Earnest Christian HINRICHSEN

HINRICHSEN, EARNEST CHRISTIAN (b. West Morton district, Qld, 23 May 1900; d. Caringbah, NSW, 23 April 1956). Churches of Christ evangelist.

Hinrichsen's grandparents were Danish immigrants and he was given the name 'Christian' in memory of the Danish king. As a young man he became deeply committed to Christ and was convinced that Churches of Christ best exemplified the theology and practices of the New Testament Church. Hinrichsen studied at the Churches of Christ College of the Bible in Melbourne. In 1920 he was appointed Victorian state evangelist by the Victorian Conference of Churches of Christ.

Hinrichsen, who spent his life evangelising, has been described as 'the most spectacular and consistently successful evangelist in Australian Churches of Christ over a longer period than anyone else'. In the course of a thirty five year ministry, which took him around Australia and to the United States, Britain and New Zealand, 30 000 made commitments under his preaching.

Hinrichsen missions were often organised in areas where there were only a handful of members meeting in a private home. During the mission, between 100 and 200 'decisions for Christ' would be made, which were followed by baptisms, a building would be erected and a fulltime minister placed in charge of a church large enough to be self-supporting. Since Hinrichsen's appeal would have been reduced because he called for the immersion of repentant believers, his success was outstanding particularly before the era of television and multi-media publicity.

Hinrichsen was involved in promoting the development of a Bible College in NSW which would provide Sydney churches with student ministers and which would safeguard and promote the conservative, restorationist traditions of Churches of Christ. A property was purchased at Woolwich, in Sydney, and the college was operational at the beginning of 1942. Hinrichsen served on the original College Committee, helped raise funds for the project and for several years chaired the College Board of Management.

G Chapman, One Lord, One Faith, One Baptism: A History of Churches of Christ in Australia(Melbourne, 1979); Woolwich Bible College Magazine: E C Hinrichsen Memorial Edition (Sydney, 1956)

GRAEME CHAPMAN