David Amos EWERS

EWERS, DAVID AMOS (b. Enfield, SA, 28 April 1853; d. Adelaide, SA, 22 Sept 1915). Preacher, organiser and writer in Churches of Christ in Australia.

Ewers' parents migrated from Danbury, in Essex and settled in Adelaide, where David, one of seven children, was born. D A Ewers committed his life to Christ and was baptised at the age of 14 at the Grote St Church of Christ by the American Disciple evangelist H S Earl (q.v.). As a young man at Mt Gambier he was encouraged to emphasise his preaching gifts. His first sermon was about the Lord's second coming, his first gospel message was entitled 'What Must I do to be Saved?'.

Ewers successfully combined the business of wheelwright with a vigorous evangelistic ministry at Kingston (SE). His messages were notable for their strong and sound doctrine and also for the warmth, wit and practical analogies which seasoned his timely utterances.

In 1878 he married Emily Redman who proved to be a great preacher's wife, supporting and encouraging him in every thing. Together they raised four sons and a daughter in a warm Christian environment. Their son Will Ewers became a full-time minister of the gospel and Rob and John Ewers were prominent church leaders. Two of their grandchildren entered the ministry and others have been prominent laymen.

After a brief ministry at Two Wells and Reeves Plains in SA, D A Ewers moved to Murtoa, Vic and again entered into business as a wheelwright. Here again his pioneering Christian spirit manifested itself and he commenced a church in Murtoa which became the mother church of that district. His literary work began while at Murtoa. A series of articles entitled 'Chips from a Wheelwright's Block' appeared in the Australian Christian Witness and another 'Sparks from the Forge' in the Christian Pioneer. These were the beginnings of an influential literary and editorial career.

When the pioneer evangelist Stephen Cheek (q.v.) died in Queensland in 1883, the message came to Victoria 'Send for Sparks' and Ewers went north to continue the work Cheek had commenced in April 1883. Five years were spent in Queensland; many churches were planted and a large number of people led to faith and obedience to the Lord Jesus Christ.

A great believer in the value of the written word he revived Cheek's Christian Pioneer. In 1888, soon after returning to Vic, he began publishing the Pioneer as the first weekly paper among the Churches of Christ in Australia. In 1898 the Pioneer merged with the Australian Christian Standard to become the Australian Christian in which Ewers wrote 'editorial notes'.

In Vic he served ministries at Shepparton, Williamstown, Hawthorn and Doncaster. NSW was next to benefit by his influence when he went to Petersham in 1897. Here he exercised a highly successful ministry before increasing ill-health from asthma caused his resignation in 1901.

After a brief period of recuperation in SA he accepted a call to the Lake St church Perth, WA for a successful five-year ministry during which he built up the local congregation and contributed notably to state wide activity as tent missioner, committee member and Conference President.

A brief ministry in Adelaide in 1906 was followed by another in North Sydney before he returned to his home state of SA in 1908 to organise the church at Mile End where he stayed for six years, building the congregation from 40 to 200. In 1914 he was organising secretary in SA when due largely to the chronic asthma which had plagued him all his life, he died. His outstanding ability as an organiser had led to his appointment to numerous Conference committees as secretary to many of them and as conference president in several states. Outside Churches of Christ he was prominent in Christian Endeavour and temperance movements.

It is probably his literary work more than anything else which made his name a household word in the churches. As editor of, and long-term contributor to the Australian Christian and its predecessors he helped to mould the thinking of several generations. Above all he was a friendly, cheerful, humorous, warm and encouraging person, loved and respected throughout Australia for himself as well as for his achievements.

Gordon A Ewers, A Century of Worship and Witness (Perth, nd)

GORDON A EWERS