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Tributes paid to Norwich pastor Tom Chapman 

Tributes have been paid to Norwich church pastor, Tom Chapman, who died on September 23 after a decade-long battle with a large brain tumour and a date for his thanksgiving service has been announced.

Tom (aged 45), who leaves wife Suzanne and four children and was senior pastor of Surrey Chapel in Norwich for 15 years, died at the Priscilla Bacon Hospice in Norwich.

Writing on Facebook earlier today, Suzanne said: “After a very difficult year, we're very sad to tell you that Tom died in the early hours. He has been a wonderful father, husband, church pastor and friend to us all, and we are delighted that he was able to remain kind, loving and selfless even in the most difficult circumstances.
 
“He was very confident of his eternal destiny, and would want to make it clear this confidence was based on what Christ had done for him, not his own goodness. I say this to honour his constant desire to point people towards the Christian gospel.

“Any sense of relief we anticipated is completely drowned by the sadness today.” 

Writing on his own Facebook page, two weeks ago, Tom said: “I have had a very bad year health-wise and am currently in a hospice thanks to my brain tumour. Surgery, chemo twice and radiotherapy have not worked this time. It has become exponentially more difficult for me, and for my family and church, over the last six months.

“We have been surrounded by love and faith and help on every level, and are not fundamentally rocked. We know God has a plan; we just didn't want it to be this. The disease has really taken its toll on me, but the little I am able to say includes my assertion that God is good and has poured his love into my heart. Please pray for me and my family at this very difficult time.”

Professor Mark Leake, from the University of York, knew Tom as a fellow undergraduate at King’s in Cambridge, paid tribute, saying: "It was his sheer physical energy that typified his time at university, quite relentless and boundless in drawing in his fellow students into the Christian Union.  Tom was a kind, thoughtful man who has left this world having helped many, many others. I miss him enormously. I am grateful for the time we had together. Bless you, Tom, dear friend. Passionate to the end. But never forgotten."

A Thanksgiving Service for Tom will be held at Surrey Chapel on Saturday October 7 at 11am. All are welcome.

Tom was a regular contributor to Network Norfolk and you can read some of his articles by clicking here.

Below, hear Tom speaking at the Celebrate Norfolk event in Norwich in June 2017.

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Pictured above is Tom who spoke in June at a Celebrate Norfolk breakfast in Norwich.
 

Please add your thoughts about Tom and tributes using the comments options below.
 

You can also email tribute quotes to keith.morris@networknorwich.co.uk


Published: 01/10/2017


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