This year, along with our friends at Leeds Minster, Leeds Church Institute is celebrating 150 years of Walter Hook’s legacy in Leeds, integrating faith with social action.
Serving as Vicar of Leeds in the 19th century, Hook was a passionate advocate for social reform. He believed that the church should engage actively in the lives of its community, providing both material support to those in need and moral guidance to inspire systemic change. From establishing schools, churches and libraries to improving housing and welfare, Hook’s approach demonstrated a dual role: the church as a provider of practical support and a prophetic voice advocating for justice.
This vision is at the heart of the 2025 Hook Lecture, titled “Prophet or Provider.” In this lecture, Jon Kuhrt, CEO of Hope into Action, asks how the church can balance the imperative to meet immediate human needs with the responsibility to challenge the structures that lead to inequality.
In essence, it revisits the very model Hook exemplified over 150 years ago, while adapting it to the realities of modern Leeds. By framing the discussion around both practical care and prophetic advocacy, the lecture highlights the continuing relevance of Hook’s philosophy: that faith must inspire action, both in the moment and for the long term.
Scripture consistently connects provision with prophecy. Isaiah condemns empty acts of religion, and instead calls for a faith that loosens the bonds of injustice, feeds the hungry, and welcomes the homeless (Isaiah 58:6–7). James takes the challenge further, insisting that words of blessing are meaningless if they are not matched by practical care: “what is the good of that?” he asks, if someone in need is sent away still hungry or cold (James 2:15–16). Acts offers a striking picture of the early church, where resources were shared so generously that “there was not a needy person among them” (Acts 4:34–35).
When read together, these passages underline that the church’s prophetic voice and its role as provider belong side by side. To proclaim justice without meeting real needs is hollow; to offer help without challenging the causes of poverty is short-sighted. Hook grasped this dynamic in his own age, and the 2025 Hook Lecture invites us to rediscover its urgency today.
While LCI was founded within the Anglican tradition, our mission has grown to look beyond denominational boundaries, working collaboratively across traditions and with the wider community. Today, initiatives that address homelessness, support refugees, and promote inclusion continue to embody Hook’s vision, but always through partnership and dialogue.
This year’s lecture celebrates 150 years of Hook’s vision, demonstrating that the dual call to be both prophet and provider remains as urgent today as it was in his time. By engaging deeply with Scripture and embracing an ecumenical ethos, LCI continues to honour its founder’s legacy, inspiring the church and wider community to act with wisdom, compassion, and courage in service to the city.