Frederick William George HALL

HALL, FREDERICK WILLIAM GEORGE (b. Lowestoft, England, 9 April 1893; d. Albury, NSW, 12 June 1987). Evangelist.

Hall was converted in his teenage years. After service in the British army in World War One he went to America to study at the Bible Institute of Los Angeles. From there he was invited to Melbourne by the Evangelisation Society of Australia where he worked as an evangelist in open air meetings, railway workshops, factories, race courses, and churches.

In 1927 he, with Len Buck (q.v.), asked Rev C H Nash (q.v.) to begin a City Business Men's Bible Class. This met weekly and had a profound, far reaching effect, out of that class came virtually all of the evangelical leadership in Melbourne for a generation. It also gave impetus to Campaigners for Christ which began at a prayer meeting in Len Buck's Showrooms in the city. Hall thereafter worked primarily with Campaigners. During World War Two Campaigners began the service organisation for servicemen Everyman's; Hall worked in this venture in Darwin, Bonegilla, and Ravenshoe.

After the war he became pastor of Mayland Baptist Church in Perth, and was ordained by that church. He served there for a lively six years and had a large influence on Perth evangelicals. In 1951 he was invited to become pastor of Manly Baptist Church (Sydney). He was somewhat diffident about going; socially Manly was more exclusive than his previous experience, and he only served there two years.

He then pastored Balmoral Baptist and Sutherland Congregational churches before retiring to Albury. Hall was married twice and had two adopted daughters. Hall had a rugged and warm personality which appealed especially to men. He was fiery but had a sense of humour. He was a man of prayer, and a very effective evangelist rather than a pastor; though he influenced many on a one to one basis.

DARRELL PAPROTH