An appreciation of the life of Colin Maunsell  (1961-2005)

Colin was born in 1933 in Bath as one of five children. His elder sister, Nan, was to go to Morocco with BCMS and this may have been an influence, but Colin’s own missionary call came at the age of 15 when reading Mark 16:15: “And He said to them, “Go into all the world and preach the Gospel to every creature.”

Colin studied for a mechanical engineering degree at Cambridge and then offered to serve with the Bible Churchmen’s Missionary Society. He was accepted and trained for the ministry at Tyndale Hall in Bristol. In 1961 he went out to Ethiopia for his first period of service. He liked to be hard at work, and there was plenty to do. The two chief ministries during this time were first the Book-van and then the teaching at the Trinity Cathedral School and classes in Addis Ababa, and later at Gondar. The Book-van period was certainly tough work over the Ethiopian 'roads' of that time, and in the team only Colin could drive or repair the Landrover. It meant weeks or months on the trail - no privacy but a tent at night, and constantly on the watch, not only for customers - but against thieves who might take some vital tool. It was a greater success than expected - and many areas were reached. Over 100,000 books were sold.

His influence over his students, both at Trinity Cathedral and in Gondar was considerable, and he produced courses of study to be done out of class as well as his regular teaching. Later in Gondar, first under secondment to CMJ and then alone, he had the most valuable opportunities to teach - perhaps especially when alone, as he was holding courses for priests. When BCMS had to withdraw from Ethiopia, he was writing courses for the Christians among the thousands of students who were being sent into the countryside to teach literacy. Even whilst on UK leave and involved in parish work, he also worked on the Amharic Bible Dictionary with an Ethiopian colleague. 

His next period of UK leave included marriage to a fellow BCMS missionary also based in Gondar – Hazel Collins – almost 20 years after his arrival in Ethiopia, and 8 years after hers.

In 1981, when the political situation in Ethiopia made it no longer possible for them to stay there, Colin and Hazel went to work with the Lusitanian Church in Portugal. They both learnt Portuguese and Colin was pastor of a parish in Oporto. However, their main ministry was to produce Bible study material. A correspondence course produced there was also extensively used in Mozambique. There was work with students at university conferences and SU camps. For the last three years there they also helped to develop outreach from the Quinta Conference Centre with Campus Crusade and, even after leaving Portugal, they continued to support and pray for the work.

In 1989, the Maunsells visited Ethiopia to evaluate the possibility of BCMS returning to work in Ethiopia, to look at possibilities of producing Bible reading and study aids, and to encourage and be encouraged by former Christian associates. There was a warm welcome, and the decision was made to return in 1991 to produce more Bible study materials in Amharic. In the last 14 years Colin and Hazel with their Ethiopian co-workers have written, revised and translated a range of material, from the four-year Every Day with Jesus, through revising the Amharic Bible Dictionary to the current production of a three volume systematic theology. Their work was honoured by the Archbishop of Canterbury in 1998 when they were both presented with the St Augustine’s Cross at Lambeth Palace.

Colin was also been given the opportunity to preach and teach in a variety of places and was greatly respected in the country. The wider ministry included taking all opportunities to share the Word of God and encouraging a greater understanding of the Bible, whether in small Bible study groups or individually. Although Colin was officially “retired” in Ethiopia, he remained a very active Crosslinks mission partner until the end of his earthly life. Throughout his ministry, Colin had a strong belief in the inspiration and authority of Scripture. He was never afraid to express what he felt was the Biblical and Reformed view on subjects like the ordination of women and to express his concerns about modern belief and practice among some evangelicals. Nevertheless, he was always open to listen to those who could base their arguments on Scripture. 

Alongside his desire to teach the Bible, wherever he was, Colin had a great concern to see men and women, boys and girls come to a living faith in Jesus Christ. During a visit to one of their supporting churches, Colin was asked about salvation. Seizing the opportunity he walked three miles to the enquirer’s house on a cold winter evening shortly afterwards and continued to do so over a number of subsequent weeks until a commitment was made. Many years later he told the man that prior to returning to the UK Colin was given a word from God that three people would come to know the Lord during that time and that he was one of them. 

On his BCMS application form Colin said the chief aim of a missionary should be: to set up a “Self-governing, self-supporting, self-propagating” Church, to equip it with the Scriptures in its own tongue and various helps to the study of the Scriptures and then to move to new ground. His life shows that he lived out what he wrote. Colin died on 8 September, surrounded by praying friends. His funeral was the following day, and Jan and Roy Stafford represented Crosslinks. There will be a thanksgiving service in Addis Ababa on 15 October, at which Andy Lines will speak, and another at St Paul’s Howell Hill, Cheam at 2.30 on 29 October 2005.