Adventures of the Pier Head pastor; Chief feature writer Paddy Shennan talks to the former Liverpool pastor who reached out to Teddy Boys and faced atheists at the Pier Head's Speakers' Corner.

Byline: Paddy Shennan

HE was head-butted on three occasions in Liverpool, tear-gassed in Gaza and stoned in both Cairo and the West Bank ("And I don't mean drunk").

But it was all in a day's work for former Liverpool pastor - and friend of the Teddy Boys- Richard Kayes.

Now 81, the one-time Pier Head preacher and founder of the original People's Church in Everton - built decades before David Moyes christened the Blues the People's Club - has written a book about his global adventures: One Man And His God.

Born and bred in Bootle, his work in the city - once he'd packed in his job as an engineer at Tate and Lyle to become a full-time minister - made national headlines.

Launched in January 1955, the former People's Church in Village Street, Everton - not to be confused with the church of the same name in Shaw Street, which opened later - was noted for its evangelism and social concern.

It was described in the Press as "The church with its sleeves rolled up", with Pastor Kayes renowned for reaching out to troublemakers and Teddy Boys - and, sometimes, troublemaking Teddy Boys.

Mr Kayes, who was ordained as a minister of the Baptist Union, worked there until 1966 - he later travelled the world for Christian Aid - recalls: "Working with the Teddy Boys was a small part of a lively church, but it got a lot of publicity."

The one-time president of Merseyside Youth for Christ adds: "I just felt we ought to be out there, not sitting in church all the time. We also had a refugee society and organised free bus trips for pensioners to Blackpool. It was about trying to meet people's needs."

Once dubbed "Merseyside's Billy Graham", he was making the news before the People's Church opened. In March 1954, the ECHO reported how Pastor Kayes had "hired dance halls and social clubs for Sunday night gatherings of young people, including non-churchgoers and gangs of youths who were a known menace to the district."

As he said at the time: "More than 50, including ex-Borstal boys, ex-convicts, street corner spivs and many jazz-crazy young people were converted to Christ in 12 months."

Think there were no anti-social youths in "the good old days"? Think again. Mr Kayes recalls: "The lads we came across were bored and when young people are bored they can become disruptive. There was a particular gang in Anfield and to join it you had to head-butt the next male passer-by."

Before launching the People's Church, the minister had spent eight years as pastor of Potter Street Gospel Church, off Great Homer Street. He also led evangelical campaigns at the Good News Mission Church in Anfield.

"Liverpool was a great place to be for me - it was the right time and the right place," says Mr Kayes, who left the city in 1966, aged 40. After returning from working overseas, he settled in Harrogate in the early 1970s.

Mr Kayes's pilgrimage really began when, aged eight, he attended the three-month-long "Tent Crusade" in Bootle led by Pastor Edward Jeffreys. The "revival campaign" made many converts, including the young Richard and his mum and dad.

And it wasn't long before Richard was spreading the "good news", himself: "I started preaching at 15 and was billed as 'the boy preacher from Bootle', conducting services in dozens of small mission halls.

"I wasn't very good, but I suppose I was a bit of a novelty. At 19,1 preached 1" I to 1,500 people at a Youth 4 for Christ rally in Liverpool's Central Hall."

And at 24 he got on his soapbox and began preaching to crowds at the Pier Head. He did this every Tuesday afternoon for the next 16 years.

The ECHO played a part in helping to attract an audience during the pastor's "Pier Head pulpit" days, as he explains: "I would start by reading an interesting extract from the ECHO or a religious magazine."

But it could be a tough audience and the minister's repartee wasn't always well-received: "One time I treated a young member of the Secular Society to a caustic retort - and he promptly head-butted me!"

Later, his work took him much further afield - for example, he helped lead a joint Christian Aid/Army mercy dash across the Sahara where thousands were dying through drought and disease. And in India, he witnessed remarkable development projects run by evangelicals, Hindus and Muslims, while in the West Bank and Gaza he sympathised with the Israelis and agonised with the Palestinians.

And yet, despite having travelled so widely and lived in Yorkshire for so long, I get the impression his heart still belongs to his home city.

"I do miss the place," he says. "I always enjoy coming back to Liverpool - its people really are the salt of the earth."

One Man And His God by Richard Kayes is published by Author House and is available in book shops or from www.authorhouse.co.uk

CAPTION(S):

PRAISE BE: Richard Kayes during his days as a Liverpool pastor - when he counted Teddy Boys among his flock; MAN OF GOD: Pastor Kayes settled in Harrogate in the early 1970s after returning from working overseas