Leon Atkin (1902–1976) was a Welsh

Methodist Methodism, also called the Methodist movement, is a Protestant Christianity, Christian Christian tradition, tradition whose origins, doctrine and practice derive from the life and teachings of John Wesley. George Whitefield and John's brother ...

and Congregationalist minister, human rights activist, and politician.

Early life and education

Atkin was born on 26 July 1902 in

Spalding, Lincolnshire Spalding () is a market town on the River Welland in the South Holland district of Lincolnshire, England. The main town had a population of 30,556 at the 2021 census. The town is the administrative centre of the South Holland District. The t ...

. His father was a gas manager and his family were

Anglicans Anglicanism, also known as Episcopalianism in some countries, is a Western Christianity, Western Christian tradition which developed from the practices, liturgy, and identity of the Church of England following the English Reformation, in the ...

. He had six siblings. As a boy, he participated in activities at the Methodist chapel that was next door to the family home. In 1914, the family moved to

Biddulph Biddulph is a town in Staffordshire, England, north of Stoke-on-Trent and south-east of Congleton, Cheshire. Origin of the name Biddulph's name may come from Old English language, Anglo-Saxon/Old English ''bī dylfe'' = "beside the pit or q ...

. Having become a Methodist, he began preaching as a boy. At 16, he joined the Labour Party. He attended the Handsworth Methodist College, Birmingham.

Career

In 1930, he accepted a position in

Risca Risca () is a town in the Caerphilly County Borough and within the Historic counties of Wales, historic boundaries of Monmouthshire (historic), Monmouthshire in south-east Wales. It is split into two Community (Wales), communities; Risca East an ...

Monmouthshire Monmouthshire ( ; ) is a Principal areas of Wales, county in the South East Wales, south east of Wales. It borders Powys to the north; the English counties of Herefordshire and Gloucestershire to the north and east; the Severn Estuary to the s ...

at St John's Church of Probationer Minister. Like

Donald Soper Donald Oliver Soper, Baron Soper (31 January 1903 – 22 December 1998) was a British Methodist minister, socialist and pacifist. He served as President of the Methodist Conference in 1953–54. After May 1965 he was a peer in the House of Lo ...

, he held open-air meetings on a weekly basis and he drew people to his services, including unbelievers. Atkin embraced the

Social Gospel The Social Gospel is a social movement within Protestantism that aims to apply Christian ethics to social problems, especially issues of social justice such as economic inequality, poverty, alcoholism, crime, racial tensions, slums, unclean en ...

and was an active voice concerning political and social issues affecting the community. He became increasingly involved in social issues two years later when he was moved to

Bargoed Bargoed () is a town and community (Wales), community in the Rhymney Valley, Wales, one of the South Wales Valleys. It lies on the Rhymney River in the county borough of Caerphilly (county borough), Caerphilly. It straddles the Historic counties o ...

. At the Methodist Central Hall, he provided a programs to assist unemployed men, including offering free meals, barber and shoe repair services, and lodging, the latter of which circumvented the governmental

Means Test A means test is a determination of whether an individual or family is eligible for government benefits, assistance or welfare, based upon whether the individual or family possesses the means to do with less or none of that help. Means testing is ...

of the men's parent's income and angered authorities. He was critical of the church and the Labour Party. Synod leaders then made arrangements for transfer to Cornwall, which Atkin would not accept. He accepted one of three offers from Congregationalist denominations in Cardiff to lead St Paul's in

Swansea Swansea ( ; ) is a coastal City status in the United Kingdom, city and the List of urban areas in the United Kingdom, second-largest city of Wales. It forms a Principal areas of Wales, principal area, officially known as the City and County of ...

. The church was £2,000 in debt and had only 12 members. He began holding open-air ministry meetings, drawing up to 500 people, more so during the summer months. He was not popular within the leadership of the

Congregational Union of England and Wales The Congregational Union of England and Wales brought together churches in England and Wales in the Congregational tradition between 1831 and 1966. Background The Congregational churches emerged from the Puritan movement, each church operating ...

due to his anti-Fascism positions in the Labour Party and reluctance to take direction from church leaders. He became a representative for

Brynmelyn Greenhill is an inner-urban district of Swansea, lying immediately north of the city centre around the junction of the A483, A4118 and B4489 roads. The Greenhill area was the focus of large-scale Irish immigration in the second half of the 19th ...

Ward of the Swansea Borough Council in November 1936. He joined the

Royal Artillery The Royal Regiment of Artillery, commonly referred to as the Royal Artillery (RA) and colloquially known as "The Gunners", is one of two regiments that make up the artillery arm of the British Army. The Royal Regiment of Artillery comprises t ...

in 1940, but became an Army Chaplain upon the intervention of the United Chaplains Board. He served in Holland, North Africa, France, and Italy and became a captain. Atkin returned to Swansea, where the chapel had been locked and he had lost his ministry. He was able to settle back at St Paul's, without the Congregational Union's formal support, due to the allegiance of members of the community and former soldiers. He formed The People's Party in 1947 to keep his seat on the council, due to complaints he made against the Labour Party. He sat on the council until 1964.

Personal life

He was married with two children. Until

World War II World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...

, he was a pacifist. While living in Swansea, he visited public houses on Fridays to collect donations for entertainment of poor children.

Dylan Thomas Dylan Marlais Thomas (27 October 1914 – 9 November 1953) was a Welsh poet and writer, whose works include the poems " Do not go gentle into that good night" and " And death shall have no dominion", as well as the "play for voices" ''Un ...

was a friend. He died on 27 November 1976 in Swansea.

Early life and education

Career

Personal life

References

Further reading