Terence Hardy Waite was born in 1939 in the United Kingdom. After completing his theological training, Waite left for Africa in 1969 on behalf of the Anglican Church. In 1972, he was transferred to Italy to support the Roman Catholic medical mission. Waite became a close associate of the Archbishop of Canterbury Dr. Robert Runcie in 1980. Runcie sent him on special assignment to Iran, Libya and Lebanon to persuade the administration to release Western hostages. In 1987, Waite himself was captured, only to be released in 1991. Waite's life motto is, ‘The mind cannot be chained’.