Dear Members of the Sookhdeo Family, Grace and peace to you in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ. On behalf of the Oxford Centre for Religion and Public Life (OCRPL)-Africa, we extend our heartfelt condolences to your family on the passing of Rev. Prof. Patrick Sookhdeo. We mourn with you and with the wider Christian community around the world the loss of a distinguished scholar, visionary leader, faithful servant of Christ, and tireless advocate for theological education and Christian witness. While we grieve his passing, we also give thanks to God for a life extraordinarily lived in service to the Kingdom of God. Rev. Prof. Sookhdeo’s influence reached across continents, denominations, and generations, leaving an indelible mark on theological scholarship, Christian mission, public engagement, and leadership development. It was our great privilege to welcome him virtually to the OCRPL-Africa Conference held in Nairobi, Kenya, from 6–9 May 2026. During the conference, he delivered a thought-provoking address on the importance of conscience in Christian life and witness. His reflections demonstrated the clarity of thought, spiritual depth, and moral conviction that have characterized his ministry for decades. Participants across Africa were profoundly enriched by his contribution. In recognition of his exceptional service, OCRPL-Africa conferred upon him the Distinguished Leadership Award in Global Theological Engagement on 8 May 2026. The award acknowledged his outstanding leadership and enduring contributions to global theological education and mission. Looking back, we are deeply grateful for the opportunity to express our appreciation to him publicly and to celebrate a legacy that has significantly strengthened Christian scholarship and ministry worldwide. The news of his passing, only days after the conference, has made that moment especially meaningful to us. We now treasure his participation in Nairobi as one of his final public engagements and as a lasting gift to…

Tribute to Dr. Patrick Sookhdeo By Imran Salim Shahid, Executive Director, Board of Directors and Team of Shine Society, Islamabad – Pakistan Every time I met with Dr. Patrick Sookhdeo, I loved him and his vision more and more and grew in faith and love. What a committed and faithful disciple of Jesus Christ filled with the Holy Spirit and blessed with the amazing grace, clear vision, love and compassion to serve the persecuted Church of Jesus Christ in the world! A man of God and warrior of faith who loved God with all his heart, soul, and mind and made every possible effort to put his purified faith in action in every single moment of his life to share God’s love put in his heart through Jesus Christ, Good News and living hope with millions of people in need around the globe. A servant leader with the mind of Christ who inspired and influenced a team of dedicated servants of God to wholeheartedly serve and burn their lives to seeking the good of all and entered in the eternal peace of God which passes all understanding to eternally dwell with our Triune God along with His holy people and saints. We love you and commit to carry on your “Global Mission” to serve the persecuted Church and suffering communities. It was a wonderful experience for me to go through His hymns book “With the Eye of Faith” Meditation and Prayers and translate 18 hymns in Urdu and Punjabi and compose music and do the audio and video recording of 4 hymns and audio recording of 14 hymns. Going through this book helped me to deeply understand his prophetic knowledge about God and His chosen and suffering people. His hymn “Walk with me Jesus” (Yesu Chal Mere Sath – Urdu…

Great human being, Dr. Patrick I worked with him this last 5 years. Sadly he left from us. RIP. My deepest condolences message to his family members.. Jacob Ravibalan – Jacob Ravibalan

I was deeply saddened to hear of the passing of Dr Patrick Sookhdeo. Patrick’s life was a beacon of compassion and courage. Through his vision and tireless work, countless communities across Africa found hope in the midst of hardship. He stood with the persecuted, gave voice to the forgotten, and brought practical aid to those who had lost everything. Through Dr Patrick Sookhdeo, Barnabas Aid became a lifeline—feeding the hungry, sheltering the displaced, and strengthening churches so they could stand firm in faith and dignity. He reminded the world that African Christians were not alone, and through his advocacy, their struggles were heard on a global stage. Patrick’s legacy is one of encouragement, service, and unwavering love. He leaves behind not just memories, but living testimonies of resilience in the lives he touched. As we celebrate him, we honor a man who gave himself so that others might endure with hope. Dear ‘Abuna (Fr.) Patrick’ (as I always call you), you live on in our hearts. May your memory continue to inspire acts of courage and compassion across generations. Finally, our heartfelt condolences to Rosemary and Caroline. Ven. Dr. Julius Adekoya. Nigeria – Ven. Dr. Julius Adekoya

With profound sorrow and heartfelt grief, I received the news of the passing of the Very Rev Dr Patrick Sookhdeo – a faithful servant of Christ, a compassionate advocate for the persecuted Church, and a man whose entire life was devoted to the suffering, forgotten and persecuted Christians of our world. On behalf of the Syrian Orthodox Archdiocese of Germany, I extend my deepest condolences to his beloved wife Rosemary, to his family, to the entire TBF Trust family and all who were privileged to labour alongside him in his noble and Christ-centred mission. From the time I served at the Syriac Orthodox Patriarchate in Damascus, I came to know Dr Patrick Sookhdeo as a man of remarkable generosity, sincere faith, and unwavering dedication to charitable service. During some of the most painful years endured by the peoples of Syria, Iraq, Lebanon and the Middle East in general he stood steadfastly beside the poor, the displaced, the persecuted and the needy. Through his compassionate efforts and tireless support, countless Christian families received humanitarian assistance, encouragement, and hope, together with the comforting assurance that they had not been abandoned or forgotten by the wider Body of Christ. His love and concern for the suffering Church knew no bounds or limitations. Even after my appointment as Archbishop in Germany, Dr Patrick continued to support generously our Mor Jacob Monastery and numerous pastoral, humanitarian, and charitable initiatives within our Archdiocese. His kindness, encouragement and practical assistance were always offered with humility, wisdom and genuine Christian compassion. Dr Patrick Sookhdeo leaves behind an extraordinary legacy of faith, courage, scholarship and sacrificial service. He dedicated his life to giving a voice to persecuted Christians and to bearing the burdens of those who suffered in silence. In many ways, his life reflected the words of our…