CA’s Oldest Evangelist

Church Army Mourns Oldest and Longest Serving Evangelist

Church Army’s longest serving and oldest Evangelist, Sister Ethel Tasker, died peacefully in a Hartlepool Nursing Home on Sunday aged 102. She was born on 31st July 1900, just four days before the late Queen Mother, who was a Patron of Church Army for nearly 60 years. Sister Tasker was commissioned in 1923 by Church Army’s founder, Prebendary Wilson Carlile, and was the only person to have been awarded 11 stars – one for every seven years of service.

Sister Tasker spent most of her active ministry working with girls who, for one reason or another, found themselves in trouble with the police. In Croydon and Liverpool her mission work was with those who had attempted murder or suicide, committed larceny, or worked in lucrative prostitution services at an age when other girls were still playing with dolls.

She had explained: “Many of them had never had the chief thing they needed - love and affection and someone who cared about them and worried over them.” Held in much affection and respect by her charges, Sister Tasker regularly received several loving Mother’s Day cards from her girls.

When Sister Tasker retired over 40 years ago, she returned to her native Hartlepool. She linked up with St Paul’s Church and began a ministry of caring for older people in the community

On the eve of her 100th birthday, Captain Philip Johanson, Chief Secretary of Church Army, visited Sister Tasker with greetings from the Society and he was joined by the Rt. Revd Michael Turnbull, Bishop of Durham, himself a former Chief Secretary of Church Army.