In Loving Memory of REV. DR PETER CRUCHLEY (12 June 1966 – 15 August 2025)
It is with heavy hearts and deep sorrow that the Council for World Mission (CWM) mourns the passing of Rev. Dr Peter Cruchley. Our deepest condolences to his beloved wife, Lena, his daughters, Enfys and Eleri and all those grieve him. His departure is a profound loss to the global ecumenical community and to all who were inspired by his life, witness, and tireless commitment to God’s mission of justice, reconciliation, and hope.
Rev. Dr Cruchley served faithfully as CWM’s Mission Secretary for Mission Development for more than six years, offering outstanding leadership in mission work among our member churches. Born to missionary parents of the London Missionary Society (LMS), CWM’s forbearer, Rev. Dr Cruchley often described himself as a “troubled missionary child”, a self-awareness that shaped his missional vocation. It gave him both the courage and compassion to call the church to confront its past and embrace the work of liberation with humility and integrity.
One of Rev. Dr Cruchley’s most transformative contributions to CWM was his pioneering leadership in the Legacies of Slavery Project, which is now known as The Onesimus Project (TOP). For him, it was a personal and theological journey, driven by his conviction that the church must reckon with its history of slavery and colonisation, and must be committed to the difficult but redemptive work of reparatory justice.
A minister of the United Reformed Church (URC) and a gifted mission theologian, Rev. Dr Cruchley published widely on contextual mission, postmodernity, ecumenism, decolonisation, and Whiteness. His deep insight, prophetic voice, and ability to speak the truth in love contributed significantly to CWM’s theological vision in recent years.
Rev. Dr Cruchley currently serves as Director of the World Council of Churches (WCC) Commission on World Mission and Evangelism (CWME), a role that recognised his life’s work and gave him a global platform to continue his mission that aims to repair, restore, and witness to the new world Christ promises. Though his tenure at the WCC has been tragically short, we pray that his vision remains with us: that in the face of global challenges, Christian communities must be recentered in Christ and united in justice-seeking, reparative witness.
Rev. Dr Cruchley’s ministry was inspired by hope in God’s power to transform the world. He believed the church’s calling was not simply to proclaim the Gospel, but to live it, visibly and tangibly, through relationships reshaped by repentance and love. His life stands as a testament to that calling.
While we grieve deeply, we give thanks to God for Rev. Dr Cruchley’s life and ministry. We uphold his beloved family, friends and relatives, and the many communities he served in our prayers. May the Lord comfort and grant them peace. We commend him into the loving arms of the One who called him, trusting in the promise of resurrection and life eternal.
As the scripture reminds us in Hebrews 12,
“Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles. And let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us, fixing our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of faith.”
May Rev. Dr Cruchley’s memory continue to guide us as we strive to be a fellowship that enables life-flourishing communities.
Rev. Dr Jooseop Keum
General Secretary
