F. W. BOREHAM: A PRINCE OF PREACHERS
Excerpts about F W Boreham's era at the Hobart Baptist Tabernacle (1906-1916) in 'One Hundred Years of Witness: A History of the Hobart Baptist Church 1884 – 1984' by Laurence F. Rowston. Pages 31-33.
The anticipation of an event is often better than the realization of it. But as regards the new preacher at the Hobart Tabernacle, after a period of expectancy, the pleasure and satisfaction felt by members and adherents was very great indeed. Early in 1906, a communication was received from the Rev. C. Boyall of Caversham, New Zealand, strongly urging the church to open up negotiations with the Rev. Frank William Boreham, a man who was almost unknown and minister of a small village in New Zealand called Mosgiel. This was done and, finally, with much faith and not a little fear, he was called for twelve months. At the church meeting in April preceding Boreham's arrival, it was announced, amid applause, that J.T. Soundy had forwarded £20 to assist towards removal costs of the new minister.
Boreham was born of Anglican parents at Tunbridge Wells, in Kent in 1871. He was only in his teens when London drew him away to find employment. He early acquired facility in public speaking. In 1888 he underwent a spiritual experience in London which transformed his life, redirecting it into new channels. He preached his first sermon at seventeen at an open air meeting in Clapham, London. He was for a time associated, as a lay-helper, with the London City Mission; and he first preached in a pulpit at very short notice, taking the place of a Congregational minister in South London who was suddenly taken ill. In this same pulpit, Boreham ministered for several months. In 1892 - the year in which C.H. Spurgeon died - Boreham was received into the Pastor's College. He cherished the conviction that he was the last student whose admission to the College was decided upon by the revered founder himself. In 1894, when Thomas Spurgeon left New Zealand to take charge of the work at the Metropolitan Tabernacle, he was commissioned by the church at Mosgiel to send them a pastor. His choice fell upon this six-foot man of twenty-four, slim of build, with a drooping moustache and a kindly glint in his "very unusual eyes". His ordination took place at Mosgiel on 15th March, 1895. Settled there for ten years, he exercised a ministry marked by a high standard of preaching and unique pastoral insight into the simple lives of the weavers and farmers of the country neighbourhood.
As a result of his labours, the church grew in numbers and influence. During that time, he also commenced journalistic work that gave him entry to the inner circle of leading writers. Weekly contributions to local newspapers and monthly leaders for the New Zealand Baptist, of which he soon became editor, gave the practice necessary to develop a distinctive style of self-expression. With the passing of the years came the thrill of seeing his contributions being regularly reprinted in a religious journal in Australia. In 1903, he became President of the Baptist Union of New Zealand. During his last year there, he offered himself for election to the Licensing Bench. The Bench was elected on a popular basis, every person over the age of twenty-one enjoyed a vote. Boreham announced frankly that, if elected, he would exercise the power vested in him in such a way as to cancel as many licenses as possible. The election was hotly contested but Boreham and his supporters found themselves at the top of the poll; and, during the very last week of his long residence in the Dominion, he had the satisfaction of closing several public houses, and refusing a number of special licenses.
Boreham's advent to the ministry in Hobart coincided with an improvement in the economic condition of the State, and therefore the giving to the church, and the word that had come from Boyall proved good advice. From the outset, Boreham's preaching captivated the congregations. Before the end of the year, the deacons gave appreciative remarks of the ministry and the offer of a permanent situation was made and accepted. Boreham was a laborious worker and a great reader. He had a great acquaintance with literature - whether history, biography, poetry or science. What he read he remembered and he had the faculty for using his wide knowledge in explanation and application of the truth. His children's talks were entrancing to the youngsters, and no adult was too old to enjoy his stories and observe the morals attached to them. His "Once Upon a Time in the Land That Never Was," or "Once Upon a Time in the Land That Really was," captivated the children's attention, while such stories as come "Robinson Crusoe" and "White Fang" (to mention two) furnished quite a number of stories for "Boys and Girls, Girls and Boys," as he was wont to address them.
Since he possessed in no ordinary degree the gift of fluent speech, it was not surprising that the Hobart crowds soon began to throng his services. The ministers of the other denominations were no match. They were either rather old in their pastorates or of mediocre calibre and it was the habit of many to go in for sermon tasting. After his commencement, one could hear the sermontasters telling others of the wonderful sermons they heard at the Tabernacle on Sunday nights. Not surprising, there was nothing slipshod, everything was well done by Boreham. He never appeared in the pulpit or on the platform without a well prepared message which he delivered in well-chosen words with great freedom and often with the power of eloquence. His wizardry with words entranced his audiences. The winter evening addresses became a special feature of his work and the church building was repeatedly packed to its utmost capacity. The series titled, "Texts That Have Made History" was exceedingly attractive. They included Luther's, Bunyan's, Hugh Latimer's, Francis Xavier's, Livingstone's, Spurgeon's texts, and others. The resources of the officers were severely taxed to provide accommodation. Prior to the outbreak of war, there was a large attendance of young men. In connection with the war, it was Boreham's deep regret that, having used his eloquence to persuade them to serve King and country, he had the unpleasant task of calling at homes to tell of sons who would not return.
Boreham was probably the first minister in Hobart to make use of a notice board to advertise his sermon titles. The titles revealed Boreham's genius:
The Leaves that Litter the World: The Question of Inspiration. The Haunted House of Every Man: The Marvel of Myself. The Riddle of the Universe: The Puzzle of Evolution. Blood Stains and Teardrops: The Perplexity of Pain. The Trail of the Serpent: The Mystery of Temptation. The Cry from the Abyss: The Horror of Hell. The Soul's Awakening
The Phenomenon of Conversion. As early as April 1907, Boreham conducted meetings in the Town Hall following the evening service. In one such gathering Boreham illustrated by lantern a lecture on "The Land of the Moa and the Maori." The building was crowded and the proceeds of £11 were added to the Jubilee fund for the purchase of a manse. Besides preparing for his Sunday morning and evening services, he gave on Wednesday evenings a series which he called "Half Hours in Good Company." These were lectures on saints of all ages, including statesmen, philanthropists, preachers, missionaries, to whatever church they belonged. Boreham felt that the church and its ministry should be primarily spiritual, and should concern itself with the things that no accidents of time or events of the moment could possibly change. The church had but to mind her own business and her victory was assured. A good minister of Jesus Christ must be loyal to those sublime stupendities that constitute his message. The church must cling to the immutable and the immortal: “The things that were spiritual, and therefore deathless, must always be the distinguishing feature of her ministry. Her heart was in the ever-ever country. She worked for eternity. And, whenever she struck that majestic note with clearness and simplicity, all sorts and conditions of men paused to listen to the matchless music.” For himself that meant preaching and writing were to be his main concerns and he made the former the concern of a number of young men in the church by conducting a Preachers' Class for them.
Although Boreham had had published "The Whisper of God", a book of sermons, in 1902, it was in Hobart in 1911 that Boreham seriously took up the task which was to make him famous through the English speaking world. Encouraged by Harry Sidwell, and strengthened in the matter by F.W. Heritage and John Soundy, Boreham began his writings in book form. R. Morris of O.B.M's aided him with the publication. So began a unique ministry which was to influence a multitude of Christian homes all over the world. Few religious writers have been so widely accepted, and few so avidly read. This notable ministry of the pen continued with unabated energy and brilliance almost to the end of his days on earth.
He wrote a total of forty-seven volumes. In 1912, on the death of H.R. Nicholls, editor of "The Mercury", Boreham was asked by C.E. Davies, then managing director of Davies Brothers Limited, to write an occasional editorial. He agreed, and eventually it was arranged that he should contribute an article each week. This arrangement continued until his death. Week by week and year by year, the Saturday editorial column bore the stamp of Boreham’s delightful literary qualities - 2,500 editorials in all! Boreham was also the largest and most regular contributor to the Australian Baptist. From the very start, his articles struck a responsive chord in the hearts of the readers. At first, he contributed an article to every third issue, then one to every second issue and, finally, to the immense satisfaction of every reader, one every week. Wrote the Australian Baptist in June 1914: "Long may the Manse study at Hobart retain the philosopher's chair, the prophet's mantle, and the artist's pen of this new but true voice. And may his now many-thousand congregation be every year multiplied." But his phenomenal literary output was but a sideline to his real life's work, that of Christian ministry. For Boreham, after thirty year's ministry, the verdict was that "The minister might not make money - but he made men. The potter moulded men out of clay, the sculptor carved them out of marble, but the preacher was working in quivering flesh and human heart-blood all the time." His sporting interests lay in cricket, for he was one of the keenest observers of district matches, and a most regular attendant at the association ground. "One cannot," wrote the Mercury writer, "for many years past, remember visiting a match of any importance, without noticing the reverend gentleman amongst the spectators."
Other References to F W Boreham in the book
NEW BRANCH CHURCH AT MOONAH p34.
In December 1906, the proposed extension of work to the Moonah district, about four miles north of the city, was considered and a committee comprising Dr. Harry Benjafield, J.T. Soundy, F.W. Heritage (Church Treasurer) and David Williams (Church Secretary) was formed to explore the matter. The church soon purchased a block of land for £40 and a neat brick building, having a seating capacity for 200 persons and costing in excess of £600, was erected in 1908 by David Williams' company. J.T. Soundy laid the foundation stone. "Following the opening of the church building in June 1908, Raymond Farrer became student pastor until Boreham had secured a graduate from the Spurgeon College to be his assistant and pastor the church. A.L. Leeder was chosen and he was ordained in Hobart by Boreham on his arrival in December. Harry Sidwell became Secretary of the young fellowship. Leeder exercised a short ministry and was followed in October 1910 by the Rev. H.E. Saunders. Shortly J.S.A. Worboys, son of the Rev. J. Worboys, became assistant minister for a year until his acceptance as a student at the Pastor's College, London. In September 1916, the Rev. A. Butler accepted the call of the fellowship. Nine years of fruitful ministry followed. The church was finally formed on 30th August, 1917, with the transfer of thirty-seven members. They were formally and happily dismissed from the Hobart Tabernacle on 20th August.
APPRECIATIONS page 35
In 1913, the church membership rose from 284 to 294 - twenty-six additions had been made. The net increase of only ten was due to a strict roll revision. The steady increase continued. Despite another strict revision of the roll in 1915, the membership had risen to 320. In response, very appreciative references to Boreham's ministry were made almost yearly by the officers of the church. In 1912, Boreham had received a unanimous call from one of the largest churches in Christchurch, New Zealand. The response of the Hobart deacons was immediate. It "was our bounden duty to do all that we possibly could to keep Mr. Boreham with us, not only for this church, but for Hobart, Tasmania, and the Commonwealth." His stipend was also raised. Boreham's rise to fame had been rapid, and he was beginning to hold a large place in the world of letters as a religious essayist. He had lifted the church into the front rank of Baptist churches in Australia, and won for it a leading place amongst the churches in Tasmania. No wonder the officers were anxious to retain him.
BOREHAM'S RESIGNATION page 35.
In April 1916, Boreham tendered his resignation. In response the Church recorded: “That the Church, having heard Mr. Boreham, accepts his resignation with the deepest regret, and desires to express its heartiest appreciation of the ten years' service Mr. Boreham has rendered, not only to the Church, but to every department of Christian work in the city. During his ministry the membership has increased from 180 to 320, a branch church has been built at Moonah at a cost of about £700, the Sunday school room has been remodelled and added to at a cost of over £600, and a piece of land has been acquired as a site for a Manse. The Church wishes to record how highly it values the unstinted and ungrudging devotion of Mr. Boreham to every phase of the Church work. He has been unequalled as a preacher, and unexcelled as a pastor. He has never hesitated to serve even beyond the limit of his strength. The Church sincerely hopes that his abilities will find the highest scope in his new sphere of work, and prays that the highest success may always be the result of his labours.” Boreham's personality, as well as his preaching, had also made a marked impact on the other churches in Hobart. It woke up the other denominations to the fact that Hobart was in need of a better type of preacher and so, by the time of his resignation, more capable men were beginning to fill the pulpits. With the termination of his ministry, the 'floating part' of the congregation, which had been attracted by him and his type of preaching, disappeared, probably to resume sermon tasting elsewhere.
ARMADALE AND BEYOND pages 35-36
Boreham's wide acquaintance with literature, his versatility of Scripture exposition, his love of everything beautiful, his facility of speech, his winsomeness and charming manner led to constantly increased congregations and many additions to the membership of the Armadale Church. In 1927, Boreham went to America for an extensive preaching and lecturing tour, and while there the McMaster Baptist University of Toronto conferred on him the degree of Doctor of Divinity, in recognition of his outstanding qualities as preacher and author. The Armadale Church rejoiced that their minister was so deservedly honoured, but their joy was lessened by the fact that Dr. Boreham would not resume his pastorate on his return. A notable ministry of twelve years thus ended. It would prove his final pastorate, thus fulfilling an early wish. When he had left the Pastor's College back in 1894, he expressed the hope that he would not have more than three pastorates. In 1936, the Moderator of the Church of Scotland, Dr. Daniel Lamont, welcomed him to the platform of its General Assembly as "the man whose name is on all our lips, whose books are on all our shelves and whose illustrations are in all our sermons." In 1954, Her Majesty, Queen Elizabeth, conferred upon him the order of Officer of the British Empire. But such honours never turned the head of the man whose books were bought by more than a million people. In all these things, he remained a humble servant of Christ and a beloved friend of those who came to know him. Although always unflinchingly loyal to his Baptist convictions, Dr. Boreham was ecumenical in his outlook.
Writing of his ministry since he resigned from the pastorate of the Armadale Church in 1928, he could say, "During these years I have preached an almost exactly equal number of times in the pulpits of the various denominations and have felt equally at home in each. Indeed, I have liked to think of myself as a kind of shuttle, moving to and fro between the Churches and, perhaps, binding them a little closer together," and added that he had preached the same sermons everywhere with equal acceptance. In 1936, the Minister and Session of Scots Church, Melbourne, invited Dr. Boreham to conduct a midday service for business people each Wednesday, and for eighteen years except for a brief break at Christmas, those services became one of Melbourne's best known institutions. Earth said farewell to this great preacher, author and lecturer on 27th May, 1959. Dr. Boreham had given his talents primarily to his Master that the Kingdom might come and the Will of God be done on earth as in heaven. Hobart read with regret of his death, but that regret was mingled with thankfulness, thankfulness for what he had achieved among them in those earlier years, and what he had achieved in the ensuing years.
FOLLOWING BOREHAM pages 35-36
The Rev. Archibald Geikie Brown, a gifted preacher of seventy-two years, occupied the pulpit of the Hobart Tabernacle for six months in 1916. He was on his second visit to Hobart to see his son who owned a farm at Old Beach, just north of the city. He worshipped at the Tabernacle and was invited to preach immediately following the leaving of Boreham. The offer was first accepted for a three month term…..
REV. E. HERBERT HOBDAY It was during the Interim Pastorate of the Rev. Archibald G. Brown that the church decided to call the Rev. E. Herbert Hobday. In all the names that had come forward, his name was the only one which had been considered seriously by the church officers. Boreham, who was present at Hobday's induction on 5th November, 1916, confessed that he had a tear in one eye and a twinkle in the other. In handing the ministry over to Hobday, he felt that he was handing over the most precious gift that God had ever given him.
OPENING OF THE MANSE page 40
The twenty-fifth anniversary of the church was celebrated in September 1909. The target for the celebration was the provision of a new manse. This target was not achieved until ten years later. In July 1910, £400 was paid for a site at the corner of High (now Tasma) Street and Church Street, North Hobart, commanding a view of the river Derwent, the Domain and Mount Wellington. An old dwelling stood on the block. Boreham's lectures at the Town Hall had raised funds. Finally on 22nd March, 1919, the newly erected brick dwelling of six rooms was officially opened. The total cost was £1600 and Thomas Bennett, who had acted free of charge as Architect and Supervisor at the Baptist Church at Moonah and who had also supervised the recent additions to the Sunday school room, had been a valuable help.
JUBILEE CELEBRATIONS page 54
The Jubilee celebrations of the church were held in April 1934. Dr. Boreham occupied the pulpit during the month. The Revs. Raymond Farrer and Eric Burleigh also took part in the "back to the church" effort. The most striking thing of the celebrations was the fact that there were present three of the original members of the church in J.T. Soundy and his wife, Elizabeth, and Clara Haywood (nee Pitt). Alongside of these were also present two officers, Joseph George Greenland and Samuel Theophilus Burleigh, who had served under every minister of the church. At the great Sunday school demonstration, in attendance were one of the first teachers and actually the first scholar enrolled in the school. They were sisters Clara Haywood and Emmily Joyce, both of Burnie.
HONOURING HIS PREDECESSOR page 89
In 1906, after eight years in pastorate of the Hobart church, Blaikie accepted a call at a Castlemaine Baptist Church but was soon to die, on 2 January 1907. A thanksgiving service was held at Hobart with the pulpit was draped in black cloth and appropriate hymns sung. At the close of the service the "Dead March" from "Saul" was played. The new minister, the Rev. F. W. Boreham preached an impressive sermon. He likened Blaikie to the patriarch Enoch who had "walked with God".
LESSONS FOR TODAY FROM THE HOBART BAPTIST CHURCH 100 YEARS AGO pages 91-94
The Rev. Frank William Boreham, a man who was almost previously unknown was in his fifth year at the Hobart Baptist church. He had transferred from a small village in New Zealand called Mosgiel. Boreham's advent to the ministry in Hobart in 1906 coincided with an improvement in the economic condition of the State, but he was coming to a church with deep divisions. David Enticott who has completed a Master of arts Degree on Boreham, titled, “Finding His Voice”, says that Boreham found a church that was more focused on itself and their internal battles than on the wider community. There had been a recent rift in the congregation over the lining in of the dome. When the newly installed ceiling to the dome did not improve the acoustic quality of the building Joshua T Soundy and two other deacons resigned in protest. In August 1905 five new Deacons were elected and Pastor James Blaikie soon left. At the time Hobart Baptist was a community prone to criticising its ministers and further there existed an environment where to bring in any new form of thinking or theology was to express doubt. But from the outset, even though Boreham had retiring personality, his preaching captivated the congregations. Before the end of his first year, the deacons gave appreciative remarks of the ministry and the offer of a permanent situation was made and accepted. Boreham was a laborious worker and a great reader. His sermons were an imaginative blend of influences such as photography, writing, a love of literature, a creative approach to evangelism, education and biography. What he read he remembered and he had the faculty for using his wide knowledge in explanation and application of the truth. Enticott says that Boreham did not share such a reactive or overly cautious faith. His theology was not radical, but instead he valued a rational and intelligent approach to matters of belief and religion. He held that the mind was as valid a way of discovering God as was the Bible and that the intellect could be a vital source of divine revelation. What is more, Boreham was not a strict literalist when it came to Biblical interpretation as were earlier ministers, Robert McCullough and James Blaikie. He preferred to find different meanings in a passage rather than pursue narrow understandings. Enticott adds that Boreham was even open to the work of the German Higher Critics, and was open to new ways of understanding the Bible. He believed that an unthinking, misguided allegiance to the Bible was just as mistaken as an unthinking, misguided allegiance to the church. The first was the mistake of the Protestant, the latter of the Roman Catholic. It was the wording and the creativity of his messages, rather than his theology, that were radical at Hobart. This was to be a vital determinant of his ongoing success as a minister and a key reason for his acceptance by a conservative congregation. His children's talks were entrancing to the youngsters, and no adult was too old to enjoy his stories and observe the morals attached to them. His "Once Upon a Time in the Land That Never Was," or "Once Upon a Time in the Land That Really was", captivated the children's attention, while such stories as "Robinson Crusoe" and "White Fang" (to mention two) furnished quite a number of stories for "Boys and Girls, Girls and Boys," as he addressed them. The conductor for the 1911 Sunday school anniversary that year was J. G. (Jimmy) McLeod, our Margaret Hart’s father.
Since he possessed in no ordinary degree the gift of fluent speech, it was not surprising that the Hobart crowds soon began to throng his services. The ministers of the other denominations were no match. They were either rather old in their pastorates or of mediocre calibre and it was the habit of many to go in for sermon tasting. After his commencement, one could hear the sermontasters telling others of the wonderful sermons they heard at the Tabernacle on Sunday nights. Not surprising, there was nothing slipshod, everything was well done by Boreham. He never appeared in the pulpit or on the platform without a well prepared message which he delivered in well-chosen words with great freedom and often with the power of eloquence. His wizardry with words entranced his audiences. The winter evening addresses became a special feature of his work and the church building was repeatedly packed to its utmost capacity. The 1911 he began a series titled, "Texts That Have Made History". They included Luther's, Bunyan's, Hugh Latimer's, Francis Xavier's, Livingstone's, Spurgeon's texts, and others. . Enticott notes that in the end “Texts that Made History” extended to more than one hundred messages over five years. His sermon titles revealed Boreham's genius:
The Leaves that Litter the World: The Question of Inspiration.
The Haunted House of Every Man: The Marvel of Myself.
The Riddle of the Universe: The Puzzle of Evolution.
Blood Stains and Teardrops: The Perplexity of Pain.
The Trail of the Serpent: The Mystery of Temptation.
The Cry from the Abyss: The Horror of Hell.
The Soul's Awakening: The Phenomenon of Conversion.
Beaten in Battle, but Winning in War.
The possibility of mourning at one's own funeral Enticott explains “The Haunted House of Every Man”: He unfolded his topic slowly, starting with fables and fairy tales of haunted houses. The aim was to unlock the imagination of his listeners. These haunted houses were symbols of a universe where much happened that could not be understood. Places such as the towering Mount Wellington held untold memories. He then introduced the concept of the brain as a haunted house. A quote was included from Bill Sykes in Charles Dickens’ Oliver Twist. Boreham had taken his listeners on a journey and crept up on God like someone nervously wandering through a haunted house. His apologetic strategy was clever and well thought out.
He was in constant demand as a visiting speaker, whether it be at the Congregational or Methodist churches or the Friends' High School half-yearly gathering. In 1911 as secretary of the Council of Churches he noted, “There was no city in the world where it was more delightful to live and work than Hobart, with its fine Christian spirit between the churches.” On Wednesday nights at the Tabernacle he gave lectures on such characters as Richard Baxter, John Hampden, Dr. Chalmers, Francis Xavier, Bishop John Coloridge Patterson, "Half an hour with C. H. Spurgeon". These lectures were reproduced in the Mercury.
During Boreham’s time at Hobart the membership went from 180 to 320. This was in stark contrast to Baptist patterns across Tasmania. In 1912 the Annual Meeting of the Tasmanian Baptist Union spoke about the lack of conversions and in light of this an hour was spent asking God to bring more people into the churches. The growth of his church afforded Boreham with space to be creative, adds Enticott. Boreham was born of Anglican parents at Tunbridge Wells, in Kent in 1871. He early acquired facility in public speaking. He preached his first sermon at seventeen at an open air meeting in London. In 1892 he was received into Spurgeon’s College. His ordination took place at Mosgiel on 15 March 1895. In New Zealand he commenced journalistic work supplying weekly contributions to local newspapers and monthly leaders for the New Zealand Baptist, of which he soon became editor. With the passing of the years came the thrill of seeing his contributions being regularly reprinted in a religious journal in Australia. Although Boreham had had published "The Whisper of God", a book of sermons, in 1902, it was in Hobart in 1911 that he seriously took up the task which was to make him famous through the English speaking world - publishing his writings in book form. In 1911 he had published the book, "George Augustus Selwyn, D. D. Pioneer Bishop of New Zealand. Few religious writers in the following years were so avidly read. In 1912 Boreham was asked to write an occasional editorial for the Mercury. He agreed, and eventually it was arranged that he should contribute an article each week. This arrangement continued until his death. Week by week and year by year, the Saturday editorial column bore the stamp of Boreham’s delightful literary qualities - 2,500 editorials in all!
Lessons for Today One: As a church and congregation we have the possibility of making a great contribution just in the way we treat our ministers. If the Hobart Baptist Church had not plucked its minister from relative obscurity in a small New Zealand town in 1906, who knows how the story of F.W. Boreham’s preaching and life would have been written? Two: Although how interesting is this study of Boreham’s time in Hobart, settled church life is now a thing of the past - life and church life has changed. Let me illustrate: from 1936 to 1953 Boreham preached regularly on Wednesdays at midday for city workers at Scots Church on the corner of Russell and Collins Streets in Melbourne. On one occasion Hobart-born J D Williams, who had grown up in our church, introduced himself to Boreham at the end of one of the services. Williams’ grandfather was Boreham’s church secretary in Hobart. In their conversation they moved to the state of the Christian church in Australia, a subject near to the hearts of both of them. “You know what?” commented Boreham with most likely a note of regret, “They don’t even come to hear me these days!” Boreham and Williams were seeing the Church as an institution to which outsiders must come in order to receive a certain product, namely, the gospel and all its associated benefits. But the church of the future can no longer depend on the “attractional model” but on its members personally engaged in reaching the “lost” of their communities with the Good News of Jesus. We can no longer operate on the principle that pastors and staff are only those who build the Church. This is what “Liquid” and “Missional” churches are all about.
At our church Spurgeon College man, the Rev. Edward Herbert Hobday, was in his final year. The church had changed considerably from its early days. The “Bible only” Baptists had been replaced by a more socially respectable congregation. The previous pastorate under the Rev. F.W. Boreham had brought this about. As we saw in the previous article – Lessons for Today from our Church 100 Years Ago - Boreham did not share a reactive or overly cautious faith. His theology was not radical, but instead he valued a rational and intelligent approach to matters of belief and religion. What is more, Boreham was not a strict literalist when it came to Biblical interpretation as were earlier ministers, Robert McCullough and James Blaikie. He preferred to find different meanings in a passage rather than pursue narrow understandings and the Hobart crowds thronged his services with the membership rising from 180 to 320. But Hobday was as different from Boreham as Boreham from McCullough and Blaikie even though Hobday had something very importantly in common with Boreham: he was an orator of some note. Hobday was also a social activist imbued with the Social Gospel thinking of the time which sought to inspire Christians to strive to bring all society as well as the individual into conformity with the teachings of Jesus.
BOREHAM RETURNS page 99
In September 1931 the Rev. F. W. Boreham visited for four weeks and enjoyed a civic welcome at the Town hall. Each week in the capital he preached at the Tabernacle. In November the Rev. C. J. Tinsley, of Stanmore, Sydney, conducted an evangelistic mission for a week.
Link to the online book: https://tinyurl.com/thtne4dd