Michael Edred Haighton
1952 - 18/8/2022
Michael was born in Nantwich in 1952 and had a younger brother and sister. His family owned a clothing factory, in which he did some work for 12 months.
From a very early age he was aware of the hand of God on his life. As a young teenager he learnt bell ringing which drew him into the life of the local Anglican Church. However it wasn’t until he was 16 years old and at Boarding School, that whilst out for a walk one Sunday afternoon God led him into a little Chapel where he heard the Gospel and was converted.
After training at Cliff College, he was ordained and became Pastor of a Congregational Church near Crewe. It wasn't an easy time, wages were low and all this taught him the importance of relying on the Lord and living by faith. Just before he left the Church, he was baptized by immersion while on holiday at Clacton-on-Sea Baptist Church. His next move was to East Anglia where a village chapel had been closed and local Christians, along with what is now Rural Ministries were keen to re-open it. During his 16 ½ years there the Lord saved many people and the congregation grew. Having learnt earlier to live by faith, it came in handy as in 1980 his wage was £20 a week and a bicycle! He had many memories of God’s provision such as shoes and a car; every need prayed for - that was God’s will, was provided. Then God showed him that he was to serve as an Itinerant Preacher, and during this time he stayed with his mother who became very ill, and not having the restrictions of a pastorate he was able to help care for her. Amazingly enough during this 12 month period, with no regular wage coming in, and one or two hefty bills, there was £1000 more in his bank than before.
At this point, whilst in East Anglia, he became ill with Rheumatoid Arthritis, but with care and medical help, he managed. So when the Holy Spirit showed him another pastorate – initially a Baptist Church in Devon, and then in addition, a small U.R.C. Fellowship, he gladly accepted. He had been in the South West for about 3 years when his Arthritis became worse, and he had to take early retirement at the age of 49. The very ministry he loved was being taken from him.
A Christian friend said to him “you will have another ministry,” and how right they were. God gave him the ministry of standing in and helping out. What a joy to get a call from a church saying things such as “Can you help during our Minister’s Sabbatical?” or “The preacher is ill, can you take his place?” All was done under the scheme of Permitted Work, allowing him to do 7 or 8 hours work a week.
He did other things with his time as well. He served as a Moderator for a local Baptist Church, and wrote a book on The importance of the Public Reading of Scripture, and did some lecturing about it at three Bible Colleges. He also gave some pastoral oversight to Lilbourne Chapel which we attended for 9 years until they called a Minister.
He was a member of the Hymn Society and wrote several hymns, and one of them was published in a hymnbook called "Praise". He wrote a hymn for the last service in the old D.B.C. building & the first service in the new one.
His life had become very different, but the Lord is still the same. All needs were provided for, including the opportunity to share Retired Baptist Ministers Housing and in 2002, having met me in Devon, I became his Low Key Carer living in our house in Rugby. Michael decided that he wasn't a confirmed bachelor after all, and we married in 2006. He had always enjoyed having many friends, and after our marriage he also gained a new family with Grandchildren and Great Grandchildren.
We became Members of Dunchurch Baptist Church, and Michael served two terms as an Elder, and attended there when not out preaching in various denominations. Also for a while He did two hours a week as Chaplain to Hope 4 – a local Christian charity helping homeless people, and after this he helped a local Christian Secondary School by being Interim Chaplain, and then later became Chaplain to the Rugby Branch of Gideons, - now called "Good News for Everyone." He carried on serving God and preaching long after reaching official Retirement age and receiving his Pension.
He loved Ringing bells, Playing the Organ and Swimming, but none of these were possible during the Covid lockdown or during his Chemotherapy treatment for Liver cancer.
At the end of April he fell and fractured his hip. He recovered well from that, but his cancer was shortening his life. His last preaching engagement was on August the 7th, when together we led the morning service at our own church. By then he was in a wheelchair, but he was determined to do it, and it was a fitting ending to his long ministry.
So the experiences of long ago taught him that he could fully rely on God at all times. He is the One to whom he wished to give all the glory, for as Ephesians 3:20 says, “He is able to do immeasurably more than we ask or imagine, according to His power that is at work within us.”
As well as writing his book, and composing quite a few hymns he also wrote many poems. The one which Peter is now going to read was written in 2006, the year in which we were married.
