The South Australian Council of Churches was a body of leaders from the evangelical Christian churches of the Australian colony or state of South Australia. It was formed to present a unified front to influence public discourse and government policy, and also served to increase communication and cooperation between rival churches with similar aims and philosophies. This article traces the history of the council through a list of its presidents and, to a lesser extent, its secretaries, who through being eligible for reelection, provided stability and continuity of service.
History 1896 James Viner Smith (died 1916) Henry James Holden secretary 1898 Robert Smith Casely James Gray was elected secretary. 1900 Dr James Jefferis Charles Eaton Taplin (1857–1927), secretary 1900–1906 1901, 1903 Rev. John Garrard Raws (died 1929) 1903 A. C. Sutherland 1905 William Jeffries 1906 Rev. S. Lenton 1907 A. N. Marshall W. Penry Jones elected secretary 1908 George Davidson James Delehanty (died 1920) was secretary 1908–1917 1909 W. A. Langsford (died 1930) 1910 E. Ashby In 1910 the State Conference of the Churches of Christ, which was not associated with the Council, decided it was in their interest to send delegates to meetings. 1910 Joseph Coles Kirby 1911 M. L. Murphy 1912 James E. Thomas, pastor of the Grote Street church; also Victoria, Western Australia. Council was reorganised, details yet to find 1913 Dr George Davidson Port Pirie Council of Churches was founded 1914 1914 T. B. Robson 1915 George Hall 1916 the Baptist Union withdrew from the Council of Churches 1917 J. Ernest James F. W. Norwood appointed secretary Council was reorganised to have four members each from each of Methodist, Presbyterian. Congregation, Baptist, Churches of Christ, Salvation Army, and Society of Friends; two from each to continue in following year. 1918 Donald McNicol Leslie W. Baker elected secretary 1919 John Alfred Seymour J. E. Cresswell sec. 1919–1922 or later 1920 T. Gettes White 1921 Thomas Hagger (Church of Christ) left for WA 1922 G. Rayner 1923 J. A. Seymour; left for Canada 1923 Corley Butler 1924 T. Vigis 1925 E. M. Hall 1926 J. R. Wilton F. G. Harvey secretary 1929 A. C. Weber E. J. Stacy secretary 1932 W. Hawke 1933 S. Carroll Myers 1934 H. R. Taylor He pleaded with airman C. J. Melrose not to make his triumphant return on a Sunday. B. E. C. Tuck secretary 1936 A. C. Stevens 1937 Gordon Rowe 1938 James Anderson 1941 A. Bungey Theo Edwards, secretary 1945 C. J. Brimlecombe refrained from criticising use of atomic bomb. 1946 J. E. Shipway E. H. Woollacott secretary 1948 Edward S. Kiek J. E. Shepherd secretary 1948–1950 1949 E. H. Woollacott 1941 A Bungey 1945 L. J. Schmidt 1950 Brig. F. L. Inglis 1951 1952 1953 A. Muriel W. G. Clarke was elected secretary
See also Notable delegates not mentioned above Edward Lucas (Australian politician) Jeffrey Driver George Taplin John Raymond Wilton
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