E. J. H. Nash

Eric John Hewitson "Bash" Nash (22 April 1898 – 4 April 1982) was a conservative evangelical Church of England cleric. His work of Christian evangelism and camp ministry in the top thirty public schools of the United Kingdom from 1932 onwards influenced post-war British evangelical resurgence. Over 7,000 boys attended the Iwerne camps under his leadership.

Early years Eric John Hewitson Nash was born on 22 April 1898. He was the second son of Anglican cleric Charles Hewitson Nash and his wife Frances. Yet it was not until a few years later, whilst having tea in D H Evans in Oxford Street that he fully acknowledged Christ as Master and Lord and, "handed over to him the keys of every room in the house of his life." In 1932, aged 33, after his second application, he was accepted and began to work for Scripture Union. He never married. Unobtrusive, yet highly strategic, the enterprise involved simple Bible teaching accompanied by personal friendship and pastoral care. Additional camps began at Lymington in Hampshire for the second tier of public schools, and at Rushmore in Dorset for girls.

Although Nash was an Anglican visiting Church of England institutions, his message was not necessarily welcome. Nash focused on those individuals that he felt had special leadership qualities, "not from snobbery, but from strategy." According to Bishop David Sheppard, Nash would pray "Lord, we know that thou dost love one talent and two talent men, but we pray that thou wouldst give us a five talent man."

Despite his forthrightness, Nash was always courteous. He was shrewd, and secured the support of Head Teachers by recruiting the Christian staff of their schools to his camp. Chapman notes: "He was an unassuming yet eccentric figure who avoided tomato pips, took a bewildering array of medications, and enjoyed juvenile humour." He had a special gift for making the gospel both "understandable and attractive." and valued the Keswick Convention, encouraging his leaders to attend. In line with Keswick thought, Nash spoke of "being dead to sin" (Romans 6:7) using the analogy of a dead dog in the gutter: "A touch of the foot would show if it was only sleeping: it would instantly respond where a dead dog would not."

He was "at heart, a pacifist." or go to the theatre. David Macinnes and later Nicky Gumbel), he did not welcome the Charismatic Renewal of the early 60s and 70s. David Fletcher remembers "Bash was told that his work would never succeed because it is hard for the rich to enter the Kingdom of Heaven, but Jesus went on to say that with God all things are possible." Some have noted that Nash created an "oddly male, oddly elitist, and oddly simplistic world." In 1969, it could be said that much of the leadership of the British Evangelical church had been "Bash campers". Alister McGrath describes Nash and his ministry as one of the factors leading to the post-war Evangelical renaissance, saying his work "laid the nucleus for a new generation of Evangelical thinkers and leaders."

Last years Nash remained on the staff of Scripture Union until 1965. David Fletcher (son of Labour politician Eric Fletcher) became responsible for the camps, descendants of which continue today under the auspices of the Titus Trust. just a few weeks before his 84th birthday. David Sheppard, John Pollock, David Watson was invited by David Sheppard and attended thirty-five camps in five years. Sir Fred Catherwood also participated

Alpha course The Alpha course founder Nicky Gumbel also participated. Gumbel himself will only admit an indirect link. Andrew Atherstone says "parts of Gumbel's Alpha course had their roots in the basic gospel foundations provided by Iwerne."