Canberra
Baptist
Church
Books
Dr Valerie G. Spear, Canberra Baptist Church: the First Seventy Five Years 1929-2004, Canberra Baptist Church, Canberra, 2008, ISBN 978095983311, 178 p. plus bibliography and index, softcover, RRP A$30 plus $5 postage and handling. For copies write to the Office of the Canberra Baptist Church at PO Box 4055, Kingston ACT 2604, or telephone 02-6295 9470 or e-mail office@canbap.org. Foreword by Rev. James Barr This vignette illustrates the way Canberra Baptist Church has been part of the life of the nation's capital. From the humble housekeeper who opened the door to the royal couple through to the Clerk of the House who wrote the manual of Australian Parliamentary practice (Pettifer's House of Representatives Practice) the Canberra Baptist Church has played a role in the capital. The impact of Baptists has sometimes been well beyond their numerical representation in the population. At the dinner at which the Duke of York was welcomed there were two Anglican divines, two Catholic Archbishops and two Baptist leaders, the Reverend J. H. Goble and the Reverend Dr A.J. Waldock. Baptists have always been committed to, and involved in, the life of the national capital. Canberra Baptist Church: The First Seventy-Five Years (1929-2004) is a considered and insightful portrait of the history of this community over three quarters of a century. It writes a sensitive and intelligent critique of the ministries of its pastors and presents a developing model of pastoral ministry and leadership. Of course, any church is more than just the sermons and enthusiasms of its pastors. This book is also the story the life of an active congregation. The Canberra Baptist Church has been comprised of people who had a profound impact on the shaping of the nation's capital. A former Prime Minister proudly claims to have been expelled from the Sunday School (although such precocious notoriety is not reflected in the Sunday School records!) The sometime chief of the Canberra police force, the father of Canberra's education system, the Clerk of the House of Representatives and various senior public servants have all been members of the church at various times. While its ministers have been prominent in civic life (particularly in the early days) its members and leaders have also been significant and influential citizens. One of the consistent storylines running through the history of this church is its engagement with the life of Canberra as a community. What follows is also the story of a religious community. We read of the concern of the Baptists of Australia to have a presence in the nation's capital and the subtle but significant links that existed between this church and the network of Baptist churches in other states, particularly Collins Street in Melbourne, the Hobart Baptist Tabernacle and Flinders Street Baptist Church in Adelaide. We hear the story of the foundation of other Baptist churches across the ACT. This history is published to coincide with the 80th anniversary of the Church. Forty years is a biblical generation. Thus 80 years reflects two generations. If the first-generation were the 'exiles who sat down by the river Molonglo' (to quote a report on the first meetings of the church from the foundation pastor Arthur J. Waldock to the Baptist Union of Australia) the second generation have been the builders, those who have made their homes and been part of the dramatic post-World War II growth of Canberra. The church now finds itself in a situation in which those generations are passing. The church farewelled its foundation generation many years ago. It now finds itself farewelling the generation of builders, those who have built the church over the last three or four decades to where it is today. The question now comes 'What of the next generation?' What does the gospel of Jesus Christ say to a world of globalization, driven by rapid technical and communication changes and facing tremendous challenge in global warming and the threat to international peace and security? Is there a message of challenge and hope that we have to offer to our city and to our community? These are the questions with which the church now engages. We do so on the basis of the wonderful history that we have received, the heritage of faithful and colourful! saints in previous generations. We are in the debt of Dr Val Spear and her team of researchers who have brought us this perspective on what those first 75 years mean. May we be faithful to the efforts and the insights of our ancestors as we seek to carry on this story into the future. Grace and peace, Rev. James Barr
Review by Tom Frame St Mark's National Theological Centre, Canberra As someone familiar with Anglican parish histories I looked forward to reading Dr Valerie Spear's account of the first seventy-years of the Canberra Baptist Church (CBC) in anticipation of some interesting comparisons and contrasts both in the progress of church life and in the presentation of congregational history. I was surprised and disappointed at the same time. My surprise came from noting similarities in the challenges facing Anglicans and Baptists while my disappointment stemmed from the unwillingness of Anglicans to study the strategies proposed by Baptists in meeting them. In terms of 'market share' the Baptists have risen in both size and stature within the Australian Christian community while Anglicans have consistently lost ground. My reactions are not a criticism of Dr Spear's book, which is thoroughly researched, well written and attractively presented. But it reflects my anxiety that many Anglicans lack the vision and the creativity that has marked Baptist church life since Federation. Perhaps it is a function of Anglicans assuming their majority status would continue by socialising Australians into church affiliation rather than converting them to Christian commitment. To Anglicans, evangelism is usually about rousing the indifferent, to use the prayer book phrase, who are assumed to have religious belief but fail to attend worship, whereas to Baptists it has meant a conscious going out into an outwardly indifferent community with no assumptions about people's believing, behaving and belonging. It is clear from this book that Baptists have adopted a different approach to Christian mission and a different attitude to the wider world. The differences are not substantial but they are significant. Dr Spear, who gained her doctorate in medieval history from the Australian National University in 1999, is thankfully aware of the defects and deficiencies that disfigure and distort many congregational histories. She has addressed these in a careful introduction that non-Baptists will find especially helpful. There is also a valuable description of the source materials that were available in the writing of this history. She also dispels many stereotypical depictions of Baptist Christians and demolishes many of the misconceptions surrounding Baptist theology. After noting the rarity of 'distinctive' Baptist congregations - they seem to have much more in common than Anglican congregations despite the existence of elaborate structures and extensive statutes undergirding Anglican belief and practice - she begins to show that CBC has a greater claim to distinctiveness than most, and that among the Christian community in Canberra, CBC has contributed strongly to the intellectual life of the city. There are several distinct phases in CBC's evolution. After Baptists in the national capital gathered formally for worship in 1926 and a decision was made the following year to establish a Baptist church with its own resident pastor, fundraising efforts culminated in the erection of a building in 1928-29 and the induction of Arthur Waldock as the first minister. After the relatively brief ministry of Harold Hackworthy (1948-52), Fred McMaster served CBC for twenty-eight years (1952-80) and guided it through a period of incredible growth and expansion. It was under his leadership that new programs were initiated among and beyond the congregation, including the assumption of responsibility for Caloola Farm as a rehabilitation centre for the disadvantaged and the provision of a community `drop-in' centre in public housing in the nearby suburb of Griffith. McMaster's long and effective ministry provided a basis for the equally productive ministries of Neil Adcock (1981-94), Thorwald Lorenzen (1995-2005) and Jim Barr (2006-2010). Each minister brought a fresh perspective to pastoral care, discipleship training and evangelistic outreach. They were also known for being on the more 'progressive' wing of Baptist theology with a marked appreciation of diversity and a commitment to tolerance, and possessed an ability to make their presence felt through involvement in local religious and secular media outlets. Thankfully, there appear to have been few instances of severe or protracted conflict between the minister and the lay deacons who have provided much of the parochial leadership the church required. No doubt there were disagreements but none debilitated mission or ministry. CBC also seems to have carefully managed its place within the Baptist Union, preserving its independence without becoming isolated. A profile of the church produced in 2004 noted that CBC has 'from its beginning expressed an openmindedness which encourages honesty, generosity of spirit, liberality and freedom to seek and grow. This is well demonstrated by the fact that the church has never had a constitution but only a simple and brief set of Standing Orders which have served it well.' This is a very good congregational history that deserves a wider readership than the immediate CBC membership. My only criticism is the paucity of attention given to relations between Canberra Baptists and the other leading Christian denominations, and the extraction of some revealing material on specific aspects of church life into a series of appendixes. I can understand why Dr Spear took this approach. There is sense in consolidating particular aspects of church life in a potted history standing apart from the main narrative. But I felt in places the people and programs dealt with separately in the appendices were integral parts of the CBC story and would have enriched our understanding of congregational life if their influence had been noted when and where it was felt. I would encourage Baptists to read this history to better appreciate the particular witness of their church in the national capital and I would exhort non-Baptists to invest in a copy because it shows that there are creative ways of being the church in contemporary suburbanised Australia that are not reliant on a highly centralised ecclesiastical bureaucracy. The ministry of CBC over nearly eight decades shows what is possible through a faithful ministry of preaching and pastoral care supported by a community of believers who are adamant that Christians must strive individually and together to be light and salt in a sometimes dark and tasteless world.
The book is available at its cost price ($15.00) plus postage ($2.00 within Australia) making a total cost of $17.00. For copies write to the Office of the Canberra Baptist Church at PO Box 4055, Kingston ACT 2604, or telephone 02-6295 9470 or e-mail office@canbap.org. About
this
book About the
author
This 85 page A4 size book was published in February 2004 on the occasion of the Canberra Baptist Church’s 75th Anniversary celebrations. It contains the stories behind the more than 100 memorials in and around the church dedicated to the memory of prominent Australian Baptists and local Canberra Baptist Church members. The book is illustrated with a number of colour photographs of the church and some of its beautiful stained glass windows. Numerous black and white photographs of many of those remembered in the memorials are also included. Those who have read the book say that it is written in an easy to read style and that it contains important material on the life and work of many Australian Baptists. The book is available at its cost price ($20.00) plus postage ($3.00 within Australia) making a total cost of $23.00. For copies write to the Office of the Canberra Baptist Church at PO Box 4055, Kingston ACT 2604, or telephone 02-6295 9470 or e-mail office@canbap.org. About
this
book About the
author
About the
book Rev. Tim Costello, "Roy Henson has done us a great service. Reading his account of Rev. A.J. Waldock's life and ministry is exciting and inspiring... I hope that many will read this book, not only to get a glimpse of the past, but to see what God can do through a person who echoes the love and passion of God in his life." Rev. Dr
Thorwald Lorenzen, About the
author
This
book explores the resurrection of Jesus Christ as the foundational
event for Christian faith, for the Christian church, and for
Christian ethics. It argues that the resurrection is a relational
event aiming at the establishing of justice. This is illustrated
by discussing the interrelationship between the resurrection and
selected social ethical challenges: race, class and gender
equality, the ordination of women, ecological justice, and the
relationship of Christianity to other religions. Jürgen Moltmann Tübingen, Germany "Dr. Lorenzen 'connects the dots.' Resurrection-Discipleship-Justice, and the triangle that emerges proves to be a hermeneutical plateau opening up new perspectives that can help us not only to recapture essential elements of the Christian faith but also to focus our commitment on the implementation of justice without which the church may prove to be 'irrelevant' in our times. In addition to its theological thrust, the book reflects a profound spirituality and pastoral concern. It is down-to-earth, frank, and honest. Günter Wagner
Professor emeritus of New Testament Corrales, New Mexico "Resurrection-Discipleship-Justice is one of the best and most intriguing introductions to the meaning and practical implications of the resurrection of the crucified Jesus currently available. While deeply informed by contemporary theological debate, conservative and liberal alike, this book is written for the general reader. In language free from jargon, obscurity and sentimentality, Thorwald Lorenzen spells out the implications of God's act in raising Jesus from the dead for the life of faith, for the mission of the Church, and for the struggle for justice, peace and sustainable life in a dangerous world. A book not to be missed!" Dr Graeme Garrett, "The resurrection of Jesus Christ has been at the centre of Thorwald Lorenzen's theology, evidenced in his teaching and preaching. The truth of resurrection demands more evidence, however, and Lorenzen through his involvement in issues of human rights, justice, and ecology, testifies to faith in this mysterious and wondrous truth being not only something you accept but something you do." Professor Dr. Isam
Ballenger
The sermon called 'Claims of the Aborigines' was
preached by Rev. John Saunders on the 14th October 1838. Saunders
(1806-1859) was the second Baptist Minister in the colony of New
South Wales, arriving in December 1832 and resigning because of
ill health in 1847. Saunders' sermon shows us that, right
from the earliest stages of church thinking in Australia, there
was an awareness of the suffering of indigenous people as a result
of the colonising process. His passionate call for justice was
published , word-for-word, by the Sydney newspaper 'The
Colonist'.
"...In this the second of a series of booklets issued by the BWA's Study Commission on Human Rights the crucial issue of children's rights is explored. Within a relatively small booklet Thorwald Lorenzen has compiled an impressive array of statistics and other data. More importantly, he has challenged us all through the careful use of case studies to hang our heads in shame, as human beings, when we realize the enormous crimes being constantly waged against defenceless children. Our shame is compounded when we examine the clear evidence of Scripture presented that reinforces the truth we all sense that crimes against children grieve the heart of God. We are reminded of Jesus' words, "Whoever receives one such child in my name receives me" (Mark 9:37)..." Tony
Cupit
"...'freedom of religion'
describes the universal and inherent
human right according to which each
person, alone and in community with others,
may freely, publicly and responsibly exercise
his or her religious faith in all
dimensions of human existence without hindrance
and discrimination. As a human right,
religious liberty may be claimed and
must be granted. No government or
other institution should in any way
restrict this right. It is grounded in
God and in the inherent nature of the
human person."
Resurrection and Discipleship begins by describing and analysing four approaches to the resurrection, and theologians who may be said to typify them. Lorenzen calls these approaches the "traditional" (Carl F.H. Henry and Wolfhart Pannenberg); the "liberal" (Bultmann, Knox, Strauss, Paulus, Presch, and Griffin); the "evangelical" (Barth, Kunneth, and Schillebeeckx); and the "liberation" (Moltmann and Sobrino). The purpose of these models is to increase awareness of basic families of theological orientations as they arise in interpretations of the resurrection of Jesus. This sets the scene for discussing how the church has attempted throughout history to deal with the resurrection. In Part II Lorenzen turns to the New Testament narratives themselves and how the resurrection functions as the foundational event for Christianity. He addresses the novum character of the resurrection and the problems association with the language describing an "Act of God." Lorenzen further explores the appearances of the risen Christ, in the experience of the Holy Spirit through Easter and Pentecost, and in the empty tomb narratives. In Part III, he examines the nature and content of resurrection faith for contemporary Christian life and thought. Finally, in Part IV, Lorenzen outlines the nature and reality of the resurrection for understanding the nature of God, christology, soteriology, and for the nature and mission of the church. "This is a 'must' book for all who want to understand the heart of Christianity."E. Glenn Hinson, Baptist Theological Seminary "A very profound, reliable and at the same time independent and far-reaching essay on the two
fundamental questions of Christology today: the reality of the resurrection and the radical
discipleship of believers. An outstanding piece of a new, constructive theology." THORWALD
LORENZEN, formerly professor of biblical studies at the Baptist Theological
Seminary in Ruschlikon, Switzerland, is now pastor of Canberra Baptist Church in Australia.
Dear friends, For many of you the name Fred McMaster gives rise to good memories. He was a faithful minister of the gospel. He was a credible presence in Canberra. His friendship was enriching to many of us. It is good to be able to recall Fred's presence in our midst. This book of Fred's prayers was a project on which he worked right up to the days when he fell ill and died. I like the way in which Fred McMaster was able to feel himself into the life situation of different people. Read some (or all!) of the prayers. They are empathetic, encouraging and comforting. The prayers rise out of a deep experience that God is good. That behind the ambiguities of life, behind the mistakes of life, behind the things that happen to us and which we don't understand, there is a God who has a "heart", who "hears" and to whom we are - each one of us - important. Fred's prayers speak of a God who is concerned with all of life. There is not the artificial and non-Christian separation between the spiritual and the political. God stands with us in the kitchen when it all becomes too much. God goes with us to school where we can't cope or where we feel rejected. God graces our struggles with life and its challenges. The prayers also reveal a God for whom the little things in life become important. Nothing is too big, God is bigger, and nothing is too small, God is smaller. It is inviting to pray to such a God. The prayers of Fred McMaster are addressed to a God who can and who does make a difference. Avail yourself of a copy of Fred's prayers. For many they will bring back good memories. For others they will encourage you on life's journey. Children Lord Jesus, I have had a happy day. I have enjoyed learning and playing. I love my home and my family and all life's good and beautiful things. Be near boys and girls who are hungry and cold or sick and those who do not have a proper home like mine. Amen.Teenagers Father for the long history of our world and for mankind's long journey and search I give thanks. Help me to take a long view of life and to that end save me from impulsive actions that may spoil the future or limit my choices. Grant me patience, powers of concentration and perseverance, so that I may build a bright and useful future, in Christ's Name. Amen.Parents Father of humankind, you are greater than our thoughts about you, but we deeply desire to know you personally and to inwardly experience your forgiving grace and power to be different. We thank you, that in Jesus Christ this experience is possible, to all who trust him as Saviour and Lord. We have trusted him and together renew our faith and commitment. The life and ministry of Jesus touches us at our points of need because we know he has passed this way before us and experienced human life in its heights and depths. At the beginning of our day we lay hold once more upon him, by faith, and trust this day's outcomes to him, in whose name we pray. Amen.Family Prayers can be purchased for $ 6 from the Church Office,
A history of the Baptist Church in the ACT and the growth of the Canberra Baptist Church. Updated in 1989.
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