Neale Lawrence

July  11th, 1964 December  29th, 2024
Wales
Neale Lawrence

Obituary

It is with deep sadness that we share the news of Neale Lawrence's unexpected passing. As we grapple with this profound loss, we must keep his wife and 11-year-old son in our thoughts and prayers, as they navigate this challenging new reality without him.

In response to this heartbreaking situation, I want to encourage everyone to offer their heartfelt support through prayers. Moreover, a GoFundMe campaign has been set up to help with funeral expenses and to provide much-needed financial relief during this difficult transition. All of the money received will go directly to Neale's wife.

https://gofund.me/2a8b0337

Please consider contributing to this fund to express your solidarity with Neale's family during this trying time. Your support can make a real difference.

Thank you for your kindness,

Arlene Wells (Family Friend)

Updates

FUNERAL SERVICE
Tuesday 18th February 2025 - See the Service section for further details

In lieu of flowers, donations may be directed to the SDA Home Education Association, a cause that was very important to Neale.
https://www.sdahomeeducation.org/

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Memory wall

Post your condolences or share your Memories.


February 1, 2025
Condolences to the bereaved family of Neal Lawrence.we keep you all in our prayers. His legacy and teaching we will never forget.
Looking for the blessed hope and the glorious appearing of our Lord Jesus Christ.
Jerry and Sharon Victorio
February 1, 2025
Brother Neil was a man of God who embodied the power of faith and education. His unwavering commitment to the pursuit of knowledge and truth had a profound impact on my life. May his legacy continue to inspire God's people. Rest in peace.
Nicola Kareen Nwosu
February 1, 2025
We had the pleasure of meeting Bro Neal around 2005 when we began our homeschool journey with our 3 young children. I contacted the BUC Education department, and they directed me to him as the BUC Homeschool Advisor.

Our journey continued over two decades with him, Sis Kizu, and later little Seth. We joined them with our ministry _True Education Ministries_ in AYS Program's, workshops, seminars, education days, and retreats across the UK.

Bro Neal a was very insightful, thoughtful, and patient man. He was innovative with ideas for Adventist Education and homeschooling families. He appreciated others' views and opinions on his research and ideas, especially his Handbook on Homeschooling. Many times, myself or Arleen would want to share it, but he wanted to improve or update it.

He started the SDA Home Education Association. Many of us, including my family (Woodburn's), the Blackburns, and many others, joined him on this journey of Adventist Education in those early years.

Many as parents and educators have benefitted from his Adventist Teacher Training programme, which he started when a young person suggested that an Adventist Teacher program was needed.

Our brother has left a legacy and started an Association that still continues, also a movement with Adventist Education where there are now hundreds of families and individuals who are inspired to go forward and encourage others.

Our prayers are with his dear wife Kizwanda and their son Seth. Praying Seth will realise what a great impact his father made to many lives and that we too look forward to the ressurection morning when we will all meet again 🙏🏾🌹🙏🏾
Angela Woodburn
January 28, 2025
Neal, my friend, I didn't even know that's how you spell your name - 'Neale'. I am sorry I used to gently mock you so much - you know it was in friendly jest - always. I used to mock the way you ate, your little habits and idiosyncrasies even your little laugh before you spoke - I did it so much! It was a laugh and you used to laugh with me too at it. I used to alway insinuate, again ever so gently - 'Neal are you fo reals? '. Those laughs were a lot of fun. I did enjoyed our yearly interchanges and deep spiritual studies and you really engaged in them and took some of them to another level, and the sharing of certain key spiritual ideas unbeknownst to the adventist world - really powerful ideas that you entertained and grew to really appreciate me thinks. I saw you changing - dare I say it from conservative to 'normal' - I could see it. Of course, no one will ever know your last musings on key scriptures - truly groundbreaking stuff. Those conversations eventually led to the great theological meetings we would have every 2 weeks for the past how many years now with Bro, Blest. Those meetings were quite revolutionary, we discussed some really serious issues no one else seems to be discussing - anywhere! You were a good adjudicator - balanced and progressive at the same time. I couldn't make the last sabbath before Christmas - I told you that, but then you did not respond. I did not know you where in hospital then! Before I knew it you had passed. How sad, I was so sad to hear that and still so sad to think about it. Why? Why on God's earth you? Why now? That we will never know but we trust God as you would have trusted God with how He runs the world. I will miss you Neal, you were one funny 'bray'! Bro Blest and I keep up those bi- monthly 'Theological studies' in your name and honour. We had our first meeting 2 sabbaths ago - hope to see you again my 'bro'. Marc x
Marc Naiken
January 26, 2025
I first contacted Brother Neal towards the end of 2015. I was searching for UK-based SDA support in Home Educating my daughters.

I believe Brother Neal was sent by God to help me at what was a sad and scary time for me because some family members and church family members were very derogatory and angry towards me because I was thinking about Home Education, but after speaking with Brother Neal I felt more confident to trust in God knowing it was the right thing to do. I was shocked to find out that he was the only contact for SDA Home Educating families in the UK, and he had this role while working full time and having a young family.

He helped me not only spiritually and emotionally but also in a very practical way, by sending me a PDF he had produced himself on what SDA resources were available and giving me Angela Woodburn’s number so I could learn about SonLight Ministry which provided guidance on how to teach my children using the Bible as the main text book. When I finally met Brother Neal and Sister Kizuwanda in person I was amazed by their kindness and the time they took to speak with me and encourage us on our Home Education journey.

He started my family and me down a road to True Education, and for this I will always be truly grateful. For this reason, I am now part of the HEA, and I want to help other families just the way God used Neal to help our family.

I want to stay faithful, by God’s grace to meet Neal again when there will be no time limit to learn about God and His amazing Love for us all.
Andrea Jarrett
January 10, 2025
I first met Neal in Newmarket-on-Fergus as he led a homeschooling seminar. This seminar really awakened me to true education. He lit a fire that has not waned. His living was not vain.

Heartfelt condolences to the Lawrence family. May the LORD comfort and take care of you as Neal rests in Christ until the resurrection.
Omari Norman
January 9, 2025
My condolences to Neal’s family and friends. May you find comfort in God’s arms during this difficult time. May you meet again in the first Resurrection.

Sophia
January 9, 2025
We send our condolences to Kiz, Seth and the family at large for their loss.
Pray the Lord will strengthen and guide you all through this time. Lots of love
Darren and Shamira
January 8, 2025
Just wanted to say I was sorry to hear hear of Neal passing. We have worked together to promote Education in the NEC and he will be a sad loss to the Education department and for his young family. Wishing you his family the Lords comforting touch. Danny Reid
Danny Reid
January 7, 2025
Condolences to Seth and Aunty Kizzu, sending love and prayers through this difficult time ❤️
Danae
January 7, 2025
To sister Kizuwanda and Seth,

I was privileged to know of Brother Neal as not only a true education speaker but also a leader in the SEA Home Education Association which he led for a time. Then God gifted me the chance to do some advising work as an SDA youth for him and help him update his website in these last few years. I regret not asking how his latest projects were going before it was too late, but I was certainly glad to have know him personally. God will preserve every tangible and intangible thing that he has set up.

I pray for your health and comfort in this time of grief. Hold on to the best memories. Remember what he would have loved for you to continue doing. Brother Neil's chapter has ended, but I can't wait to see what God will make of you, his family, and his legacy until, by God's grace, he rises on resurrection morning.

With my condolences, love, and prayers,
Abi xx

Abi Eccles
January 7, 2025
Neal has made an unquantifiable impact on my life and that of my family. The Adventist Teacher Training Course gave me a true understanding of the kind of education God wants for His people, both young and older. Neal showed me how to dig deeper into the Bible to find the truth about God’s educational ideal. I would be deeply moved by the profound things he shared in each lesson and I know it was the Holy Spirit at work. His course inspired me to be passionate about sharing the message of Biblical education with others but it especially helped my confidence in educating my own children at home.

Neal took on a lot by himself - creating and delivering a course of the highest educational standard, finding time to nurture, pray with and support his students. He wanted to start a school and help others to start their own schools. He developed a wonderful curriculum resource which he asked me to trial for him. A few weeks before he passed he let me know he was still working on making it available and asked me to pray that God would help him. He was doing many things to push the work forward, right up until his physical demise.

Neal was deeply committed to the Lord and a very sincere man with a gentle spirit. He will be called a repairer of the breach, a restorer of old paths to dwell in, he has raised the foundation of many generations (families). A true giant of faith. My thoughts and prayers are with you Kizu and Seth.
Jodi Yeboah
January 7, 2025
Dear Kizu
I was so shocked on receiving the news of Neal's passing! I wasn't even aware that he was so unwell.
At times like these, it is difficult to find words that express the depth of loss, but praise be to our Heavenly Father for the hope that He has given in His word to encourage and support His people through these times. My thoughts and prayers are with you and Seth. It seems like such a short time ago we were talking about keeping in touch when you were moving to the country.
May God grant you peace of mind and comfort such as you both will need in the days ahead. God bless you both.x
Cheryl Lowe
January 7, 2025
I knew of Neal before I met him. I was working at the BUC while Neal was a student missionary at the Holbrook Indian School in Arizona. I had heard that he had been an exemplary teacher and had responded to some challenging situations there with patience and Christlikeness. Responding with patience to the severest of provocation, is one of the many things I will remember about him.

Neal was consistent in his walk with the Lord and lived up to every bit of light that the Spirit revealed to him. He was a spiritual mentor to his peers and was a coach to teachers, long before he started his True Education teacher training programme.

I remember back in 1996, he came to my class at Little Eden and took a lesson with the children that illustrated why the theory of evolution was not a fitting explanation for how our planet came into being. The lesson was practical, engaging; it involved art as well as discussion and the children loved it.

While he was explaining to the children what they would be doing that afternoon, one of the boys started talking to another boy. Neal immediately stopped and said "I'll wait until you've finished...I don't want to interrupt your conversation." He was being sincere; there wasn't an iota of sarcasm in his tone. Needless to say, that was the last interruption for the lesson. I have used that 'line' a few times myself since then.

Neal's passing is a serious loss to the work of True Education. I am baffled by his passing and I wonder 'who will continue the brilliant work that he had started?' But the Lord does all things well; there is a purpose behind every event that He allows.

My sincere condolences to his family; especially his wife and son. None of this makes sense right now, but we'll understand it better by and by! You are in my prayers, meanwhile, mingled with the hundreds of prayers raised on your behalf at this trying time.

Be hopeful, be faithful and God bless you...



Audrey Ahwan
January 7, 2025
Dear Kizu, Seth, and everyone grieving the loss of brother Neal, condolences to you all. Praying daily for comfort and strength for everyone affected by his loss.

I met brother Neal only a few times when I visited Wales. The first time I met his whole family was one Sabbath afternoon when they came to visit my sister and her family, but I had seen him before. My sister and her family spoke of him, and his family often as he used to support and assist their son, my nephew, in various ways. He was very kind to my nephew.

The last two times I saw him was when he visited my mum’s home, after my sister and brother-in-law emigrated. He came to spend time with my nephew. I found him to be very kind and caring.

May he rest in God’s peace until resurrection morning.
Charmain Cyrus
January 6, 2025
My daughter and I lived on the same road as the Lawrence family.
We extend our condolences to the whole family at this time.
May grant you all peace, comfort and love at this time.
Sis Burrell and Gloe Brooks
January 6, 2025
I will always remember my patient, kind, encouraging,humble teacher who taught me so much about Christian education and how to be the best of what and who God wants me to be.
Everytime I went into a zoom meeting with my gentle teacher, he always asked how I was how things were getting on and never closed our meetings without a specialised prayer on my behalf after giving me words of wisdom and much much encouragement.
I will miss Bro Neal. No one can ever step and walk in his shoes. He was one of a kind.
I look forward to seeing him in heaven..we will sit down and speak of the ways God had led me after we spoke and after he left. Much too soon. I pray it will not be forever. He was happy to speak about setting up the school he dreamt about and I so wanted to be a part of it. I did not get
the opportunity to share the outcomes of our prayers with him before he left us. By God's grace we will meet again in the kingdom.
I pray that God will comfort the family as they look forward to seeing Neal in the kingdom.
Vickie Wright
January 6, 2025
Neal introduced a lot of us to the option of home schooling, which he strongly believed in. To the Lawrence family our deepest condolences. Kiz and Seth may God be your comforter at this difficult time. We look forward to that day when we will see all our loved ones again who have gone to sleep. What a day that will be!
Beauty Lowe
January 6, 2025
Neale and I have been good friends for over 40 years. We laughed together, we prayed together and we encouraged each other. I shall miss him but I believe we will meet again in the first resurrection. I look forward to that day.

I pray the Lord will comfort the lives of all those whose Neale's has touched - especially his family.
Clive Ferguson
January 6, 2025
My sincere condolences to all the Lawrence family. I first met Brother Neal during during a visit to the home of the late Pastor Reginald Wright's in London in the late nineties to early 2000's. I was struck by his serious demeanour, gentleness, and his focus to move forward and teach true Christian education, as outlined in the Bible and the Spirit of Prophecy. The Lord used Brother Neal to be a pioneer and pathfinder in this field in the UK. We need more men like him in Israel. I am glad to hear and see that Brother Neal touched so many lives through Jesus during his earthly sojourn. Though he will be dearly missed, let us pray for the day when we will meet again around the feet of the King of kings.
John Noel
January 6, 2025
My name is Mumbi Makena Muthuri and I am a student at Remnant Preparatory School. I never met Mr.Lawrence but I was told he was a kind man who loved Jesus; my heart goes out to his wife and his 11-year-old son.

Please know that in his time of pain, God is holding you in his arms; never forget that he is crying with you. My family and I will be praying for you and I hope that you hold on to the promise that you will see your beloved one again in Heaven.

'The LORD bless thee, and keep thee: make his face shine upon thee, and be gracious unto thee: lift up his countenance upon thee, and give thee peace.'

Numbers 6:24-26

Your sister in christ,
Makena.M
mumbi muthuri
January 6, 2025
We first met Brother Neal at the UK family camp in spring 2017, when our son was but a one-year old baby. We were seeking advice on homeschooling, and Brother Neal was the first one who kindly introduced us to the SonLight Curriculum and the Home Education Association and their support. Subsequently, our correspondence and friendship started to develop. He and his family (Kizuwanda and Seth) visited us in our home in the West of Ireland later that same year and held Adventist Education Seminar in our church in Newmarket-on-Fergus, Co Clare.

I (Svetlana) personally came into a greater contact with brother Neal as I enrolled in his True Education Teacher Training programme in autumn 2021. As we spend the entire year seeing each other in Zoom lectures I came to love and appreciate him as a great spiritual instructor and a diligent student of the Bible and the Spirit of Prophesy, who is not satisfied with the surface knowledge, but would dig and delve deeper and yet deeper into the treasure mine of God's Word to bring forth the precious nuggets of the living truth. His zeal towards true education, wide professional knowledge and experience that he shared, and the love of the Word have truly inspired me to have a closer walk with Jesus. Brother Neal Lawrence was instrumental in my personal True Education journey and he is going to be truly missed by many. My family and I believe his blessed legacy will remain until the soon coming of our Lord.
Daniel and Svetlana Wilson
January 6, 2025
In reflecting on the profound loss of my brother in Christ, Neal Lawrence, I come to a deeper understanding of grief as articulated in 2 Timothy 4:6-7.

As Paul expresses, “For I am already being poured out like a drink offering, and the time of my departure is at hand” (2 Timothy 4:6), I resonate with the weight of this statement in light of my sorrow.

To Kizuwanda and Seth, I extend my heartfelt condolences and hope that you may experience the “peace that surpasses all understanding,” finding strength and comfort in the treasured memories you hold.

In these challenging moments, may you draw upon the unwavering support that comes from our faith in Jesus Christ, who serves as our steadfast anchor.

As Paul concludes, “I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith” (2 Timothy 4:7).

Let us remember Neal and find solace in the promise that he will rise first on Jesus’ return.

With deepest sympathy,
Arlene Wells
January 6, 2025
My heart felt condolences to the Lawrence family. Words cannot describe the pain this sad loss has caused but I know that God bring peace and calm to any troubled heart…. Until we meet again…..🙏🏾
Natasha Jacobs
January 6, 2025
I remember being around 7 years old and Neal was showing my sister and I how to make cashew cream.... Well the Lid wasn't on when he turned the blender on..He had it on his face and the ceiling. We all laughed eventually! He will be missed by many afar. Kizu! Seth! We got you and GOD has you both more xx
Adāneekay F-F
January 6, 2025
My deepest condolences to his families, church brethren and friends. May God comfort you all in this trying time. Condolences from the Bennett family in Trinidad.
Suzette Westney-Bennett
January 6, 2025
I fondly remember Bro Neal encouraging everyone not to look on the surface when it comes to Bible study but to always dig a little deeper to find the hidden treasure. To think outside the box.

He will be missed. Praying for his family. In the Sweet by and by
Anouska Sammy

Favourites


What was Neal's favorite Color?
Blue
What was Neal's favourite Book? 
The Bible & Education by Ellen G White
What was Neal's favourite hymn?
The God of Abraham Praise
What was Neal's favourite Bible Text?
Genesis 1
What was Neal's favourite Spirit of Prophecy quotation?

As the will of man co-operates with the will of God, it becomes omnipotent. Whatever is to be done at His command may be accomplished in His strength. All His biddings are enablings - COL 332 & 333

Service


FUNERAL ANNOUNCEMENT:

In Memory Of:
Mr. Neale Lawrence
11/07/1964-29/12/24

In honour of Neale's life, we invite you to join us in this celebration.

Date: Tuesday, February 18th 2025

Location: Camp Hill Seventh-Day Adventist Church

Address: Camp Hill, Birmingham, B12 0JP

Time: 11:00 AM

Details of the committal:
Handsworth Cemetery,
Oxhill Road,
Birmingham
B21 8JT

Reception:
A repast will take place following the interment at
The New Parklands,
Park Road,
Birmingham,
B18 5HE.

In lieu of flowers, donations may be directed to the SDA Home Education Association, a cause that was very important to Neale. 
https://www.sdahomeeducation.org/

Neale's survived by his beloved wife, Kizuwanda; his son, Seth; his siblings; nieces, nephews, grand nieces and a cherished circle of friends who will carry on his legacy of grace and compassion.

We would like to express our heartfelt gratitude for the comforting messages, tributes, and acts of kindness we have received during this time of mourning. His spirit and love will forever remain in our hearts.

May God bless you.

The Lawrence Family

Location
Camp Hill Seventh-Day Adventist Church
Camp Hill, Birmingham B12 0JP
Date/time
18th February 2025 at 11am
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