42 | FOREVER Keele
Melvin Tinker
KEELE CHAPLAIN 1985 – 1990
Excerpt courtesy of The Church Times
THE Revd Melvin Tinker ’ s main ministry was as Vicar of St John ’ s , Newland , in Hull . He served there for 26 years from 1994 , and it grew to be one of northern England ’ s largest churches , even though Hull was the city in England with lowest per capita church attendance . By any measure , Tinker felt called to a challenging ministry context , and was himself willing to challenge both the wider Church and culture , and his conservative Evangelical constituency , whenever he felt that something difficult needed saying .
Known by friends and family as a generous and kind man with a terrific sense of humour and outrageous waistcoats , what made him willing over the years to challenge those who , he felt , needed to hear the truth as he saw it ?
No doubt , his background was part of his formation . Tinker ’ s grandfather served as a marine in the First World War , and was a “ straight-talking man who gave me time as a boy — which mattered ”. Born in 1955 and raised the son of a Nottinghamshire miner , Tinker was urged to be honest and straight-talking .
The Mansfield miner ’ s terrace in which he was raised had been built in 1822 , and during his childhood did not have hot water . Tinker was positive about his upbringing : “ It was tough , but we had a lot of fun .” He went to one of the country ’ s first comprehensive schools , Ashfield , where he developed a love of learning and mixed with people from other backgrounds — whose families owned cars and houses . All of that made an impact . Despite not reading his first book till he was 13 , Tinker went on to write nearly 20 published books on a wide range of cultural and ecclesiastical topics . These included challenges to cultural Marxism , That Hideous Strength ( 2018 ) , and popular methods of evangelism , Salt and Light .
While at school , he heard the gospel from a family who befriended him ; a Methodist lay preacher who was so “ genuine in his faith , he just showed me that it was real ”. In 1973 , Tinker went to Hull University , having become a Christian just the previous year . He put himself forward to speak at a Christian Union event and was thrilled to see someone become a believer . It was at university that Melvin met Heather , whom he married .
After a few years ’ teaching , he trained for ordination at Wycliffe Hall , Oxford . He served as chaplain to Keele University ( 1985-90 ), which helped him to hone a lifelong passion to engage with the culture and academic life . His tenure as Vicar of All Hallows ’, Cheadle ( 1990-94 ), developed his commitment to patterns of Anglican ministry . Tinker was committed to visiting people in their homes . “ My greatest joy has been preaching to people I have led to trust in Christ , in their homes . God really is for all kinds of people — not just the middle class ,” he wrote .