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Open Doors UK & Ireland (ODUK&I) is deeply saddened to announce the death of Eddie Lyle, who served the organisation as Chief Executive and President, and later as consultant for Open Doors International. Eddie died on September 19, 2026, in Oxford, UK, surrounded by family and friends following complications from heart surgery. He was 73. Born in Northern Ireland in 1953, Eddie became a Christian as a young man and went on to serve in Youth for Christ and Release International after years as an air cargo specialist in the corporate sector. Eddie joined ODUK & I in 2005 and devoted more than two decades to the charity with the support of his wife, Christine. He spent many of those years travelling to the countries where being a Christian and following Jesus Christ come at a high cost. He would then return to churches across the UK and Ireland, to tell them what he had seen. He had a natural instinct for listening, teaching the Bible and storytelling, which he would use to encourage everyone he met, sharing Christ’s love for the hurting and broken with an infectious passion and deep conviction. He often spoke about Christians who share a faith but not their freedoms, and he made it his life's work to close the distance between the two. It was a journey which took him to some memorable places, from secret house churches in communist Vietnam, to refugee camps in north Nigeria. On one teaching trip to India, a young pastor asked if he could see Eddie’s Bible, which was filled with a lifetime of notes and thoughts, and underlining of significant verses. In return, Eddie asked to see the pastor’s Bible, and the young man showed him a battered school notebook, in which he had written out his favourite verses from the Scriptures. “I tried to put myself in his shoes,” Eddie later recalled, “thinking about how he must struggle without his own copy of God’s Word to strengthen himself, defend himself, comfort and teach his people.” With typical compassion and generosity, Eddie gave the young man his precious Bible. Most recently, Eddie co-authored a book of his experiences called Witness: Sharing the Faith of the Persecuted Church. In addition to his work at ODUK&I, Eddie founded Medic International, which builds healthcare capacity in persecuted communities. In later years he supported Christian mission in North-East Ukraine and co-founded Springbrook Partnership, a leadership coaching consultancy. Paying tribute, ODUK&I CEO, Tiffany Barrans, said “Eddie was so much more than a Chief Executive or President. To many of us, he was a friend and mentor, remembered for his conviction, kindness, wisdom, vision and wonderful sense of humour. “So much of who we are today as a ministry, both in the UK and Ireland and around the world, was shaped by Eddie. He will be greatly missed and long remembered.” André Holtshausen, Chair of ODUK&I added: “Every now and then in life someone crosses your path who in just a few minutes can make a lifelong impact. Eddie was one of those people. We will miss his inspirational visionary leadership, but through building strong connections, he has left a lot of himself amongst us.” Eddie is survived by his wife, Christine, and their son, Adam. The family has asked for privacy at this time. Gifts in memory of Eddie in aid of ODUK&I in support of the persecuted church can be made here.
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