The Revd Kenneth (Ken) Harris: 1931-2026 

Minister with calling to industrial mission; someone with 'an authority, a wisdom, which came from the person he was, his experience, and his no-nonsense down-to-earth unpretentious faith'

Ken Harris was born in Eyam, Derbyshire, on 11 December 1931, to Hubert James and Ruby. Ken was proud of being born in Eyam, often called the Plague Village, because of the way the people of the village isolated themselves in 1665 to ensure the devastating Bubonic plague that had been brought to them, did not spread to outlying villages. In 1938, Ken and the family moved to Dronfield. With his parents, he became part of the Baptist church there and on 29 February 1948, he was baptised.

In schooldays Ken was a butcher’s boy, travelling the hills and streets around Dronfield on his bike, delivering meat. Leaving school at 14, he worked for the Co-op as a butcher, until being called up at the age of 18 to do his National Service. Senior officers discovered he had a special gift for Morse Code and he became a special wireless operator in the Royal Corps of Signals. Travelling to Munster, Germany, he witnessed the hunger and devastation war had caused.

Any claim to be part of a conquering army rang hollow in the face of the horror. Ken believed then and for the remainder of his life that all nations needed to find ways to live in peace. A new spirituality was growing within him.

Ken always spoke with affection about National Service and had happy memories of his time there, finding comradeship, friendship and a love of sport. Not wanting to lose him, the army asked him to sign on as a regular, but he returned home in 1952, to take up his ‘old’ life. This was difficult after all he had learned and experienced.

While speaking to Christian groups, Ken met Dorothy. hey were married in 1956 and settled in Dorothy’s home-town of Swallownest, near Sheffield, becoming part of the Baptist church there. In time Ken became the lay pastor. The family came along: Elizabeth, Robin, Tim and Simon.

Ken also had a growing call to full-time ministry. Under the auspices of the Revd Michael Taylor, Principal of Northern Baptist College, Ken studied for the University of Manchester Certificate in Biblical Knowledge. Following successful completion of that course, and with the development of a new course at Northern, a door opened for Ken to pursue training to fulfil his calling. It meant giving up his work, by then in the steel works, which for a man with a young family was a big step. As part of his training, he served as student minister at Steep Lane Baptist Church, Sowerby Bridge in Calderdale. It was at Steep Lane that he was ordained in June 1981.

The family moved to Tameside, to a group ministry. Ken was based in Hyde and served there until 1985. His calling to be a full-time minister had been achieved and he was delighted and fulfilled.

There was, however, a particular from of ministry to which Ken felt called: industrial mission. He had previously been a lay chaplain to British Steel in Sheffield. He hoped he might one day find a vocation which included industrial mission.

In 1985 that door opened as he was called to Selby, to the United Reformed Church there and as chaplain at the Drax and Eggborough power stations. Formally, that meant 50 per cent for the church and 50 per cent industrial mission. It was said at the time that he gave 100 per cent to each. Ken was a worker. 

At home, family life was full and busy. Ken and Dorothy delighted in all their children and sought the best for them. Life took a particular turn when Robin and Simon were diagnosed with Muscular Dystrophy. Ken and Dorothy were determined Robin and Simon should have as full lives as possible, including getting full-time education, and to watch the football clubs they, and Tim, supported. The family had fun together and worked together in a way which has impressed many. Sadly, both Robin and Simon died in teenage years.

A further blow came in 1991 when Elizabeth, by then married, unexpectedly died of cancer. It cannot have been easy for any of the family. Many have marvelled at the way Ken and Dorothy maintained their faith and were supported by it through all that happened. 

Ken and Dorothy moved to Blyth United Reformed Church in Northumberland in 1992. Ken threw himself into ministry there, in the church and in the town. He took initiatives to help address problems in the town around the misuse of drugs, talking with young people, their parents and local doctors, bringing people together to support people away from addiction. Ken ran holidays clubs with the Junior Church, and soon there were queues at the door wanting to join in the fun. The young people certainly wanted to be part of this new and exciting ministry.

But older people were not left out. Ken preached twice a week, had a midweek communion service, organised Ceilidhs and trips out for the congregation and began a walking club, travelling in a mini-bus to Northumberland and Yorkshire.

Chaplaincy was very much part of that ministry. He became chaplain to Blyth Power Station and the crew of the Lifeboat, and in the local hospital. 

In 1998, Ken and Dorothy retired to Guisborough in Cleveland. Ken loved the hillside which he could see from the window. Ken was part of the clergy of the town working together to create The Bridge, a community-based initiative, and was part of town twinning with Troisdorf in Germany, organising pulpit exchanges with clergy in Germany. Ken became Chaplain to Redcar Steel Works. He served as Interim Moderator at Stockton, Hartlepool, Keld, Low Row and Northallerton URC churches travelling many miles to lead worship and to meetings.

Dorothy died in 2013, a sad blow to Ken and to Tim and his family. In time, the friendship Ken had shared with Margaret, a member of the Blyth church, blossomed into marriage. Ken and Margaret had 12 years together. Margaret was a URC minister and Ken and Margaret would often lead worship together, until declining mobility made that impossible.

In it all Ken had a presence, an authority, a wisdom, which came from the person he was, his experience, and his no-nonsense down-to-earth unpretentious faith, a faith which made no claims for ease but knew life can be hard, a faith which knew about suffering and death and circumstances which, however rich in love and commitment and however much of a blessing, also cannot have been other than difficult and painful at times for anyone involved.

A faith many marvelled at, which combined with his love and experience and a streak of what might be called determined bluntness, drove him and made him the man he was, a man from whose life and work so many have benefitted. Ken is survived by his son, Tim, grandchildren, and by Margaret.