Prison Chaplain is Awarded MBE
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16 June 2012 A PRIEST who has devoted much of his life to givng Christian hope to prisoners has been awarded an MBE in the Queen's Birthday Honours.
The Revd Preb Bob Payne, aged 70, has been involved in prison chaplaincy since 1971 and even after retirement in 2002 has continued the work alongside offenders, as well as championing prison chaplaincy around the world.
'This is a great honour especially in the Queen's Jubilee Year,' he said. 'I get an enormous amount of fulfilment from what I do. No matter what the perception of prisons there is always hope and that is the great joy of this work - all things are possible with God.'
Married to Susan, a health care assistant at St Giles Hospice near Lichfield, they have three daughters. He was deaconed in 1965 and priested in 1966 before taking on a Gloucestershire in 1971 parish that involved chaplaincy at a nearby detention centre.
It was here that his ministry in prison chaplaincy began.
Four-and-a-half years later he transferred to be prison chaplain near Hull where he stayed for five years, followed by six years in Leicestershire. Then in 1985 he became the first National Training Officer for Prison Chaplaincy and Chaplian to Swinfen Hall, on the outskirts of Lichfield. In 1988 he was appointed Assistant Chaplain General to Prisons in England and Wales responsible for the chaplains in up to 40 prisons.
Even after official retirement he continued to work in a number of prisons in the Midlands including Swinfen. He has become internationally renowned, speaking at conferences around the world including Russia, Romania and South Africa in the last year and engaging in helping with the establishment of prison chaplaincies globally.
He was appointed as a Prebendary of Lichfield Cathedral in 2005; chairs the Lichfield Churches Criminal Justice Forum and is a Trustee of Lichfield's St.John’s Hospital.
'As well as prison chaplaincy, my two great passions are international links and community chaplaincies,' he said, 'and the work being done in Stoke-on-Trent; Shropshire, Walsall and Lichfield bring great encouragement. These schemes offer hope to rehabilitating offenders into the community.'
