The Rev Dr D H C Read, who died aged 91 at home in New York, was an outstanding orator who communicated his passion for the Christian faith first in Scotland and later at the Madison Avenue Presbyterian Church in Manhattan.

An approachable, charismatic man, known for his sense of humour, he could preach straight to the heart of his congregation in a manner that was relevant to believers and non-believers alike.

David Haxton Carswell Read was born in Cupar, Fife, on January 2, 1910. His father was a civil servant who instilled in him the values of the Church of Scotland. Educated at Daniel Stewart's school he studied at Edinburgh University and at Montpellier, Strasbourg, and Paris. He received a BD from New College, Edinburgh. He was influenced by the writings of Karl Barth, the Swiss-German minister who believed the preacher should stand with the Bible in one hand and the morning newspaper in the other.

In 1936 Dr Read was appointed minister of Coldstream West, Church of Scotland. The same year he married Patricia Gilbert. Two years later he was appointed minister of Greenbank Church of Scotland in Edinburgh. Four months later war broke out and he became chaplain to the Forces in the 51st Highland Division. Captured by the Germans at St Valery-en-Caux in Normandy he remained a prisoner in Silesia and Sprangenberg for the duration of the war.

During this time he worked with an Anglican colleague to present lectures exploring Christianity to fellow prisoners. The group was called Quest and was very popular. A German guard, himself a Lutheran Pastor, arranged to smuggle Dr Read's manuscripts out of the camp and back to Britain, where his wife arranged for their publication.

On his return to Greenbank in 1945, Dr Read noted there was

little on offer for younger members of the congregation and invited them to discuss matters of faith with him. Four years later when he left Greenbank to become the first chaplain of Edinburgh University, 150 young people were attending the group, also named Quest.

As university chaplain Dr Read and his wife opened their house every Sunday to students. Between 1952 and 1956 he served as chaplain to the Queen. He was invited to preach in Canada and at the Madison Avenue Presbyterian Church at 73rd Street. This congregation, who were looking for an intellectual minister, invited David Read to join them in 1956.

He remained at Madison Avenue until he retired in 1989. He became famous for his sermons, which were also broadcast worldwide on radio by the National Council of Churches. Each Monday his sermons were posted out on subscription, and it was a joke among American preachers that hundreds would preach his sermons the following Sunday.

In an article written for the 150th anniversary of the church in 1989, Dr Read stressed the need for preachers to strike a strong intellectual tone. ''The church has suffered from too much talk-to-the- children style. It's not demanding,'' he wrote.

After he retired he worked tirelessly for human rights and pressed for a freeze on nuclear arms. He was the founding vice-president and leader of the Appeal of Conscience Foundation, an interfaith organisation dedicated to fostering religious freedom and understanding throughout the world.

His wife, Patricia, and their son Rory, survive him.

Antoinette Galbraith