John Tudor was the last of what were called “Mission Men” in Methodism. At the beginning of the 20th century, through the enterprising vision of the Forward Movement in Methodism, large central halls were built at the heart of most large cities across Britain. These provided a popular Sunday evening service, in a less formal context than traditional church, and drew congregations of a thousand and more, with a weekly programme of social and spiritual activities for all age groups.
Few of these buildings now remain, with the exception of the most famous of them all, Westminster Central Hall, opposite Westminster Abbey in Parliament Square. It was here, where William Lloyd Webber played the organ, that Tudor exercised a most influential ministry for 14 years before retiring in 1995. Prior to that, with a few years serving in a Lancashire seaside town, all his churches had been Methodist Missions. The impact of his ministry is still vividly remembered through the Midlands, particularly at Queen’s Hall, Derby, and Coventry Central Hall, where it was not unusual on some Sunday evenings for there to be standing room only. It must have been a contrast for him to move to the South Coast, and to Brighton’s famous Dome Mission, which used to draw the largest congregation in British Methodism to the town’s largest concert hall.
Tudor’s ebullient personality, matched by a genuine care for people of sorts and conditions, was well suited to this unusual and demanding form of ministry. He had a genius for networking at all levels of community life. One of the first things he did, on beginning a new appointment, was to introduce himself to the movers and shakers in civic and ecumenical life. Never was this more obvious, or more fruitful, than during his ministry in Central London.
He was a familiar face at Westminster City Hall, and a friend to the Lord Mayors of Westminster, sometimes acting as chaplain. Most weeks, when the House of Commons was sitting, he held a fellowship group for Methodist MPs, offering them encouragement and support. The former Speakers George Thomas and Bernard Weatherill knew that they had a trusted friend in him, and gladly agreed to him conducting the annual Methodist Covenant Service in the Crypt Chapel, a tradition that still continues. He had a particular rapport with Margaret Thatcher when Prime Minister, and could speak to her in the most disarming way — something few others could, or would, dare to.
He kept his ecumenical friendships in good repair with his immediate neighbours, the Dean and Chapter of Westminster Abbey. At Westminster Cathedral, the late Cardinal Archbishop Basil Hume deeply valued his company. When Tudor retired from the ministry, Hume hosted a luncheon in his honour, together with all the priests and staff of the cathedral.
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Tudor, rather like the great Methodist John Wesley, lived on a large map that was not restricted to the environs of the church alone. He lived by Wesley’s maxim, “Go to those who need you, and go to those who need you most.” He was not large of stature, but his personality filled a room with warmth and laughter, and he had the rare gift of making people feel that they mattered. In the vast, impersonal loneliness of Central London, Tudor made sure that Westminster Central Hall was a place in which you would be made welcome, whoever you were.
He was a son of the manse, born in Northampton in 1930. His father was a distinguished Methodist minister, the Rev C. Leonard Tudor, who was for many years the General Secretary of the Home Mission Division of the Methodist Church, whose offices were then in the Central Hall. Tudor’s sister, Mary, to whom he was devoted, married the son of another statesman of the Methodist Church and renowned preacher, the late Rev Dr W. E. Sangster.
In spite of this impeccable Methodist pedigree, Tudor had little interest in ecclesiastical politics and church committees for their own sake — they bored him. He wanted to be where the action was. But there were some committees to which he was totally loyal and made a significant contribution. For more than 30 years he was a trustee of the Joseph Rank Benevolent Trust, and at Harris Manchester College, Oxford, he was a member of the Board of Regents. In addition, for many years he was chaplain to the Ancient Order of Foresters, as well as being a much-travelled preacher throughout worldwide Methodism, particularly in the United States, Canada and Australia.
It was while he was training for the Methodist Ministry, at Hartley Victoria College, Manchester, that he met his future wife, Cynthia, who was also reading theology at Manchester. They were married for more than 50 years, and it was she who enriched his ministry beyond measure, and enabled him to be the outstanding person that he was.
He is survived by his wife and their son and daughter.
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The Rev Dr John Tudor, Methodist minister, was born on February 8, 1930. He died after a short illness on October 29, 2009, aged 79