The Revd Delvin Knower: 1937-2024 

Baptist minister who took delight in God’s word, had a passion for sharing the Gospel and touched many lives

 
Delvin was born in Ceylon (now Sri Lanka), which at the time was a British colony. He led a privileged life with a lovely house and servants as his father worked for the English Government.
 
His mum and dad were very attentive – strict, but loving. Their advice to him included the phrase: “God first, God second, God third”.
 
Delvin attended the Royal College Primary School and stayed their till he finished his GCSEs. His family thought he would go on to study being a lawyer, but at the age 15 he made a commitment of faith and started thinking seriously about becoming a missionary.
 
This belief grew when aged 16 Delvin attended a talk by an Englishman called Dan Smith, who was from the China Inland Mission. This was the first time Delvin heard Gospel preaching and salvation, and it had an impact. Delvin admired Dan Smith and was very impressed to hear how people became converted and their lives were changed in China.
 
This was at a time when a lot of change was happening in Ceylon. Independence was coming, and there was beginning to be some unrest in the country. Delvin believed that if God could change Chinese hearts, there was hope for Ceylon. He wanted to help the world become a better place, and live in a world where lives were transformed – he realised that people needed God. Delvin became more committed to his faith and started attending prayer meetings and Bible studies.
 
Delvin had a gift for preaching and attended Christian meetings with the Evangelical Fellowship of Ceylon. They took him under their wing and encouraged him to study Theology and not Law. Delvin began preaching in Open air meetings and Gospel meetings around Ceylon.
 
Dan Smith became a mentor to Delvin and told him that he believed that eventually he should go to England and minister there. Eventually, the Evangelical group suggested that Delvin went to America to study and become their representative. The World Evangelical Fellowship offered him a full scholarship to study a BA at the Barrington Bible College in Rhode Island, USA. So in 1955, aged 18, Delvin left his family and Ceylon, and never returned.
 
From 1955-1959 he studied for four years at Barrington. During this time he travelled across America in his holidays and was a travelling preacher with a gospel team representing the College throughout New York, New England and Pennsylvania.
 
Because of his good reputation for preaching, his college chose him to go to Bermuda to preach and help a local church in his third year, summer 1958.
 
Life would never be the same again. He met Glenna who was teaching there and helping with the Children’s church summer camp. He loved her commitment to serve the Lord and believed they could make a great partnership in serving together. After a year of letter writing they were married in 1959. In 1960 after a year together in Bermuda Delvin and Glenna came to England.
 
It had always been Delvin’s desire to attend Spurgeon’s College and become a Baptist minister, but he was at first not accepted because he wasn’t a Baptist. He duly attended the London Bible College and attended East Finchley Baptist Church, becoming a member there under the Revd Kenneth Ward.
 
One year later, he applied again to Spurgeon’s College and his dream came true – not only did they accept him, but they offered him a half scholarship. From 1961–1964 he attended the college, supported by Glenna teaching in a London secondary school.
 
In 1964 Delvin graduated again, and their first church posting was to Alder Road Baptist Church in Poole. They again were very happy here and worked hard together to grow the church.  Delvin was a visionary. He instigated a building project to build a half gymnasium attached to the existing church. He also bought a 32-seater bus to transport the young and old to church events. They were one of the only churches in England to own a bus. Under his leadership the church grew.
 
In 1965, Sarah was born, and followed 18 months later in 1966 by Jane, and Rachel in 1970. Altogether, Delvin and Glenna spent six happy years at Alder Road Baptist.
 
It was at this time that Delvin became involved with the BMS and also the Southern Baptist Association (SBA). He was asked to be the Secretary of the Bournemouth BMS and became well known at Association meetings. In 1971 he was elected regional Representative of the Southern Baptist Association, which he served until he retired in 2002.
 
In 1970 Delvin believed God was calling them to Eastleigh Baptist Church. This was to be where they served the majority of the their ministry together for 32 very fruitful years. During his ministry, Delvin initiated many new things at the church:
 

• Girls Brigade and Boys Brigade started
• Holiday clubs for young people in the School Half terms
• Home groups
• Grandfathers' club
• Luncheon club for the elderly
• Harvest Festivals with auctions by Chris Cox
• Good Friday services followed by ploughman lunches
• Delvin encouraged and introduced women deacons
• The Navigator’s Course – Colossians 2:7
• Mum, tots and tinies
• Summer trips to Sandbanks
• Church weekends away In Brighton
• Evangelism explosion

The church grew from strength to strength and Delvin particularly loved having the privilege of bringing many to Christ and baptising them one of the highlights of his ministry. Delvin enjoyed working together with great church members, always encouraging them in their service to the Lord. He was grateful for the years of long service from congregation who became firm friends.
 
In 1994 Delvin had a greater vision to reach the whole borough of Eastleigh for Christ. From the pulpit he preached the vision of the Wells Place Centre. At the time no one believed the money could be raised. In 1998, with only 220 members, the congregation managed to raise over half a million pounds and covered most of the cost of the three story complex, now known as the Wells Place Centre. Rooms were now available for functions, conferences and office use and the church had better Sunday school, counselling and youth facilities. It was a remarkable effort by the whole church family that gave generously and worked so hard fund raising, and Delvin gave all credit to the Lord.
 
Delvin also enjoyed taking on other roles in the wider Baptist family and the local community. He took on the role of Chaplin of the Southampton airport, and introduced Christmas carol services; he also served as the Mayor’s chaplain. He became a member of the Rotary club, served as the Toynbee school chaplain taking Christmas services at the school and inviting the choir to sing at the Community Carol service.
 
Delving was also a strong supporter of BMS World Mission and the book English Baptist History and Heritage notes how Delvin offered ‘significant leadership’ with the BMS, being its chairman and one of its trustees.
 
It was in 2002 that Delvin retired from Eastleigh Baptist Church after 32 years, but he wasn’t ready to hang up his clergy collar. He went on to be the minister at Blackfield Baptist Church, where he served for three more years and made lots more friends.
 
Delvin finally retired from church ministry in 2005 and he and Glenna went on to enjoy retirement.
 
In his retirement, he became fully engrossed in being a full-time grandfather officially known as ‘Poppa’. Delvin played a huge part in each of Alice, Sophie, Rose and Tom’s lives, from picking them up from school, taking them strawberry picking, teaching them to play chess, and of course sharing with them about the Lord, and as they grew older becoming a wise counsel for them to go to.
 
Wherever he went Delvin enjoyed serving the Lord in different capacities, sharing the gospel in different situations and with all he met.
 
He continued to keep a keen interest in EBC and the congregation - visiting older members and praying for the church and church family.
 
Delvin was a keen learner and never stopped wanting to open his mind to new truths about the Bible, always reading books and listening to Christian podcasts and wanting to share these things with friends and family.
 
When he wasn’t able to attend church, he would watch the church services via zoom and continued as a faithful prayer warrior as he had been all his life – he never lost interest in the lives of those around him.
 
Delvin died without suffering on Monday 15 April at home. It was a shock as he had been more stable of late, but the family are grateful he did not decline and suffer and he is now with Glenna, friends and family who have gone before him in Glory.
 
Delvin took delight in God’s word, had a passion for sharing the Gospel and touched many lives. He was a man of God, full of faith who lived his life devoted to serving the Lord and his family.
 

Jane Dyke

 

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'His passion was always to preach the gospel at every opportunity'

Family, friends and Church members gathered on 10 May 2024 at Eastleigh Baptist Church Hampshire for a service of thanksgiving for the life and ministry of the Revd C D C  ‘Delvin’ Knower who died on 15 April 2024 aged 86.       

The Service was led by the Revd David Ford, Eastleigh’s current minister with contributions from the Revd David Bird, the Revd Graham Clarke and members of the family.

Delvin was born in what was then Ceylon in 1937. His father worked for the British Government. He was educated at Royal College Colombo and attended the Anglican St Paul’s Church. Although destined by his family for a career in law, having come to faith he was greatly impressed by Dan Smith, a missionary with the Inland China Mission. On hearing how people became converted and changed in China Delvin believed that if God could change Chinese hearts, there was hope for Ceylon.

Getting up at 5am each day to do his school work, Delvin then attended meetings with the Evangelical Fellowship of Ceylon who recognised his gift for preaching and encouraged him to study Theology and not Law and he began preaching in Open-air and Gospel meetings around Ceylon.

Dan Smith became a mentor to Delvin and told him that he believed that eventually he should go to England and minister there.

With the aid and support of The World Evangelical Fellowship (WEF), he was offered a full scholarship to study a BA. in Philosophy at the Barrington Bible College in Providence, Rhode Island, USA. Still believing that his future was in law, his parents were only prepared to pay half of these course fees, the rest coming from WEF and Delvin’s work selling pots and pans from door to door.

While at Barrington, 1955-9 he travelled widely around New England as part of the college preaching team and had his own radio show.

Just before his final year, Delvin was chosen to go to Bermuda to assist the Evangelical Church during the summer vacation. There he met Glenna, a teacher from England. Within a month of meeting each other they knew that God had plans for them!  

Delvin returned to the USA to complete his course and Glenna returned to the UK. They wrote to each other everyday and Delvin sent her a diamond engagement ring through the post! In 1959 they returned to Bermuda where they were married and served the church together for a year.

Delvin had a dream of studying for the Baptist ministry at Spurgeon’s College. The couple came to the UK, only for his first application to be refused on the grounds that he ‘was not Baptist enough’. He did join the college the following year and trained for the ministry supported by Glenna’s teaching post.

His first pastorate was at Alder Road Poole, where they spent six happy years building up the church. There he oversaw the building of a gymnasium and the purchase of a church bus to bring folk to church as well as celebrating the birth of three daughters.

In 1970 Delvin was called to the pastorate at Eastleigh where he was to have a long and fruitful  ministry for 32 years.   There he established many kinds of outreach and community initiatives including a Lunch Club, a Grandfather’s Club and Listening Service and Children’s work and developed a church extension known as The Wells Place Centre incorporating  a coffee shop and conference centre in the middle of the town. He also played a major part in the wider life of the community serving at various times as Chaplain to Southampton Airport, Chaplain to the Borough Mayor, School Governor and many other roles.

His final pastorate was at Blackfield Baptist Church on the edge of the New Forest where he served for three years before retiring in 2005.

Delvin had a long association with the BMS of 31 years, beginning as a local association  representative  while at Alder Road.  Serving on various committees,  he went on to become a member and chairman of the General Committee,  being mentioned in the official history ‘as offering significant leadership’ during that time. He ensured that the story of William Carey was featured in live TV  Sunday Morning Worship Service on ITV broadcast from Eastleigh in the 1990s.

Very much a family man, Delvin loved being with his three daughters and their families at every opportunity and was a devoted carer to Glenna in her closing years.  He was a keen fisherman and gardener.

His passion was always to preach the gospel at every opportunity, and that included the other patients and staff in the hospital wards that he found himself in during later life!

At his Thanksgiving Service, the congregation were reminded of the advice given to him by his parents and which he followed throughout his life: “God first, God second, God third.”

 

The Revd Graham Clarke