Dear All,
The
time has come for me to resign as a trustee of LIFE, a
position I have been pleased to occupy since 2009.
I have
been involved with the charity since the early 1980s when
hordes of evangelical Christians joined LIFE as a result
of the 1979 Schaeffer and Koop film series and book
entitled Whatever Happened to the Human Race?
At that time, Sid Garland and I started Evangelicals for
LIFE to encourage these evangelicals to join LIFE and get
involved in its threefold activities of caring, education
and campaigning. From 1984, I was a member of LIFE’s
Central Committee as the Regional Representative for Wales
– at that time it consisted of at least six Groups.
In addition, I and my wife were founding members, as
chairman and secretary, of the Aberystwyth LIFE Group, one
of the most successful of all Groups at that time – we
were the first (and only?) Group to attain a membership of
1% of our local population.
However,
there are now at least four good reasons for me, albeit
somewhat reluctantly, to stand down:
1]
I have this month reached my landmark birthday of
three-score-and-ten years. And as everybody knows,
people of this age are quite incapable of making sound
judgements, so I have been compulsorily retired as a
magistrate. So why not as a LIFE trustee too?
After all, I have already been involved for half my
lifetime.
2]
I note that the Charity Commissioners are now recommending
that trustees serve for terms of no more than three
years. I have already completed many more than that.
3]
The function of LIFE trustees has fundamentally
changed. I used to enjoy the bioethical debate and
the strategic planning aspects of our past meetings.
I have little interest, and certainly no expertise, in
poring over budgets and interpreting financial
spreadsheets. Moreover, the prospect of serving on a
sub-committee discussing health and safety, or whatever,
does not appeal.
4]
I understand that there is now a coterie of new and
younger trustees waiting in the wings. It is
therefore an appropriate time for this oldie to move over.
In
other words, I judge that my time of usefulness and
significant contribution to the charity has come to a
fitting end.
However,
I do expect to continue my involvement in the pro-life
cause. I am still being invited to speak at various
meetings and conferences. And I am still writing for
several organisations, as well as my own website.
For example, attached is my piece on the dreadful 50th
anniversary, Abortion – 50 Years of Shame.
Finally,
I want to thank you all for your friendships and
co-belligerence. I wish you well in the
future. I shall still support LIFE and contribute
financially to the charity. It has been an
organisation that has changed my life, mostly for the
better. I shall miss you.
Sincerely,
John.
Dear John,
I was not expecting to receive this email
tonight. I must be honest, I find the news of your
imminent resignation saddening; I can’t imagine anyone
replacing you on the board. Nobody talks bioethics like
John Ling.
That said, thanks to your typically well
written email, I understand the reasoning behind your
decision and fully respect the choice you have made.
Being reminded of your history with the
prolife movement and especially the time you and your wife
dedicated to your local Life groups reminds me of just
what an honour it has been for me to know you. You have
contributed so much not only to the board of trustees but
to the charity as a whole. As I recall, you have even been
a keynote speaker the Life conference.
I know I do not speak only for myself when I
say you will be sorely missed, John. As a trustee you
always made valid contributions and never felt
uncomfortable challenging things you didn’t agree with.
(Including my foul language)
I genuinely hope you will keep in touch with
us trustees and that we will continue to hear from you in
the future.
On behalf of the board I would like to thank
you wholeheartedly for all you have done for Life Charity
and I wish you every success in the future.
God bless
Laura Higgins
Dear
John
My
goodness you are only 70, John McCain ran for the American
Presidency at 72 and one of the finest American Presidents
of all,
Ronald
Reagan, was well into his 70`s whilst in office. I am 67
and am only just starting out in life. You start to get
old when you are
around
95. You
must not listen to those silly people in Life who say
you are finished once you hit 50.
You, like Jack
and
all of us are part of Life`s rich history and the odds
were always stacked horribly against us in trying to
defend the innocents. Perhaps the work we have done will
save us from Hades at the end of our days, in my case it
will be a pretty close thing.
Eileen
and I will stay on the Board and prove the wisdom and
value of years.
Seriously,
thank you for all you did for the unborn, God Bless you
and your family and enjoy a peaceful and happy
retirement.
John
Thank you for your letter and your
heartfelt words. As the second youngest trustee I owe you a
debt for getting me involved in this great cause.
It is clear that you have contributed
quite wonderfully over the years and your excellent article
shows what we all know. Your depth of knowledge and
communication skills are unparalleled in this area.
I sincerely hope that the role of trustee
will be considerably more than spreadsheets, even if I do
enjoy a spreadsheet from time to time. We need to get this
charity on its feet financially if we are to survive for
another 50 years, but we must not lose sight of our important
role as trustees in shaping strategy. I'm confident that the
high calibre of the new trustees will help us achieve
this.
I've appreciated knowing and working with
you in this role. I wish you all the best in your
retirement.
Regards
Jonathan Wright
Dear John
I echo everything that has already been
said.
I am aware that the organisation is going
through an extensive period of transformational change and
I have been grateful for your support during this
time.
The challenges we face in the pro-life
movement will continue to increase over the coming years
and you, with your colleague trustees, have helped to
better position Life to respond to these challenges.
Thank you.
With every blessing for the future.
Stephen Sharpe (CEO
of Life).
Dear John apologies for delay - I'm
still recovering from the shock of your resignation!! It was
the last thing I expected.
Like you my history with LIFE goes back
a long way and had made me largely what I am today!!
As for age, well I've done 70 and am
going back down the other way!! But I keep telling myself
that hopefully some knowledge, wisdom, tolerance and good
humour has been accrued along the way, plus a lot of love!!
So, never mind retiring.....get back on
board and let's keep going. I love your witty comments and
can't manage without them!
Failing that- well done, good and
faithful pro lifer. You have been and are, an inspiration to
us all.
God Bless
Eileen Maher
Yes,
but your departure will be a huge loss.... Life needs
vision, courage, experience. You have them.
I
hope that the newcomers will begin to fill the gap!
And
thank you for all that you contributed to Life over the
years. You were a real heavyweight.
The
best to you and the family.
Jack
Scarisbrick.