REVD DAVID IDRIS OWEN died on July 1st aged 95. He was born in 1913 in the North Wales coastal town of Colwyn Bay. His long and distinguished ministry was almost equally divided between Wales and the North East of England.
Encouraged by his mother, he studied at Aberystwyth and Bala College and was ordained in 1938. He was brought up to speak fluent Welsh, and did not begin to learn English until he went to Grammar School. However, after his ordination he was accepted into the English speaking branch of the Calvinistic Methodist Church because of a shortage of vacant pastorates amongst the Welsh speaking churches. He ministered at Wrexham, Rhos and Cardiff until 1960, including a period as Moderator of the Cheshire, Flint and Denbigh Presbytery.
In 1960 he and his family moved to the North East, where he became minister of Arthur’s Hill. In 1969 he moved to High Howdon and North Shields and finally, in 1976 to All Saints, North Shields until his retirement in 1980. He also served as Moderator of the Newcastle Presbytery.
A recital of the dates and places where he served does not do justice to the remarkable ministry of Idris Owen. His passion for learning, for history and for Welsh culture and is keen pastoral insight marked him out as a minister of rare virtues. Encouraged by his son, Philip, he began writing poetry in Welsh at the age of 91, and produced many volumes of poems which he loved to recite.
There are many people, lay and ordained, in this Synod who have reason to give thanks for the wisdom and pastoral care of Idris Owen. To have known him was a delight and a privilege.
Peter Moth