On Monday 30th October 2023 a group of us travelled into central London for the funeral service of a former minister of Amersham Free Church, Bishop Keith Riglin.
Keith’s ecumenical journey took him from his Baptist roots to a period of service with the URC before finding his spiritual home with the Anglican Church. He served as a college lecturer, a local church minister, a university chaplain and latterly as a bishop within the Scottish Episcopal Church. All these phases were represented in the congregation of Wesley’s Chapel at which the service took place.
The church on Monday was very full. There was, possibly, around six to seven hundred people present, so the singing was truly uplifting. Indeed, the whole service was inspirational and led so well. The Bishop of London was present, along with three of her episcopal colleagues, as were clergy from Cambridge, Regent’s Park College in Oxford and King’s College in London. There was a veritable sea of clerical collars!
We heard moving tributes from Keith’s brother and daughters. They spoke movingly about his love and zest for life and there is no doubt that he leaves behind a family who hold him in high regard.
The Revd Dr Jennifer Smith, Keith’s wife and the Superintendent Minister of Wesley’s Chapel, gave the sermon. Her moving and courageous words spoke of both the pain of loss she felt, along with the Christian hope that she and Keith shared. It was very touching to hear that Keith ‘slipped away’ surrounded by his family whilst one of his daughters read to him from C.S.Lewis’ The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe.
Another very profound element of the service was the presence of members of an African Fellowship, of which Keith was patron, who ‘kept guard’ at either end of the coffin, as is their custom, all the way through the service, periodically ‘changing the guard’ and sharing out this duty throughout the service. It seemed like a great act of love and respect.
All our group felt it was so good to be at the service, in some small way representing AFC and the years Keith served here.
Keith was a man of many parts, whose life had many phases. What was clear on Monday is that in each of these the one constant was his love for God.
May he rest in peace and rise in glory.
