December 25, 2022. As much of the world feasted and celebrated, several members of the ATA Community grieved as Dr. Brian Wintle, the very first Regional Secretary of ATA India, went home to be with the Lord. Dr. Wintle had been struggling with a pulmonary disease a couple of months prior to his demise and was on a ventilator most of the time. His family held a funeral for him in Konoor, the place from which he hailed, the day after his passing.
Dr. Brian Wintle has always been known as a man of great intellect- and excelled academically even from childhood. After finishing his Year 11 Board examination at the age of 14, he went on to study Mechanical Engineering (BE) and completed that course at the age of 19, graduating with a high aggregate score from the University of Madras. Dr. Wintle could have pursued a lucrative career as an Engineer, but the Lord had other plans for him- plans which Dr. Wintle decided to embrace for himself. So, he enrolled in Union Biblical Seminary (Yayatmal) and graduated with a Bachelor of Divinity in 1972, finishing a four-year course in two. But Dr. Wintle didn’t stop at that, he then went on to the University of Manchester to pursue a PhD in Theology and graduated in 1977.
From the moment Dr. Wintle entered the ministry, the Lord allowed him to serve in various capacities and ministries. For one, Dr. Wintle served in the Academe. He was teaching faculty in the Department of New Testament at Union Biblical Seminary, Yayatmal and Pune, from 1978 to 1995. But apart from teaching, Dr. Wintle also served in various administrative positions of the seminary and eventually became the seminary’s Principal from 1987 up until 1995.
Dr. Wintle was not only an academician, he was also an ordained presbyter of the Church of North India (CNI) of the Erstwhile Diocese of Kolhapur, Maharashtra. And even as he was serving in the seminary, he was concurrently serving as one of the Pastoral Staff of St. Paul’s Church in Pune. Additionally, he also served as one of the Pastoral Staff of the Divya Shanthi Community Churches of India, Bangalore. Alongside all these, Dr. Wintle also served as the Chairman of the Board of the Bishop Schools in Pune.
The Lord has been faithful to open doors for Dr. Wintle to serve Him and build His Kingdom through the years. But in 1995, the Lord brought Dr. Wintle to new life chapters as he began to be actively involved in the ministries of ATA in varying capacities. In fact, He became the very first Regional Secretary of ATA India. Later, in 2013, he served as the Academic Coordinator of the PhD degree program n Christian Studies offered by the Centre for Advanced Theological Studies, Sam Higginbotham University of Agriculture, Technology, and Science (SHUATS), Allahabad.
The Lord had richly blessed the work of Dr. Wintle’s hands and allowed him to accomplish much as an academician and administrator- but that was not where it stopped. Dr. Wintle was also a prolific writer, authoring and co-authoring many books, and editor, one of the hardest working ones. Some of the books he has co-authored and published with ATA are “Ephesians: A Pastoral and Contextual Commentary” (with Ken Gnanakan) and “Colossians and Philemon: A Pastoral and Contextual Commentary” (with Bruce J. Nichols). He served as editor of various commentaries and commentary series: he was the General Editor of the South Asia Bible Commentary: A One-Volume Commentary on the Whole Bible (2015). He was one of the editors of India Commentary of the New Testament. Lastly, he also served as a Consulting Editor of the Asia Bible Commentary Series published by ATA and Langham.
There is no doubt that Dr. Wintle was a scholar, a great writer, and one of the hardest working consulting editors- but more than all those, he was a good friend to many. He has touched the lives of so many people and he never failed to earn the love and respect of the people he interacted with. Those who truly got to know him were always so amazed by his simplicity and sincerity. As a testament to that, are the following words of tribute from some of the people closest to Dr. Wintle:
In honor of Dr. Brian Wintle
My acquaintance with Brian (that is what I used to call Dr Brian Wintle) goes back fifty two years to be precise. I could not believe that he was doing his morning devotions with Greek N.T. in front of him while I did not know even Greek alphabets. I knew right away that Brian is a Godly person and I held him in high esteem.
We were together in the Second Year of Bachelor of Divinity Course in Union Biblical Seminary. After graduation in 1972 we both were selected to be faculty in training and sent Brian to Manchester and I to Asbury Theological Seminary and Michigan State University in the USA. Brian and I came back to Union Biblical Seminary Yavatmal, Maharashtra (UBS) with our Ph.D.s and began to teach in Bible and Christian Ministry Departments respectively. This partnership continued till UBS moved to Pune in 1984. Later on Brian became the Principal of UBS.
Dr Saphir Athyal was our beloved Principal and we worked very closely with him in administration in UBS. Brian as an Academic Dean and I as Dean of Students had a very close relationship since this had to do with the lives of students who came to UBS to be formed into Godly ministers of the Gospel. Our families also were closely knit. Brian, Phyllis, Faye and Naomi and my family with Jaya, my wife, Stuti, Sannuthi and Stavan my children lived happy lives in the fellowship of the UBS community.
There was so much to learn from Brian’s life. Brian was a man of few words and those words were full of wisdom. He would take time to listen various views on an issue in a conversation and then give his views which were rich in thought unlike some of us who speak first and then listen. Brian was a good teacher. He would spend time in thorough preparation whether it was teaching or preaching and do his best to explain everything that was difficult for students. He was more concerned about weak students and doing extra work to understand their difficulties. At times I saw him praying and crying before the Lord for these students. Such was his love for them.
He did not give his students only head knowledge but heart knowledge as well. In UBS our concern was academic, ministerial and character formation and the theme of our studies was Servanthood Leadership. Brian adhered to this very closely.
Brian contributed to theological education through his writings and commentaries. His life was an example of what a good teacher should be, scholarly and saintly. He worked with Asia Theological Association (ATA) as Regional General Secretary of ATA India. During his tenure he helped many Seminaries and Bible Colleges to maintain standards in all areas of Academic, Ministerial and Character formation.
Brian was not a book worm. Many in the theological world in Asia and especially in India can vouch for his passionate interest in Cricket. There was a talk that whoever wanted to join the ATA Evaluation Team, must have deep interest in Cricket.
We are going to miss Brian and miss him greatly. His legacy of academic excellence and saintliness will remain with many who have been trained by Brian and carry on for many generations to come. He was a mentor trained Godly professors like Professor F.F.Bruce of Manchester.
We uphold Phyllis, Faye and Naomi and her family in our prayers that the Lord Himself will comfort them. We want to give them Bible verse in Rev 21:4 He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain for the old order of things has passed away.
~ Dr. Narendra John, Former Secretary of Accreditation, ATA, and Dr. Brian Wintle’s best friend
I was privileged to know Dr. Brian Wintle for his remarkable presence. He continually impressed us as a man of grace and humour, erudition and humility, who loved God and God’s people, God’s word and academia, and his theological depth and precision of expressions.
Although Brian had an enviable academic heritage, as good as F.F. Bruce, and his academic & administrative acumen at UBS and SHUATS, my interactions with him were mainly limited to ATA, publishing initiatives with Langham, and other scholarly engagements.
One of the qualities that I remember about Brian in our ATA management committee meetings as well as in the Editorial board meetings was that he would educe from us points and directions, often by raising questions that went against the drift of the conversation. His long-term perception and the implications of the decisions to be made that would impact the ATA institutions, students, curriculum, contexts, and church discipleship.
His love for the Church and the Scripture stands out in conversations. I enjoyed our time together as he led our team as the General Editor to bring out the South Asia Bible Commentary. Dr. Brian always wanted to relate the scripture to the everyday lives of God’s people and saw a sound exposition of the Bible as the primary need in the Church. He wrestled with the text. He returned to the same text. He learned to read around, through and over and against the layers, to interpret and to relate to the context in which we live. Most of our recent conversations on developing a new Contextual Commentary series on the New Testament was an excellent example of this.
Perhaps my most memorable encounter was when I got a glimpse into his humility when the idea of producing a Study Bible for South Asia initiated. Most of us thought Brian would continue to lead a team as a General Editor. But as conversations continued, Brian was happy to have a younger General Editor to lead the project and wanted himself to be a contributor to the project.
We are grateful to the Lord for his contributions. With the death of other evangelical scholars recently and now Brian, it feels like a generation of great scholars are leaving us. Thankfully we have their books, and just as importantly, their legacies live on in the scores of students and believers they’ve inspired, reminding us that Brian’s influence will stretch far beyond his native Coonoor to far distant shores.
Our heart goes to Phyllis, Faye, Naomi, and the family at this difficult time. We pray for God’s comfort and live with the hope of Resurrection.
~Dr. Finny Philip, Principal, Filadelfia Bible College, North India
It is with profound sadness that we mourn the loss of Dr Brian Wintle. Without a doubt, he was one of the most well-respected and influential individuals in the Theological Education fraternity in Asia and, particularly, India. Dr Wintle stands taller than most in who he was as a person, as well as in the wide and positive impact he had on those who came into contact with him. For those who knew him well, he lived and served with a deep sense of God’s calling upon his life.
The ATA family, both internationally and in India, benefitted immensely from his wholehearted commitment to the cause of theological education in the region. His scholarship in New Testament Studies and his contribution as the Regional Secretary of ATA India are only part of the huge legacy he leaves behind. ATA India is what it is today because of his untiring effort and desire to see women and men being formed into Christlikeness for relevant engagement in our world.
And, even as we, along with his dear family, express our deep sorrow, we know that heaven rejoices in the homecoming of a beloved husband, father, friend, mentor, encourager and, above all, a faithful servant and son.
~Dr. Paul Cornelius, former Regional Secretary ATA India and President, William Carey International University, California
I started working with Dr. Wintle when I became part of the CAED in 2005. A brilliant scholar and experienced theological educator, gifted with the ability to articulate ideas in writing, he was such an asset to the CAED specially in drafting quality assurance standards and addressing challenging issues.
When Rev. Derek Tan passed away in 2006, he served as Acting General Secretary and made it clear that it was only for an interim period as ATA needed to prepare for the upcoming General Assembly in 2007. The GA was to be held in the Philippines, so he asked me to help in the preparations. It was a good training in organizing an ATA GA which I ended up doing in the succeeding GAs to the present.
When I joined ATA as a staff in 2007, one of my responsibilities was to coordinate ATA’s Value Added Services. Dr. Wintle invited me to India several times to conduct faculty seminars. He also asked me to join accreditation visits in India. Those were precious times of knowing him and learning from him.
I am grateful for the opportunity to serve together with Dr. Wintle, a leader with a great mind but a humble heart. I have witnessed his humility in the way he responded to a colleague during a time of disagreement. He looked tough, but those who know him found him to be a person with a gentle and caring spirit.
ATA is indebted to Dr. Wintle for his many years of dedicated and faithful service. He has invested his life in strengthening theological education for the mission of the church in India, Asia, and beyond.
~ Dr. Theresa Lua, General Secretary, ATA
Dr. Wintle is an amazing man! He knew the New Testament well- including all the critical discussions. He was very scholarly. He was a master negotiator, hardworking, and served as an excellent Consulting Editor. But more than that, he was a gentle soul, kind, quick to listen and slow to speak. We will definitely miss him!
~Dr. Andrew Spurgeon, Publications Secretary, ATA
It has been my privilege to have walked through life with Dr Brian Wintle for over 50 years. It began when he was a student at the Union Biblical Seminary, Yeotmal, central India and I was one of his teachers.
His leadership gifts became evident when he joined the faculty of UBS in 1978, and served as professor, registrar, dean of students and vice principal. He was appointed principal in1987 and served with a vision for the Gospel and the church in Asia until he resigned in 1995. The following year I was invited to be interim principal for one year until the next Indian principal, ,Dr Leaderwell Pohsngap became principal.
Then in 2005 Brian and I wrote the commentary on Colossians and Philemon, which was published in 2005 by the Asia Bible Commentary series of ATA.. Brian was the biblical scholar and I the contextual theologian. Brian dedicated his part to his mother who was his constant inspiration. Then he and Ken Gnanakan wrote the commentary on Ephesians for the ATA series. When ATA revised the commentary series, Brian and I again contributed the commentary on Colossians and Philemon.. We called it a “pastoral and contextual commentary”. It was published by Langham for ATA in 2019.
Brian has now finished the race and kept the faith and is waiting to receive his crown of righteousness. Glory be to God.
~Dr. Bruce J. Nicholls, co-founder, Asia Theological Association
From my earliest memories of my childhood, my brother Brian was my favourite hero. Both Nigel and I considered him to be a genius, because he was always doing brilliantly in school and coming first in class… While Nigel was the mischievous brother, Brian was the protector, always looking out for me and keeping me safe. If ever Brian got into trouble (as children), it was because he was in the company of two mischievous siblings, and was considered to be an “accessory after the fact”…
In spite of all that he achieved, Brian was always one of the gentlest, humblest and soft spoken men I have ever known, taking after our Dad Charles Triton Wintle, after who he was named. He stayed ever simple and true to his upbringing and values in life… He had his own brand of humour and people who were close to him were treated to a good dose of this humour. He was the perfect example of a husband, father and grandfather to his little family. He was incredibly proud of their achievements in life and passed on his simple rules for loving and living his life to them.
He always wanted the family to be together at Christmas, so it is suitably fitting that they were all together with him this Christmas to farewell him on his heavenly journey to JESUS.
He is probably singing with the family of angels in Heaven right now.
~Jeannie Wintle Hereford, Dr. Brian Wintle’s sister
I praise God for the life, family, witness, work, ministry, friendship and fellowship of our Dear Elder Brother in the Lord and Mentor Rev Dr. Brian C Wintle. Dr. Wintle was a Scholar Saint and Servant Leader. His humility was par excellence. Brother Brian was known for his Commitment to God and the Kingdom of God, to his dear family, to his students and friends. Since 2021 he ministered virtually to the members of Global Spiritual Care Networks and Singles Asia Network. We were blessed immensely. To God be the glory with gratitude to Dr. Brian. We assure our prayers to his Dear Family.
~Dr. Elizabeth Leelavathi Manasseh, Wintle family friend and prayer warrior
Indeed, Dr. Brian Wintle, more than being the accomplished scholar that he is, will always be remembered for the love he gave to those around him. He will be sorely missed but we look forward to that grand reunion with him and all the saints when the time comes.
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