David Say


Richard David Say KCVO was the Bishop of Rochester in the Church of England from 1961 to 1988. He was often noted for his height.

Early life and education

Say was the son of Commander Richard Say RNVR. He was educated at Arnold House School in London, University College School, Christ's College, Cambridge, and Ridley Hall.

Ordained ministry

Say was ordained deacon in the Church of England at Canterbury Cathedral on 22 December 1939 and ordained priest just 10 days later on 1 January 1940. He served his curacy at Croydon, then at St Martin-in-the-Fields where he was general secretary of the Church of England Youth Council. He later became general secretary of the British Council of Churches and an Anglican representative at World Council of Churches conferences. He retired from these roles in 1955 to parish ministry in Hatfield, Hertfordshire.
After his consecration as bishop in 1961, Say took a seat in the House of Lords from 1969 to 1988 and for some years deputised for the Archbishop of Canterbury as chairman of the board of governors of the Church Commissioners. He also spoke in the General Synod of the Church of England in favour of church marriages for divorcés and of Anglican-Methodist reunion.

Later life

On retirement as Bishop of Rochester he moved to Wye where he was active in the parish and was an honorary assistant bishop in the Diocese of Canterbury until shortly before his death.
Say supported the city of Rochester, Chatham, Kent County Cricket Club, the University of Kent and, later, Canterbury itself. He was also for 18 years High Almoner to the Queen. He was honorary chaplain of the Pilgrims Society from 1968 till 2002.

Death and legacy

On Say's death, the Bishop of Dover, Stephen Venner, said:
Say's funeral service was celebrated in the nave of Canterbury Cathedral on 27 September 2006 and a public memorial service was held on 2 February 2007 at Rochester Cathedral. His wife Irene was a justice of the peace and gardener who died in 2003. They had a son and two daughters.

Quotations

  • He believed the greatest danger to the Church of England was concentrating "on laundering our surplices" and forgetting its true mission, which was "from Corrymeela to Calcutta, washing the world's feet".
  • "God is the God of the future as well as of the past."