Reginald Charles Michel LONG

LONG, REGINALD CHARLES MICHEL (REX) (b. North Carlton, Vic, 26 Feb 1887; d. Sydney, NSW, 28 April 1958). Anglican clergyman and missionary administrator.

Rex Long was the eldest son of Charles R Long, a prominent educationist in Victoria. Educated at the University High School Melbourne 1900-07 and Melbourne University (BA 1923), he became a government schoolteacher, which stood him in good stead in his later life as a clergyman and Bible teacher.

Converted under the ministry of H S Begbie (q.v.) at St Mary's, North Melbourne, he was ordained deacon 1912 and priested 1911 by the bp of Bendigo and served in his diocese at Cohuna, before moving to Fairfield (1913-18) and North Melbourne (1918-28) in the diocese of Melbourne. During his early years in Melbourne he came under the influence of A R Ebbs (q.v.) the Victorian CMS secretary, and he and his wife developed a lifelong interest in missionary work, especially that among the Aborigines of North Australia.

Long exercised an outstanding ministry as general secretary of the Victorian CMS (1928-37), reorganising the branch, and forming the League of Youth, which led a number of members, such as Alfred Stanway (q.v.), to offer for missionary service. He moved to Sydney in 1937, where he had notable ministries at Chatswood (1937-41), the strategic centre of Wollongong (1941-49) and Gladesville (1949-55), in each place becoming well-known as an outstanding Bible teacher. A number of young people in these places offered for the ministry or for mission work through his ministry. He was rural dean of Wollongong 1941-49, rural dean of Ryde 1952-5, and examining chaplain to the abp of Sydney, 1944-57. On retirement in 1955 he became an assistant at Pymble, 1955-7. The Australian Church Record of 29 May 1958 stated that he was 'a valiant soldier of Jesus Christ, bright, patient and courageous right to the end'.

Rex Long married Mabel Mountjoy, and they had three children, Aidan, who died in a Japanese POW camp at Amboina during World War Two, Naomi and Lois who married the Rev Rex Meyer.

Keith Cole, A History of the Church Missionary Society of Australia (Melbourne, 1971); Margaret Lamb, Stuart Piggin and Susan Radkovic, Treasures in Earthen Vessels: a history of St Michael's Cathedral, Wollongong (1984)

KEITH COLE