Trevor Huddleston
Ernest Urban Trevor Huddleston (15 June 1913 – 20 April 1998) was an English Anglican bishop and a strong anti-apartheid activist. He served as Bishop of Stepney in London and later became the Archbishop of the Church of the Province of the Indian Ocean. He is well known for his book Naught for Your Comfort.
Huddleston was born in Bedford, England. He studied at Lancing College, Christ Church, Oxford, and Wells Theological College. He joined the Community of the Resurrection in 1939 and took his vows in 1941. He was ordained a deacon in 1936 and a priest in 1937. After a early ministry in England, he went to South Africa in 1940 to work at mission stations near Johannesburg.
In Sophiatown, Huddleston became a beloved priest and a vocal opponent of apartheid. He earned the nickname Makhalipile, meaning “dauntless one.” He helped start the African Children’s Feeding Scheme and raised money for the Orlando Swimming Pools, a place where Black children could swim for many years. He supported many young people, including Hugh Masekela, whom Huddleston helped get started in music. He built strong ties with anti-apartheid leaders such as Desmond Tutu and O. R. Tambo.
Huddleston was consecrated a bishop in 1960 and served as the Bishop of Masasi in Tanzania. He later returned to England to become the Bishop of Stepney. In 1978 he was moved to Mauritius as the Bishop of Mauritius and, in the same year, was elected Archbishop of the Province of the Indian Ocean. He retired from active episcopal work in 1983 but continued to speak out against apartheid.
After leaving his England post, Huddleston kept up his anti-apartheid work. He became president of the Anti-Apartheid Movement in 1981 and helped establish the Living South Africa Memorial in London in 1994 to raise funds for education in a democratic South Africa. He also campaigned against the imprisonment of children in South Africa and supported ongoing efforts to improve the country.
In 1974 Huddleston faced a police inquiry over alleged sexual impropriety. He said he had never harmed a child, and the case was not pursued. Desmond Tutu and others defended him, saying the accusations were unfounded and possibly part of political hostility toward him.
Huddleston received several honors. He was named Knight Commander of the Order of St Michael and St George (KCMG) in 1998. He was awarded the Torch of Kilimanjaro (1994) and the Indira Gandhi Award for Peace, Disarmament and Development (1994). Whittier College gave him an honorary Doctor of Humane Letters in 1994.
Legacies of Huddleston include the Huddleston Centre in Hackney, which provides youth activities for disabled young people, and the Trevor Huddleston Memorial Centre in Sophiatown, established after his death to support youth development and cultural projects. His ashes are buried in the garden of Christ the King Church in Sophiatown, where he had done much work.
Huddleston wrote several books, including his famous “Prayer for Africa,” which asks for God to bless Africa, guard its people, guide its leaders, and bring peace. The prayer has been read in many African churches and communities. Huddleston died in Mirfield, England, in 1998, leaving a lasting example of faith, justice, and courage in fighting racism.
This page was last edited on 2 February 2026, at 20:50 (CET).