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Ted Luscombe obituary: Bishop, author and Tealing community supporter

Bishop Ted Luscombe.
Bishop Ted Luscombe.

In the death at Monifieth of Bishop Lawrence Edward Luscombe, the Scottish Episcopal Church and the Anglican Communion has lost one of its most outstanding servants.

Bishop Ted, as he was known, served as Bishop of Brechin from 1975 until retirement in 1990 and as Primus from 1985 to 1990.

He had been provost of St Paul’s Cathedral in Dundee until his election as Bishop following earlier ministries in the Diocese of Glasgow and Galloway.

Village life

Ted’s later years were spent in Tealing with his wife Doris, where he immersed himself in community life.

He was a prolific author of books on church history but wrote one book about the work of Forfar botanist George Don.

Dundee University

Ted and his family were also proud of their strong connections with Dundee University.

Doris (Morgan) graduated from St Andrews and Dundee before becoming an army surgeon during the Second World War.

Their only daughter, Jean Sutherland graduated in law from Dundee. Her son, Edward also graduated in law from the university and her other son, Dr James Sutherland is on the staff of the university.

Bishop Ted Luscombe with his daughter Jean Sutherland and grandson Edward Sutherland.

In late February, while Ted was ill, James’ wife gave birth to her first son and he was named Lawrence in his honour. He was unable to meet him but was able to see photos and take part in video calls.

Author

His books focused on the development of the Episcopal church and its notable 18th and 19th century clergy.

Respect for a sense of how the church had arrived at its present life was for him, however, merely the launching pad from which to seek to increase and deepen the mission to which the church was called – making faith in Jesus Christ accessible to all.

His years in Brechin saw the most remarkable resurgence in the life of the diocese and of its cathedral.

Vitality

This was the result not only of his own vital contribution but through his recruitment of a succession of new priests into the diocese.

Against the trend of the day, Bishop Ted opened up new churches, encouraged the vision of shared ministry and equipped women and men to participate in the worship and life of the diocese.

As Primus he not only gave the church an increasing confidence in its identity but encouraged the church into a fuller engagement with the needs of the world around.

Trust

In the wider communion he gained the trust and respect of primates from all provinces and most particularly in America.

All who came to know him were the better for the acquaintance, and every situation he encountered he left in a better state than he found it.

This was true of each part of his life – as an army officer in India; as accountant and senior partner; and in his service prior to ordination as administrator in the Diocese of Glasgow and Galloway.

Military service

Born Lawrence Edward Luscombe in 1924, he attended Torquay Boys’ Grammar School and then Kelham Theological College before seeing active service with the British Indian Army during the Second World War.

It was at the North West Frontier he met his future wife, Doris. He was being treated for dysentery and she helped him back to fitness.

Marriage

The couple married in India in 1947, the year he left the army having reached the rank of major.

He qualified as a chartered accountant on March 26, 1952, the day his daughter Jean was born, and was a partner with Glasgow firm Galbraith Dunlop & Co before leaving the profession to resume theological studies. He was ordained deacon and then priest at St Mary’s Cathedral in Glasgow in 1963 and 1964.

Consecration

In 1971, he moved to Dundee where he held the position of Provost of St Paul’s Cathedral until he was consecrated Bishop of Brechin.

He was later elected Primus of the Scottish Episcopal Church, a position in which he served until his retirement in 1990.

From 1988 to 1993 he chaired the Inter-Anglican Finance Committee and the Primates’ Special Committee of the Anglican Centre in Rome in 1990.

Honours

He was made an honorary canon of Trinity Cathedral in Davenport, Iowa, in 1983, an officer of the Venerable Order of St John in 1986, and was awarded the honorary degree of Doctor of Laws (LLD) by the University of Dundee in 1987.

During his ministry, he also held a number of positions in education, and was chairman of the governing body of Glenalmond College (1986-1994) and Edinburgh Theological College (1985-1990), as well as governor of Lathallan School (1982-2000) and Dundee College of Education (1982-1987). From 1989 to 1993, he was a member of Tayside Health Board.

Ted’s beloved wife Doris predeceased him after her own long and distressing illness which they faced together as the strong team that they had always been.

Commitment

In a real sense Bishop Ted never did retire but maintained a concern for the church he loved and its relevance.

Ted chose as the motto for his armorial bearing Dominus Regit Me. This is exactly what his life and ministry bear witness to and so may that same Lord who guided him through life bring him to the glory of life eternal.

Rt Rev Dr Idris Jones is a former Primus of the Scottish Episcopal Church.

You an read the family’s announcement here.