Victor Henry GOLDNEY

GOLDNEY, VICTOR HENRY (b. Erith, SA, 21 June 1891; d. Adelaide, SA, 14 Jan 1972). Methodist minister.

Born on a farm at Balaklava (one of eleven children), Vic Goldney moved with his family to a small haymaking farm at Pooraka in 1894. He attended Northfield Primary School and then worked as a farm hand and builder's labourer. Converted in 1906, he was nurtured in the CE movement and preaching band. In 1911 he enrolled in Dr Torr's Training Home at Brighton (dux 1914). His theological education was interrupted by a two year appointment as a pioneer home missionary at Wynarka.

Goldney enlisted with the 32nd Bn AIF in 1915. During war service the young machine gunner became more convinced of the lifechanging nature of evangelical faith which he never lost. Wounded, he returned to Australia in Dec 1917 and was ordained in the Methodist Church on 3 March 1920.

Vic married Minnie Jane Lockier in 1920. After her death he married Elizabeth Maude McDonald. Seven children resulted from these marriages. His first appointment was as an open air evangelist amongst the holidaymakers at Port Macdonnell. Then he was stationed in eleven circuits from 1918-60, most notably Alberton 1945-49 when hundreds were converted. During 1924-27 he pioneered the North West Mission, a vast area of station country north of Port Augusta —the largest circuit then worked by one man in Australia.

His devotional life was marked by prayer and Bible study, giving impetus to his evangelical faith. This along with gifted preaching facilitated significant numerical growth and increased giving in all his appointments. Goldney supported denominational activities particularly the Young People's Department, Home and Overseas Missions, and the Chapman-Alexander Bible Institute. He was chairman of a District in 1933. He received little recognition from the hierarchy and sometimes significant hostility because of his evangelical stance. In spite of this he remained a loyal Methodist and always exercised a quiet and forgiving spirit.

Goldney was a leader of evangelical thought and action in SA particularly in the post-war period. During that time there was increasing polarisation between 'evangelical' and 'liberal' schools of thought, when being 'evangelical' was often equated with lack of social concern and theological ignorance and superstition. He emphasised that the ministry of the Word should be pre-eminent in church life and that every convert should gain an overview of Scripture. Committed to personal scholarship, he read widely and was influential in encouraging the evangelical movement in SA to link with evangelical scholarship in Australia and overseas. Alarmed by the inroads of liberal theology, Goldney realised the need for an evangelical Bible college in SA and helped establish the Adelaide Bible Institute (now BCSA) in its residential form in 1948, being chairman from 1951-61 and part time lecturer from 1937-71.

He served on many inter-denominational committees and was chairman/president of 12 such groups. These included CIM/OMF in Australia, the Adelaide Keswick Convention, the Evangelical Alliance, OAC, SSEM and Youth for Christ. As well he encouraged local churches and evangelicals to he involved in teaching and outreach ministries using gifted evangelists and teachers from Australia and overseas. Also he personally led many missions in most mainstream denominations.

The legacy left by V H Goldney continues today through acceptance of evangelical scholarship and viewpoints as a legitimate expression of Christian faith; hundreds of converts to personal faith and discipleship in many denominations, and many influenced to full time Christian ministries (lay and ordained).

D V Goldney, Life of V. H. Goldney (unpublished: held by authors)

DONALD V & DAVID C GOLDNEY AND MARGARET A MANN