Bruce Kenrick
{{Short description|Christian minister and social activist (1920–2007)}}
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{{Use British English|date=January 2017}}
Rev Bruce Kenrick (18 January 1920 – 15 January 2007) was an English social activist and Minister in the United Reformed Church and the Church of Scotland. He is best known for writing "Come out the Wilderness"Michael White [https://www.theguardian.com/news/2007/jan/19/guardianobituaries.obituaries "Obituary: The Rev Bruce Kenrick"], The Guardian, 19 January 2007 and as the founder of British housing organisation Shelter.[http://england.shelter.org.uk/about_us/who_we_are/our_history "Our history"], Shelter, 9 March 2012
Early life
Bruce Kenrick was born in Liverpool and initially trained as an accountant. World War II broke out before he turned 20, and he saw service as a medic in the Gold Coast Defence Force and with paratroopers in Italy. After the war he decided to pursue a career as a doctor. He attended the University of Edinburgh where he switched to divinity, having engaged in missionary work.
Ministry
Kenrick went to work in the East Harlem Protestant parish project,[https://www.utsnyc.edu/Page.aspx?pid=766 "East Harlem Protestant Parish, founded 1948"] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100722072516/http://www.utsnyc.edu/Page.aspx?pid=766 |date=22 July 2010 }}, Union Theological Seminary in the City of New York which was attached to Union Theological Seminary in the City of New York. On his return to the UK he was ordained and went to work in Notting Hill, London - then an area marked by racial tension and bad landlords like Peter Rachman.
Activism
In response to the poor housing conditions, Kenrick set up the Notting Hill Housing Trust, which maintained the fabric of the area.[http://www.nhh50.com/?people=a-battered-pound-note-to-300k-our-first-year-by-bruce-kenrick The early days were not easy]. It was out of the desire to put national pressure on local government to improve housing that Shelter was born at St Martin in the Fields in 1966.
After a dispute over the leadership of the organisation with Des Wilson, Kenrick left Shelter.[http://www.scotsman.com/news/obituaries/the-rev-bruce-kenrick-1-679211 Obituary: "The Rev Bruce Kenrick "], The Scotsman, 24 January 2007 He remained a significant figure on the broad left in the church, and his membership of the Iona Community and work on the example set by the revolution in Cuba helped set the direction of radical Christianity in the UK.
Personal life
He met his wife [https://www.theguardian.com/theguardian/2010/mar/02/isabel-kenrick-obituary Isabel Witte], an historian, while at Edinburgh. Their children included Ann Kenrick, charity leader.
Bibliography
- "The New Humanity", Collins, 1956
- "Come Out the Wilderness", Harper & Brothers, 1962 (US); Fontana, 1965
- "A Man from the Interior - Cuba's Quest", Epworth, 1980
References
{{reflist}}
- The Times Obituary [http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/comment/obituaries/article1294610.ece]{{dead link|date=January 2025|bot=medic}}{{cbignore|bot=medic}}
- The Guardian Obituary https://www.theguardian.com/news/2007/jan/19/guardianobituaries.obituaries
- Herald Obituary http://www.theherald.co.uk/features/features/display.var.1152247.0.0.php
- [https://web.archive.org/web/20070206195243/http://www.nottinghillhousing.org.uk/news.aspx?id_Content=731 Notting Hill Housing Trust Obituary]
- The Daily Telegraph Obituary https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/obituaries/1539872/The-Rev-Bruce-Kenrick.html
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Category:Clergy from Liverpool
Category:Alumni of the University of Edinburgh
Category:Homelessness activists
Category:British housing rights activists
Category:20th-century ministers of the Church of Scotland
Category:20th-century English Presbyterian ministers
Category:United Reformed Church ministers
Category:People educated at Merchant Taylors' Boys' School, Crosby