John BURGESS

BURGESS, JOHN (b. Laurencekirk, Scotland, 1 June 1855, d. Hurstville, NSW, 29 Aug 1929). Minister of the Presbyterian Church of Australia.

John Burgess trained for the ministry of the Free Church of Scotland, graduating MA Aberdeen. He was a divinity student of the Free Church college, Aberdeen, and was licensed June 1881 by the Presbytery of Arbroath. He married Jane (Jeannie) Milne at Bankhead on 23 Aug 1881. The infant congregation of Rocky Mouth, now Maclean, NSW, advanced £100 to bring them out. He was ordained and inducted Dec 1882. He was next called to Kiama 1890, Marrickville 1905 and retired to Hurstville 1924. Their family of nine included seven sons.

Burgess was moderator of the General Assembly, Presbyterian Church of NSW, 1898; clerk of Assembly 1906-1924; DD St Andrews 1910. He saw clearly the need for constructive Biblical writing at all levels of the Church's life and work and was foremost in facing the indifferentism, liberalism and radicalism which were abroad. His strategy began with the home. 'To make Scriptural teaching effective ... the sympathetic cooperation of the home is essential. The knowledge of God's Word is one of the covenant rights of our children' (Preface to New Testament Lessons for use in Schools and Colleges, vol. 1, 1911). Three such handy texts were written, all models of sound teaching method. He published Notes on the Shorter Catechism and earned the thanks of Dr Alexander Whyte. In 1928 Angus and Robertson published The Protestant Faith Contrasted with the Roman Catholic Faith, 'characteristic of his evangelical confidence, his clearness of thought, accurate scholarship, sane judgement and charitable heart' (General Assembly Memorial Minute) ...'The Church has lost one of the most trusted leaders ... it ever possessed' (the same).

J GRAHAM MILLER