The Rev Dr Ivor Oakley MA BD MTh PhD

“For me to live is Christ, and to die is gain”

Ivor Oakley was born in 1929, and brought up in Worcester. From an early age he attended Rainbow Hill Mission. He was baptised at Sansome Walk Baptist Church, Worcester, where he met his wife, Esme.

After leaving school, he studied for a degree in History at University College, Hull, and also a post-graduate certificate in education. After two years National Service in the Royal Air Force, he took up teaching.

While teaching, he felt the call of the Lord into full-time service and entered Regent’s Park College, Oxford, obtaining an MA and a London BD. Subsequently he was ordained and called to the pastorate of Southcourt Baptist Church, Aylesbury.

In 1964, he moved to Belfast to pastor Strandtown Baptist Church, and to be a tutor at the newly recognised Irish Baptist College. He eventually became the College’s Principal, from 1974-1988. During these years he continued to study, and obtained a MTh and PhD from Queen’s University, Belfast.

In 1988, he was invited to become Principal of the Scottish Baptist College in Glasgow, where he remained until "retirement". From Glasgow, he took up a six-year part-time pastorate at Guisborough Evangelical Church in Cleveland. In 2000, Ivor and Esme moved to Suffolk, where Ivor continued to preach and share the eldership of Framsden Baptist Church.

It has been written of Ivor Oakley that he was a great man, a great preacher, a great teacher, a great friend, and a real character. And certainly he was deeply devoted to the Lord, to His Word, and to the traditional gospel of Grace.

An excellent preacher and teacher, Ivor was always well prepared and always held the attention of his congregation. His wide ministry among churches in England, Ireland and Scotland was greatly appreciated. He specialised in New Testament studies, and Greek, loving the language. His great interest was the story of our Bible, and how it was translated and transmitted over 2000 years.

He was widely read, had a phenomenal memory for recalling verses, details and dates, and had a great love of traditional hymns, their writers and their tunes.

It was perhaps fitting that Ivor was called home late on a Sunday (September 21st 2003) after having spoke at Framsden Baptist Church on the history of the bible.

Ivor is survived by Esme and their three daughters, Averil, Ruth and Margaret. All have been involved in the production of this site.