John Raymond Hanson MA: 1927-2024
'In the death of J R Hanson, Baptists in the north of England have lost a great stalwart who gave his undoubted gifts to supporting Baptist life across the north'
Raymond, as he was known in the Baptist world (John in the world of education) was born and brought up in Halifax, West Yorkshire, and from an early age was involved with Pellon Baptist Church, being baptised there at the age of 16. He obtained a place at Heath Grammar School, Halifax and had a passion to teach history.
To the surprise of his family and himself he was offered a place at St. Edmund Hall, Oxford, his parents pulling out all the stops to enable this to happen. He went to Oxford in 1945 and St Edmund Hall turned out to be a good choice as many of those attending had a Grammar School background, like Raymond. While at Oxford he joined the John Bunyan Society, of which he was Secretary and President, and was party to the setting up of the Baptist Students Federation. While at Oxford he preached his first sermon at a John Bunyan service in a village chapel.
He undertook his teaching experience at Queen Elizabeth Grammar School in Halifax and in 1949 obtained his first teaching post at Withernsea High School. It was the year he married Jean, part of the Pellon community, to whom he remained devoted until her demise in 2022. He had been baptised at Pellon in 1944 and joined the church there. As many were absent in the forces he was given the role of Sunday School Secretary.
Withernsea High School had become the first comprehensive high school on the mainland and Raymond revelled in the role of teaching mixed ability pupils.
After six years he moved back, with Jean, to his beloved West Riding of Yorkshire and to Elland Grammar School. This was a challenging situation as the Grammar School was being transformed into a comprehensive school and this not without hurdles to be overcome.
Soon, Raymond moved on, his abilities in the area of school development recognised, to a large comprehensive school in Bradford, Buttershaw, where he encountered another significant Yorkshire Baptist lay person, Mrs B M A Sutton. Raymond played his part in helping this comprehensive engage with “late developers” and those facing social problems. He had moved, by this time, to membership at Blackley Baptist Church in Calderdale and became Church Secretary, organising the 175th Anniversary year.
Raymond left his beloved West Riding to become Head of Brockwith School in Gloucestershire and transferred his membership from Pellon to Cheltenham.
From there, Sir Alec Clegg, Director of Education for the old West Riding Education authority “poached” Raymond to be the launch head of the large, new, comprehensive school at Boston Spa near Wetherby. Raymond and Jean joined Harrogate Baptist Church. Raymond and Sir Alec formed a mutual respect forged out of their commitment to comprehensive education.
Wherever he was found, Raymond (and Jean) were true to their Baptist roots and heritage. During their time at Boston Spa they bought a modern terrace house as a summer retreat in Bridlington and they made this available to Baptist ministers during half term holidays.
Raymond became very involved in the life of the Northern Baptist College from the late 1960s onwards, while still in Cheltenham. He was valued as a governor and Chaired the Education Committee, giving key support to the Principal, Michael H Taylor. He then became Chair of the Commission of Christian Witness of the Yorkshire Baptist Association driving forward an educational programme that Yorkshire churches could use.
Raymond, having developed the work at Boston Spa, moved out of headship and became responsible for education courses for heads and deputy heads of day schools across the north, based at Padgate College in Warrington. This gave him more flexibility on timetables and he was appointed to oversee in-service training and development for Baptist ministers in Yorkshire. From his fertile mind a series of day courses were offered as in-service training and taken up and appreciated by many ministers. Raymond served for a season on the Baptist Union Council and oversaw a review of the publications policy of the Union.
By this time Raymond and Jean had returned to the Halifax area and become involved again with Blackley Baptist Church. Isolated on the hillside near to the M62 the future mission of the church had to be the development of day and retreat events in the premises. As this plan developed, Raymond was appointed Centre Manager and Jean Church Secretary.
Raymond served on the North East Area Pastoral Committee as chair for a season and Chairperson of the Yorkshire Association Ministerial Recognition Committee.
His final service as local leader and preacher was at Pellon in 2017 marking 72 years of preaching ministry.
Raymond and Jean celebrated 70 years of marriage, their Platinum Wedding, in 2022. Jean died later that year.
Raymond was undoubtedly a force for change in the life of the Yorkshire Baptist Association and of the Northern Baptist College. Those who knew him were changed by him and were shaped by his unwavering Christian discipleship.
Keith G Jones