Christian Men and Women

Terry Waite

Terry Waite was born on May 31st, 1939 in Cheshire, England and is now an author. In the 1980s he was the Archbishop of Canterbury's Assistant and was an envoy (that means someone who speaks on behalf of a person they represent) for the Archbishop and Church of England. He travelled to Lebanon to try to secure the release of four hostages including a journalist called John McCarthy. He arrived in Beirut on the 12th January 1987 with the intention of negotiating (speaking to try and get the hostages released) with the Islamic Jihad Organization, who were holding the men. He was himself held captive between 1987 and 1991. Waite remained in captivity for 1,763 days, the first four years of which were spent in total solitary confinement (on his own in a prison cell), and it was not until the 18th of November 1991 that he was released.

Since then Terry Waite was awarded a CBE from the Queen and has set up and supported many charities. Some of these include the YMCA, the Romany Society and Y Care International. Recently he founded Hostage UK, an organisation designed to give support to hostage families. Most recently on March 31, 2007, Waite offered to travel to Iran to negotiate with those holding British sailors and marines seized by Iran.

Some of the virtues that Terry Waite has displayed are, Justice, Restraint (Temperance), Faith and Hope.