David Bruce Anderson Milne

David Bruce Anderson Milne was born in Scotland on July 12, 1940 to parents John and Mary (Molly) Boath Milne (Wood) at the Fyfe Jamieson Maternity Home in Forfar. He was the third of 4 siblings; elder sisters Elizabeth (Betty) (1930-1972) and Florence (1931-2016) and younger brother Douglas (1944). His Forfar birthplace, rather than Dundee, where the family actually resided, was always a source of chagrin for Bruce who was fiercely proud to be a Dundee lad. The family had been temporarily relocated to Forfar because of wartime evacuations, where they stayed at Viewmount, the home of his paternal grandparents, David and Jemima Milne. It was under the coercive ‘persuasion’ of his formidable grandfather, that ‘David’ became his given first name, but his parents, siblings and all who knew him called him Bruce.

The rest of his childhood was spent in the family home on 25 Murray Street in Barnhill, Dundee, and then, from 1953, at 283 Clepington road. His father, John, was a Primary School Headmaster for various Dundee schools. Bruce attended primary and secondary school at Morgan Academy from 1945-1959, enjoying soccer, hill climbing and learning the violin alongside.. Bruce’s examination performance in his 4th year of secondary school (1955/56) was so ‘abysmal’ (Bruce’s own words) that he was encouraged to leave school and get a job as a typesetter. Fortunately, his father persuaded the school headmaster to allow him to stay in school and redo the year.

It was during that repeat year, in the Spring of 1957 that Bruce became a Christian, through the Dundee evangelistic crusade and influence of two of his school pals (Jim Dryden and Ritchie Neil). This gave Bruce a newfound motivation for his studies, and a direction and purpose for his life and work. In a written testimony delivered in 1959, Bruce writes; “From that day forward my life was wonderfully changed. Life became a thing of purpose and challenge and Jesus Christ Himself, became the Friend and Leader of my daily life.”

In his final year, Bruce was elected school captain, and served as captain of the football team and leader of the school orchestra. Upon graduation from Morgan academy, Bruce was selected for an internship with the British Voluntary Service Overseas, and placed at the CITC (Christian Industrial Training Centre) in Pumawani, Nairobi, Kenya, where he taught English, math and other subjects. This experience was to have a profound impact on Bruce’s life, igniting a heart and passion for Christian global solidarity, racial equality and the importance of intercultural fellowship within the church and its wider mission. It also earned him an audience with Queen Elizabeth II, who greeted all the Oversea Service interns at a tea reception in Buckingham palace.

Upon returning from Africa, Bruce attended the University of St. Andrews, Dundee Campus (1960-64), where he attained a Masters in Arts with Honours. While there, he became involved with the Christian Union and Inter Varsity, speaking at a few open air meetings and doing some street preaching in the city centre. Here he learned the art of “holding your audience” to keep folks from just moving on; a skill that would later inform his dynamic preaching style. In 1965, he and a group of Christian friends, including his brother Douglas, instigated a prayer covenant circle called the Dundee Nine. Many of these friends remained faithful to one another in prayer and encouragement, throughout their lives. Honouring his growing desire to serve the Lord in active Christian ministry, Bruce enrolled at Spurgeon’s College, London (1964-67), where he was greatly influenced by the scholarship and godly example of the principal, Rev. George Beasley-Murray. Sadly, during his time at Spurgeons, Bruce’s mother Mary (Molly) Milne tragically died, 24 May 1964 at the age of 65. This was a profound sadness in Bruce’s life. In reminiscence, Bruce always spoke of her with great tenderness, as one who had, for him, embodied gentleness and loving kindness, traits he himself would reflect in his relationships with others. Later, in 1977, Bruce’s father (John), who supported the Leprosy mission in India, had a newly built chapel in Dipu Bari, Purulia, West Bengal dedicated in her honour, modelling for Bruce an expression of enduring love and devotion to his wife that Bruce was to later emulate.

After completing his Bachelors of Divinity at Spurgeon’s, Bruce moved back to Scotland to pursue a post graduate doctoral degree at New College, University of Edinburgh (1967-1970). Studying under the theologian T.F. Torrance, Bruce completed his thesis, The idea of sin in the thought of Reinhold Niebuhr and Karl Barth. This impressive hand typed tome of 483 pages was submitted and approved by the Faculty of Divinity examination committee in November 1970, earning him a Doctorate in Theology. During his university years and when in Edinburgh, Bruce was a devoted and beloved uncle for his sister Florence’s nieces and nephew. This love of family and generous investment in the lives of others continued throughout his life, extending beyond family to his friends and congregants.

A Ph.D was not the only accolade for Bruce during these years, whose heart was stirred by the sight and beautiful singing voice of a certain Valerie Ann Gibson from Edinburgh, who had trained as a midwife and was pursuing a diploma through the Bible Training Institute in Glasgow. Ms. Anderson, who attended the same congregation as Valerie In Edinburgh, and in whose house Bruce had let a room, provided some masterful matchmaking. Over a ‘serendipitous’ tea, Bruce offered to find Valerie a study place to complete her final paper at the New College Library, conveniently locating one directly opposite his own.

The rest, as they say, was history. Valerie was to become the love and companion of his life, accompanying him through all the joys and hardships that came their way. They were married on October 3, in 1969 at Granton Baptist Church, settling first in Musselburgh and then shortly after in Livingstone, where Bruce had taken on the role of Student Pastor for a newly forming congregation in the New Town. Upon completion of his Ph.D. he was ordained and inducted as the first minister of Livingston Baptist Church where he oversaw the growth of the newly established church and the building of a church sanctuary. It was during that time that Bruce and Valerie’s two children, Margaret (1971) and Andrew (1973) were born and Bruce’s eldest sister Betty passed away (1972).

In 1974 Bruce responded to the invitation of his alma mater, Spurgeon’s College, and moved the family to London where he became Professor of Evangelism and Pastoral Studies. And later Professor of Biblical and Historical Theology and Christian Ethics. He also began making his contribution as an author. In 1978 Bruce’s first book, We Belong Together, on Christian fellowship was published by Inter-Varsity Press. This was followed in 1979 by The End of the World, an exposition of the Bible’s teachings on last things. In 1982, a third title, Know the Truth, a handbook on Christian belief, was published. This was to become his most popular and influential book, selling over a million copies, and translated into over 15 languages worldwide.

In 1983, Bruce sensed a divine call to return to the preaching-pastoral ministry and, after much prayer and deliberation, accepted a call from First Baptist Church, Vancouver, to become their Senior Minister. Emigrating with the family Canada, Bruce was inducted into this position in January 1984. Bruce threw his whole self into the church, excelling in preaching and pastoral care and the congregation grew and flourished under his pastorship over the following 17 years. Bruce’s insightful expounding of scripture, was informed by a real love, interest and attentive care to the pastoral needs of every person who walked through the doors of the church, regardless of who they were. Every morning without fail, he would get up at 5:30am and spend a full hour praying for each member of the congregation, the world and the wider church. As the title of the Church News Quarterly, First People, alludes, it was the people that mattered most to Bruce.

Special highlights from those years include the Church Centennial, Easter celebrations at the Orpheum and the attendance of Bill Clinton, then President of the United States, during a diplomatic mission to Canada. Bruce’s favourite story about that visit was in response to one of the American security personnel. “Are you nervous about having such a powerful person in the pews?” he was asked. To which Bruce replied, “Not at all, we have the Living God in attendance every week.”

Throughout his tenure at FBC, there were many opportunities for Bruce to give expression to his passion for intercultural fellowship and encouragement on a global scale. In 1992, he became Vice President of the Canadian Baptist Federation, and then the founding President of the newly formed Canadian Baptist Ministries from 1995-1997. In 2000 he was appointed as Vice president of the Baptist World Alliance. He also continued reaching a wider audience through his writing, completing the commentary on the gospel of John, Here is Your King: The Message of John in 1993.

In January 2001 after numerous episodes of angina, Bruce relinquished the pastorate of First Baptist Church. With the day to day intensity and demands of leading a downtown church over, this reduction in activity enabled Bruce to expand the geographical reach of his pastoral and teaching ministry; responding to invitations to preach, teach and encourage ministers, congregations and Christian ministries all over the world; including in Denmark, Malaysia, South Korea, North Korea, Brazil, Japan and the UK. Also, during his ‘retirement’, Bruce completed three additional books; The Message of Heaven and Hell: Grace and Destiny (2002) Dynamic Diversity (2007) and Acts: Witnesses to Him (2010). Bruce and Valerie attended the Vancouver Chinese Baptist Church, and later took up membership at Trinity Baptist Church, where Bruce contributed through teaching at the international bible study and occasionally preaching. A special delight in his final years of ministry, was the friendship formed with the sisters at the Queen of Peace Monastery in Squamish where he stayed occasionally to conduct Bible teaching. First Baptist Church, though, is where his heart remained as a place of warmth, deep fulfilment and purpose.

This chapter also allowed Bruce to spend more time with Valerie, making many visits overseas, rekindling connections with family and friends, in the UK and in Australia. Bruce’s grandchildren Callie (2003), Catriona (2006) and Samuel (2008) were born. These were happy times, in the company of family, loved ones and one another, filled with laughter, companionship and the reminiscence of times past. Bruce continued to foster and delight in friendships he had formed locally through the church and subsequent ministries, frequenting coffee shops all across Vancouver.

In 2010, Valerie was diagnosed with terminal cancer. Bruce devotedly walked beside her on her six-year journey through surgeries, chemo treatments and slow decline, until her death on August 9, 2016. They had been married for 47 years. He never really recovered from the grief of her passing, and the anguish of her loss, became all the more distressing with the early onset of Alzheimer's Disease, unbeknownst to him at the time. Initially he moved to Shannon Oaks, and then to Maggie and Jacob’s ‘laneway’ home for a year, during which time, his grandson, Samuel died (2022) from brain cancer. Bruce’s final years were spent in full-time care at Broadway Lodge, on Lamey Mills Road. This miracle placement gave him a final resting home where he was respected and cared for with dignity and compassion as ‘pastor’ in their midst. The nursing staff spoke of him with reverence and fondness, and told us stories of how he continued to bless them through his inspired prayers and gracious presence. Bruce lived his entire life, fully and intentionally, in the love and faithful service of Jesus Christ. Bruce’s last years, while full of suffering, revealed the measure and depth of his person, which was seared through with the spirit of Jesus’ love and gentle kindness, which persisted to the end. Bruce leaves behind a brother Douglas in Australia, his two children Andrew and Margaret, son in law Jacob, and grandchildren, Callie and Catriona.

Bruce was placed to rest with his dearest Valerie at Mountain View Cemetery on January 2 2026. The Memorial Service to honour Bruce’s life will take place on February 21, 2026 at First Baptist Church Vancouver at 1pm. The service will be livestreamed to allow overseas friends and family to attend. You can access the service here https://vimeo.com/event/5630151.

In lieu of flowers, we suggest a donation in his honour, made to the First Baptist Church ‘Mission Fund’, either by cheque, or online through Canada Helps.