Edgar Turner: Church of Ireland pioneer of ecumenism

Canon Edgar Turner, who has died in his 97th year, was among the pioneers of ecumenism in Ireland. He was also probably the foremost ecclesiastical lawyer in the Church of Ireland, an expert in canon law and the church's constitution and, for half a century, a member of its Liturgical Advisory Committee.

Turner combined this with a sideline as a dedicated follower of the Northern Ireland soccer team and Derry City FC. At the age of 95, he even travelled to the Faroe Islands to watch the North win a qualifying match for the European championships in France this summer.

Despite living most of his life in Belfast, he regularly travelled back to Derry to watch the Candystripes, first in the Irish League and later in the League of Ireland.

In the early 1970s, Turner was one of the driving forces in setting up the Northern Ireland Mixed Marriage Association and was its Church of Ireland chaplain. He saw the need at a time when community tensions were high, causing couples with spouses from different religions great difficulties.

Diverse congregation

For 32 years Turner was rector of St George’s in Belfast, the city’s only High Church parish. There he built up a vibrant and diverse congregation, open to people from a variety of backgrounds.

Thus, St George’s was one of the first Church of Ireland churches in which a Catholic priest preached.

Turner’s bishop had appointed him to St George’s in the early 1960s to close the church, as numbers were dwindling and parishioners moving to the suburbs. Instead, he revived the congregation.

He faced further challenges during the height of the Troubles, when bombs damaged St George’s several times.

Openness to the LGBT community was part of the congregation’s diversity. From early in Turner’s ministry at St George’s, the church attracted gay Christians. It was, of necessity, quiet work, since homosexuality was then criminalised in the North. Turner carried out all this ground-breaking work while carefully staying within church rules.

He was literally not afraid of getting his hands dirty. He was a skilled bookbinder and frequently carried out repair work on St George’s.

Climbing walls

One anecdote shows Turner’s dedication to soccer. Northern Ireland’s goalkeeping great, Pat Jennings, earned his 100th cap on the evening of an important church meeting. Turner rushed from meeting to match to find the gates shut. Undaunted, he climbed in over the back wall of Windsor Park.

Robert Edgar Turner was born on Derry’s Cityside in March 1920, the only child of Robert Turner, a commercial traveller, and his wife Ida (nee Studdard).

He was educated at a local primary school, Foyle College and later began a degree in modern languages and theology at Magee College, Derry, progressing to complete the degree at Trinity College Dublin.

Divinity studies

While at TCD he was an enthusiastic cyclist and travelled around much of Ireland, Britain and western Europe.

After graduation, Turner wanted wider experience and undertook divinity studies at Lincoln Theological College.

On ordination, his first appointment was a curacy in Birmingham. After a few years he returned to Ireland, first as Church of Ireland dean of residence at Queen’s University Belfast and then to his long ministry at St George’s.

Canon Turner is survived by his daughter Kate, son Justin and family circle.

He was predeceased by his wife Joan.