In Memorium: Bro. Malcom Cross
We are saddened to lose such a diligent, devoted brother. We are thankful to have known him and grateful for his immeasurable contributions to the work of The Christadelphian Tidings.
Read Time: 2 minutes
Bro. Malcolm Cross fell asleep in the Lord at eighty-five on April 23. He is survived by his wife, Sis. Pauline and their three daughters, Rachel, Joanne, and Debbie. We send our deepest sympathies and prayers to his family.
Bro. Malcolm’s contributions to the Christadelphian Tidings were immensely important to our growth. In the 1980s, it became obvious the magazine was getting enquiries from overseas, as brothers and sisters elsewhere were interested in both news from North America and the American perspective in exhortations and exposition. We thought finding an agent in various places overseas in the community might be a challenge. We were unable even to reimburse them for their expenses!
Fortunately for the Tidings, we did not have to try to find a UK agent. Bro. Malcolm found us and volunteered to do the job! Besides distributing all the magazines in the UK after he received the bulk package from us, he also took care of all UK billing. But the most important thing Bro. Malcolm did was to increase awareness of the Tidings by designing a placard advertising the magazine and books, and showcasing samples. He carted these off to fraternal gatherings and Bible Studies in the UK and proceeded to recruit additional subscriptions.
I got to know Bro. Malcolm and family during my many working tours in the UK from 1990 until my retirement in 2004. When I was in England, he arranged speaking tours for me several times, which allowed me to meet many brothers and sisters. This interaction was useful for both me and Tidings because it provided an opportunity to discuss what UK readers would like to see in the magazine. It gave us a broader geographic perspective on the community’s needs for strengthening faith.
At the time, personal contact was the fastest way to gather trusted information. Bro. Malcolm was the key to making that work for Tidings in the UK. Additionally, from time to time, when we were unsure of how an article might be received in North America or elsewhere, we would rely on Bro. Malcolm’s wisdom to give us his editorial opinion.
We are saddened to lose such a diligent, devoted brother. Bro. Malcolm will be greatly missed. We are thankful to have known him and grateful for his immeasurable contributions to the work of The Christadelphian Tidings.
John C. Bilello,
Founding Chairman of the
Tidings Publishing Committee