We were very sorry to hear the sad news that Revd John Wheeler, Vicar of St Saviour’s between 1980 and 96, died peacefully in his sleep recently. He and his wife Brenda, who passed away several years ago, were greatly loved during their 16 years here, and served our parish in many innovative and creative ways, not least by establishing the work of The Upper Room.
Simon Tuke, Chair of Trustees of The Upper Room, says that John and Brenda ‘felt there had to be a better way to help those who came knocking on the vicarage door than making sandwiches in their kitchen. Initially they installed a trestle table in their garage and served meals there, then took over the space above the church hall that The Upper Room occupies to this day.’
John (seen above wielding a holy water sprinkler at a service outside the church) came to St Saviour’s with a long-standing connection with Africa and the anti-apartheid movement. The movement eventually saw Nelson Mandela freed from prison and majority rule brought to South Africa.
John’s passion for social justice saw the church help set up a kindergarten for displaced Palestinian children in Gaza, and support Constance Nyembe, whose parents had died, through higher education and law school in Switzerland. During his time as vicar, many African students, priests and refugees came to St Saviour’s to stay and preach.
A lasting legacy of John in the church building is in the corona over the altar, which was installed in his time. John said that it ‘expresses our Christian hope, not just the thorns and nails, but also the light of the resurrection, which transcends the crucifixion.’
We give thanks to God for John’s life and ministry, and our prayers are with his and Brenda’s children, and the wider family.
The funeral will take place on Wednesday 5 April at 2pm, at Sts Philip and James, Hounslow Road, Twickenham TW2 7DY.