, and was granted University status a few years later - the first in the country. It was intended to give an education in arts and science to students of every 'caste, colour or country' and to train a ministry for the growing Church in India.

Dr Williams - whose grandfather Holman Bentley was a pioneering Congo missionary - has degrees in physics and theology, and taught physics at the College from 1959-68 as a BMS worker. Rosemary taught Christian Education in the theology department. Dr Williams' sister Frances also worked with BMS at the College, reorganising the library there.

He said he was 'highly embarrassed' by the award at first, adding 'Rosemary and I had done what we could, but not in any distinguished way.'

His embarrassment, he said, 'evaporated when I realised how much this meant to those who awarded the honour.

'Carey and Serampore are remembered almost with reverence by the whole Church in India as pioneers of the great missionary enterprise in their land, much as we here think of Columba and Iona.

'Our personal connection with the college goes back over 50 years, and we are the last link with those days when missionaries played such a large role.'

Dr Williams' DD was awarded at the United Theological College in Bangalore, rather than at Serampore itself. More than 50 theological colleges are affiliated to Serampore College, and degrees are presented at a different one each year.

He preached at the annual service commemorating Carey, Marshman and Ward, describing it as 'a huge privilege and opportunity, with a congregation of about 800 including many present and future leaders of the Church in India'.

He and Rosemary then returned to Serampore and led services. The Mission Church there is where the Serampore Trio first lived and worshiped, and there is a cross nearby where their first convert was baptised.

Dr and Mrs Williams are secretaries of the Friends of Serampore in the UK, and raise financial and prayer support for the College.