Timothy Lee in his wheelchair in the Rotorua Redwood Forest. Photo / Pam Vincent
A Rotorua pastor who lost 92% of his bodily function in a split-second mountain bike crash is bringing a message of hope and “resurrection living” to Tauranga later this month.
Timothy Lee will speak at Matua Baptist at 10am on March 22, sharing from 1 Corinthians 15:35-49 in a message titled The Body Transformed. He said the resurrection of Jesus is not only a future promise, but something that can transform lives now – even in the midst of suffering.
He hopes that the message will resonate, no matter who comes.
In 2010, Lee’s life was irrevocably altered when he crashed on a mountain bike trail in Rotorua’s Redwood Forest.
He went over a drop-off at speed and suffered a devastating head injury. He has no memory of the impact but knew something serious had happened after being knocked out. His helmet was split in two and the impact damaged his spinal cord, leaving him to live with tetraplegia.
“It really changed everything. It had a huge impact on my family, my vocation, my world. I so very nearly lost my life,” he said.
Lee spent 40 days and nights in intensive care at Middlemore Hospital; the first 10 in an induced coma. He said that his pathway to recovery was drawn-out and, at times, frustrating, but he never lost hope. His deep Christian faith sustained him and continues to do so.
Take for granted
Today he has limited movement in one arm, just enough to operate his wheelchair. He requires assistance with everything else for daily life.
“It’s very challenging,” he admitted. “You take mobility for granted – until it’s gone.”
At the time of the accident he was senior pastor at Rotorua Baptist Church. Now an itinerant preacher with more than 25 years in Christian pastoral ministry, Lee continues to teach, mentor and serve across church and community settings.
His recently-released autobiography, Hopes, Fears and Wheelchairs, was a story of faith and hope after the trauma of his life-threatening accident. In it, he recounts the day that changed everything and the long, slow road of rehabilitation that followed.
“What happens when your whole world changes in the blink of an eye?” the back cover asks. “In the face of tragic circumstances, the framework of life is no longer the same.”
Accessible
The book was dictated using voice-recognition software, Lee no longer being able to type with his hands.
In the book he blends practical insights with reflections on grief, loss and faith. Lee said he wrote it to be accessible, not academic, and to address difficult questions about suffering in everyday Kiwi life.
Instead of retreating from the community he loves, Lee is deeply immersed in it. He serves as a hospital chaplain, mentors people who are new to life in a wheelchair, works with the homeless, and chairs Rotorua’s Access Committee, collaborating with Rotorua Lakes Council for greater mobility access.
He was also involved in Sailability, helping provide sailing experiences for children with special needs in the Bay of Plenty. In addition, he enjoys doing professional supervision with colleagues.
Born in Pukekohe and raised with a strong rural heritage, Lee trained and worked as a diesel mechanic before entering pastoral ministry. He and his wife Jenny have two sons, a daughter-in-law, grandson and granddaughter.
Others’ wellbeing
One of his mantras, he said, was simply: to invest in others’ wellbeing for as long as he has breath. “God’s kept me alive, and by His grace, I will endeavour to make the best of each day.”
Lee’s book will be available for purchase at his talk for $30. It was also available as an e-book via Amazon. “I really want to convey to people that whatever is going on in their lives, there is always hope.”