Christian was a seventh-generation, direct descendant of Fletcher Christian, masters’ mate on the famed H.M.S. Bounty of the widely known Mutiny on the Bounty sea saga.
For many years Christian served as head elder of the Pitcairn Island congregation, serving as a mainstay of the faith. His wife, Betty, was church organist and served in other capacities in the life of the small island community.
Through his many years as radio officer for Pitcairn Island, during a time when radio communication was Pitcairn’s only contact with the outside world, Christian had worldwide amateur radio contact with thousands of shortwave radio enthusiasts who were eager to record having had radio contact with remote Pitcairn Island.
Christian was honored by Queen Elizabeth with the Civil Division of the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire in 1963 for his service to the Pitcairn people.
He was seriously injured several times in his years of crewing island longboats while going out to meet calling ships through the dangerous surf that often beats against Pitcairn Island.
Elected a councillor several times to Pitcairn’s governmental leadership, Christian traveled abroad on numerous occasions, once as a delegate from the South Pacific to the General Conference session in the United States, and on another occasion to take radio training at the Adventists’ broadcast headquarters, then located in Glendale, California, United States."
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Precious in the sight of the LORD is the death of his saints.
Psalm 116:15
