WIMBORNE Baptist pastor Ken Taylor died on July 30, aged 89.

He was well known in Wimborne and St John’s Church was filled with those wishing to pay tribute at his thanksgiving service on August 12, led by the Rev Peter Breckwoldt.

Born in May 1925, Mr Taylor underwent a profound religious experience at the age of 13 where he was so overwhelmed by a sense of God’s love for him he knelt in a cricket field in Southampton and dedicated his life to his faith.

Many church ministers had been called up to serve in the Second World War, so just a year later at the age of 14 he took on their duties, cycling to churches as far away as Portsmouth to preach God’s word.

Southampton was heavily bombed during the war so he joined the ARP and later trained in the RAF Flying Corps. After VE Day, Mr Taylor was sent to the United States to join the war effort against Japan, but fortunately by the time he arrived the war in the Pacific was almost over.

After the war he worked for twenty years as a contracts manager at Plessey in Poole, where he met his beloved wife Ena.

Although trained as a minister, Mr Taylor believed God wanted him to continue in his commercial employment, but he also continued to preach and serve in many churches.

Aged 62, he was called by Wimborne Baptist Church to be their full time pastor, and over the next decade he oversaw the growth of a thriving community. Some years after he retired at age 73, he went on to serve again as full time pastor at Corfe Mullen Baptist Church.

Even after Mr Taylor formally retired at age 80 he continued to help out at the church, holding his last funeral service last year and leading a Home Group at St John’s Church of England Church – where he and his wife had become members – until March this year.

His sons Kevan and Clive, themselves both Baptist ministers, led the cremation service.