17 Facts About Colin Winter

Colin Winter was ordained deacon in the Church of England in 1956 and became curate of St Andrew's Church in Eastbourne.

Colin Winter was ordained priest in 1957 and married Mary Jackson Winter in Bradford, Yorkshire in 1953.

Colin Winter spent six years as a parish priest at St Francis Church in Simonstown, South Africa, in the Anglican Diocese of Cape Town.

Colin Winter wrote a book, Just People, about his experiences as a parish priest there.

In 1964, Colin Winter became Dean of St George's Cathedral in Windhoek in what was then known as South West Africa, a former German colony controlled by South Africa, later known as Namibia.

Colin Winter was elected Bishop of Damaraland in 1968, following the deportation of his predecessor, Bob Mize by the South African government.

Several of the strike leaders were arrested and charged with various offences, and Colin Winter offered to try to help them to pay for their defence.

At that time, when he was returning from a meeting in South Africa, Colin Winter found himself sitting next to pastor Richard Wurmbrand on the plane.

Wurmbrand invited Colin Winter to join him in a press conference at the airport, but Colin Winter declined, saying that, though he sympathised with the persecuted Christians in Romania, Christians in Namibia were being persecuted.

At his press conference, Wurmbrand denounced Colin Winter for failing to join him, and the following day Die Suidwester had a front-page banner headline "Colin Winter confesses".

Colin Winter then went to see Wurmbrand at Dominee Dana Minnaar's house, hoping to clear up misunderstandings and bring about reconciliation.

Colin Winter said that he sympathised with the plight of persecuted Christians in Romania, but that Romania was far away, and Christians in Namibia had to face the evils of apartheid, which were far more immediate.

Wurmbrand said that this was being parochial; South Africa did not aim at world domination, but communism did, therefore Colin Winter should concentrate his energies on fighting communism.

Wurmbrand refused at first, but Colin Winter insisted, saying that he wanted the blessing of one who had suffered for his faith.

Colin Winter then asked Die Suidwester to apologise for its attacks, and said that if it did not do so, he would sue the newspaper and its editor, Frans van Zyl.

Colin Winter was known variously as Bishop of Damaraland and Bishop of Namibia; during his exile, his eventual successor Kauluma was elected and consecrated suffragan bishop for his diocese.

Colin Winter died of a heart attack at age 53 in exile in London, at his home in East London: the second location of the Namibia International Peace Centre, in Bethnal Green.