Janet Davies, who has died aged 89, spent most of her adult life working in international development and religious outreach across multiple organizations and continents.
From 1968 to 1986, Davies worked for Christian Aid in Merseyside and the north-west, eventually becoming regional organiser. Based in Liverpool and supported by Edward Patey, then dean of the city, she used her communication and networking abilities to build grassroots alliances across Christian denominations to coordinate Christian Aid Week activities. Her efforts in establishing the Merseyside Churches Ecumenical Council contributed to foundations for later collaborative partnerships among religious leaders in the region.
Born in Formby, Lancashire, Davies trained as a secretary and later married Alan Davies, an occupational therapist, whom she met in 1968. She was known as a skilled pianist and choral singer. Her husband’s death from cancer approximately 11 years after their marriage significantly affected her.
Davies conducted extensive overseas work for Christian Aid that shaped her spiritual perspective. She traveled to locations including Kolkata in 1975, South Africa during the apartheid era in the late 1970s and early 1980s, and Lebanon and the Palestinian Territories starting in 1982. She studied theology at Birmingham University and earned a certificate in 1994. She authored contributions to academic works examining Christian experiences in the Middle East, emphasizing themes of peace and justice in that region.
In later career phases, Davies led programs for USPG from the mid-1980s to early 1990s and for the United Reformed Church from 1992 to 1995. In retirement, she established Sabeel-Kairos UK, a charitable organization focused on solidarity with the Palestinian Christian community. Davies is survived by a sibling and nine nieces and nephews.
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