E. J. H. Nash

Eric John Hewitson Nash (22 April 1898 – 4 April 1982), popularly known by the nickname "Bash" , was an Evangelical Church of England cleric. His work of Christian evangelism and camp ministry in the top thirty public schools of the United Kingdom from 1932 onwards was highly influential in the post-war British Evangelical resurgence. Over 7,000 boys attended camp under his leadership.

Eric John Hewitson Nash, was the second son of Anglican cleric Charles Hewitson Nash, and his wife Frances. He was educated at Maidenhead College, an independent day school for boys; his career there was undistinguished. After leaving school, he began to work at an insurance company.

It was in 1917 (aged 19), on his way home to Maidenhead by train, that Nash "finally faced and responded to the claims of Christ upon his life." Steer says that he "had a vision in a railway carriage that he was to win Britain for Christ." Yet it was not until a few years later, whilst having tea in D H Evans in Oxford Street that he fully acknowledged Christ as Master and Lord and, "handed over to him the keys of every room in the house of his life."

In 1922, encouraged by the then Bishop of London, Arthur Winnington-Ingram, and supported by grants made available to him, Nash went to Trinity College, Cambridge and then Ridley Hall. He was made deacon in 1927 and served two curacies: one at St John's, Ealing and another at Emmanuel, Wimbledon. His first application to work with Scripture Union was rejected in 1929 so he spent a period as a chaplain at Wrekin College. In 1932, aged 33, after his second application, he was accepted and began to work for Scripture Union. He never married.

Nash made it his business to preach the Christian gospel at the top thirty British public schools, and began a camp ministry which by 1940 was based at Clayesmore School in the village of Iwerne Minster. Attendance was by invitation only. He used military terminology: Nash was known as commandant, his deputy, adjutant and the leaders were officers. His prayer was "Lord, we claim the leading public schools for your kingdom." Unobtrusive, yet highly strategic, the enterprise involved simple Bible teaching accompanied by personal friendship and pastoral care. Additional camps began at Lymington in Hampshire for the second tier of public schools, and at Rushmore in Dorset for girls. He used a simple "A, B, C" formula to explain what needed to be done for conversion: "Admit your need of Christ; Believe that Christ died for you; Come to Him." The talks, morning and evening, "were a wonderfully clear, biblically faithful and winsome presentation of the Christian gospel of salvation."

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