The life of the missionary, teacher, and prolific evangelical author profoundly shaped several generations of believers and evangelical leaders in Spain, the country he arrived in in 1958 and where he served for nearly seven decades.
Pablo Wickham (1932-2025).
A version of this article was first published in Spanish language December on Protestante Digital.
Pablo (Terence, Paul, Harry) Wickham, missionary, teacher, and prolific biblical author, passed away on December 11, 2025, in Valencia at the age of 93. His life and ministry left a deep mark on several generations of believers and evangelical leaders in Spain, the country he arrived in in 1958 and where he served for almost seven decades.
A service of thanksgiving for his life and farewell was held on Saturday, December 13 at the Municipal Funeral Home of the City of Valencia, and a remembrance service will take place in Madrid, in the Suanzes church premises (Pasaje Paquitin 10, 28037, Madrid) on the 28th of February. Those wishing to attend, or send an email, can get more information from his son, Michael.
Terence-Pablo Wickham Ferrier was born in England in 1932. He earned a degree in Economics and Geography from the University of London (1950–1953), where he played soccer and represented the university in table tennis. By recommendation from his mentor, Ernest Trenchard, he worked as a teacher in his home country before moving to Spain with his wife, Kathleen Redman (1933–2012), and their three sons: ‘If you want to teach Spanish people about the Bible, first get some teaching experience!’ said Trenchard.
[photo_footer] Pablo Wickham (right) in the village of Figaró, in 1963. [/photo_footer] The family arrived in Barcelona in 1958, at a time when the Franco regime did not allow the entry of new missionaries. In order to regularize his status, between 1959 and 1963 he pursued studies in Spanish Language and Literature, Geography, Commercial Correspondence, and Translation at the University of Barcelona.
[photo_footer] Pablo and Catalina Wickham with the Trenchards, in 1960. [/photo_footer] There in Barcelona he joined the team of Cursos de Estudio Bíblico (CEB), founded by Ernesto Trenchard, who would become a close collaborator and, as Wickham himself would say, his “spiritual mentor and dear friend.”
In Barcelona, he served as an elder in the church on Fuente Cañellas Street (Verdún) between 1960 and 1964. That year the family moved to Madrid, where Wickham continued teaching the Bible and began collaborating with various evangelical publications. He was editor-in-chief of the Christian magazine Edificación Cristiana from 1965 to 1992, and also contributed to Aletheia—the theology journal of the Spanish Evangelical Alliance—and other nationally distributed magazines.
As Trenchard and his team moved to Madrid in 1964, he joined the church on Duque de Sesto as an elder, and later (1983–1992) served in the daughter congregation on Avenida de San Diego.
From 1993, already in Valencia, he served as an elder in the church at San Juan de Dios, 39, until 2004. His dedication to teaching continued tirelessly: he taught at the Centro Evangélico de Estudios Bíblicos (CEEB), at the Instituto Bíblico y Seminario de España (IBSTE) in Barcelona —where he taught Pauline Epistles, Ecclesiology, and Major Prophets between 1979 and 1997—and served as academic director of the CEEBIVA Bible school in Valencia.
[photo_footer] Pablo Wickham, teaching theology at the CEFB Duque, in 1986. [/photo_footer]
He complemented his education with a Diploma in Theology (London Bible College), studies in Pastoral Counseling (Waverley Abbey House, England), and a Master’s degree in Pastoral Theology from the Centro Superior de Estudios Bíblicos (CEIBI).
Pablo Martínez Vila, who knew him well and was a close collaborator, comments: “We give thanks to God for his fruitful life in service to the cause of the Gospel in Spain. His many years of work on the Theology Commission of the Spanish Evangelical Alliance have left us a precious legacy and a model to follow for future generations.”
Throughout his service to the Lord and His work in Spain, he was faithfully accompanied by Catalina (Kathleen) Redman, who was also an inspiration in his calling to missionary work, and who passed away in 2012 at the age of 79.
Three years later, in September 2015, Pablo Wickham married Antonia Ponce, who was his faithful companion during the final years of his life.
His written work was extensive, consistent, and marked by deep biblical rigor. From his earliest years in Spain, he collaborated with Literatura Bíblica (LB), Unión Bíblica (UB), Publicaciones Portavoz, CLIE, the Spanish Evangelical Alliance (AEE), and other publishing houses.
[photo_footer]Pablo Wicham, speaking at a Seminary Pastoral Theology of the Spanish Evangelical Alliance, in 1993. [/photo_footer]
Among his works are biblical commentaries on the various Pauline letters, as well as on Old Testament prophets such as Isaiah, Haggai, Zechariah, and Malachi. In doctrinal and pastoral matters, notable titles include The Person of Christ (LB, 1979; 2 eds.); The New Believer: Basic Instruction (LB, 1980); The Gifts of the Holy Spirit (LB, 1983); The New Covenant (LB, 1984); Living, Supportive, and Missionary Churches (with others, 1996); and Anthology of Christian Liturgy (CLIE, 2001), co-authored with Sebastián Rodríguez.
This long list also includes Renew or Die (2019), in which he encouraged churches toward deep spiritual self-examination and renewal of their mission in a changing social context. His last books, were on the public ministry of women in the church, The Song of Solomon, and ‘Jesus of Nazareth: human and divine’.
His concern for social issues was reflected in works on conscientious objection, economic ethics, ecology, and the relationship between faith and culture.
He was also involved in the training of missionaries through materials such as The Missionary in Spain (1983 and 1995) and Focusing on Spain (Enfocando España, 1997 and 1999), produced together with his wife. He learnt and applied the principle which Ernest Trenchard taught him: a missionary needs to integrate into the culture he serves in, not just adapt.
In his later years, he worked on sections of the Bible Commentary (UB) and on the CEB Commentary on the New Testament, coordinating the latter project, as well as co writing a book on Ecology and climate change from a biblical perspective, with his son Michael.
Pending projects were to put to print the studies on Christian ethics, the New Testament church, and to finish the 40 great hymns of Christendom (he had written on 33). His love for classical music and especially for Christian hymns, which commenced with as a talented chorister in the Anglican church in Cricklewood, London, remained with him to the end.
[photo_footer]Photo in a prayer card of Pablo and Catalina Wicham, 1986. [/photo_footer]
In 2013, the Evangelical Cultural Association “Jorge Borrow” recognized his life and work by awarding him the Jorge Borrow Prize for the Promotion of Biblical Literature, together with José María Martínez and José Grau. The jury highlighted his work as a cross-cultural missionary, his long dedication to teaching Scripture, and his commitment to relating Christian values to contemporary social issues. The award ceremony took place in the Historic Building of the University of Salamanca, where Wickham personally received the honor.
A man of deep humility, prayer, gratitude, and biblical faithfulness, Pablo Wickham always acknowledged the decisive influence of teachers such as Ernesto Trenchard, José María Martínez, Samuel Escobar, and Ray Stedman. Each of his works reflects his passion for a Christ-centered church, sound in doctrine and committed to society.
He is survived by his wife Antonia Ponce, and his sons Miguel, Andrew, and Daniel, who, together with their families, gave him seven grandchildren.
With his passing, the evangelical church in Spain bids farewell to one of its most steadfast, profound, and fruitful servants. His legacy lives on in his books, in thousands of students and readers, and in all the communities that benefited from his ministry.
[analysis]
[title]Join us to make EF sustainable[/title]
[photo][/photo]
[text]At Evangelical Focus, we have a sustainability challenge ahead. We invite you to join those across Europe and beyond who are committed with our mission. Together, we will ensure the continuity of Evangelical Focus and our Spanish partner Protestante Digital in 2025.
Learn all about our #TogetherInThisMission initiative here (English).
[/text][/analysis]
Las opiniones vertidas por nuestros colaboradores se realizan a nivel personal, pudiendo coincidir o no con la postura de la dirección de Protestante Digital.
Si quieres comentar o