The Calvary Road: Exploring Christianity

Roy Hession (1908-1992) was a British evangelist and author. Hession was born in London in 1908. He was educated at Aldenham School where his introduction to religion led him to expect "anything but boredom" from God. He accepted Jesus in 1926 while on a Christian holiday camp, largely through the witness of a cousin who was a navy officer. After working for Barings, the merchant bank, for ten years, he committed himself to fulltime preaching and became one of the most effective Christian evangelists in post-World War II Britain, especially among young people. His understanding of the Christian life underwent a radical change in 1947 following a conference that he had arranged to which he invited members of the East Africa Revival Movement. He was very much influenced by their strong emphasis on a personal implementation of the basics of the Christian faith, in particular the healing powers of openness and repentance. His preaching subsequently incorporated these new insights. This brought criticism because of its introspective element, from some he had previously worked with, but it was much appreciated by many Christians on both sides of the Atlantic. In the years that follow Roy, together with Dr. Joe Church, the leader of a group of missionaries from East Africa, ministered to many churches and conferences in Europe, Brazil, Indonesia, North America and Africa. He was also involved for more than forty years in organising Christian holiday conferences for family groups at Abergele, Clevedon and Southwold in the United Kingdom. In 1967 he lost his first wife, Revel, in a tragic road accident. He later married Pamela who had worked as a missionary in East Africa. Roy Hession died in 1992 but he is remembered for his infectious enthusiasm and his humor, but above all for his unwavering stand on the principles of repentance and grace that had become so precious to him.