Benjamin Leach (1979)

Michael Benjamin (always known as Benjie) Leach was born in Eastern Nigeria in 1960, the son of James and Helen Leach. His father was then a Colonial District Officer (1946-60), subsequently a public official for the newly formed Overseas Development Administration working in the Eastern part of newly independent Nigeria (Biafra) until, in 1966, they moved with the family to Botswana.

Benjie was first home-schooled, then educated at St Andrew’s School, Turi, in Kenya and finally at Monkton Combe School, near Bath. He went up to Queens’, following his brother Adam Leach (1978), in 1979 to study Geography and later Land Economy. He rowed in the First VIII three years running and also played rugby for the College First XV. He was a Kangaroo but famously drank a yard of ice cold water to fulfil the ‘joining rituals’, refusing to do anything that might be considered untoward as a Christian.

His degree was followed by further studies in soil sciences at the Silsoe Research Institute. Benjie worked first on forestry and rural development projects in New Zealand and Bangladesh, and then as a skilled agriculturalist in Uganda with The Evangelical Alliance Relief (TEAR) Fund.

In 1987, Benjie married Rhoda Callow (Queens’ 1980) and together they joined Wycliffe Bible Translators gaining fluency in Portuguese before becoming established in Mueda, Mozambique, a very remote area (now suffering under an ISIS insurgency).  Benjie built a home there for his family, gaining unexpected skills in capturing solar and wind energy, installing water storage systems, maintaining a 4×4 vehicle, and delving deeply into the complex local matrilineal culture. They worked on translating the Bible into Makonde and other local languages in Malawi and Angola. Through his work Benjie developed a passion for languages and eventually received a PhD in Makonde tone systems (Linguistics) from Leiden University, the Netherlands, in 2010.

He was a delightfully humorous and gentle person, tremendously kind and loving to many people. He was a passionate advocate for his faith in God; he cared deeply about others, their salvation and trust in God’s salvation and great goodness, their knowledge of God’s love as shown in Scripture (especially the Psalms, which he read and taught in the original Hebrew). He had tremendous energy and appetite for life. He enjoyed sailing and other sports. He was creative and practical. He loved his homes in Norfolk and Mozambique but was happiest in Africa. He made use of all his skills, knowledge and attributes in the service of others. He was beloved by many, gave everything, and loved and served God.

Benjie died in hospital in South Africa with Rhoda and his four children present after several near-death experiences and an heroic struggle with ill health.

Written by Adam Leach (1978) and Jonathan Holmes (1967).