Frank Arnold MARSH

MARSH, FRANK (ARNOLD) (b. Adelaide, SA, 22 Nov 1897; d. Melbourne, Vic, 1 July 1976). Baptist mission administrator.

The son of English immigrants, Marsh was converted and joined the Finsbury Park Baptist Church, SA, as a teenager. An application for missionary service was rejected on health grounds and Marsh trained for home ministry in the Baptist College of Victoria. He m. Frieda Uebergang in March 1925.

Indifferent health hampered his early work, but on recovering he had successful pastorates in Victoria. Plans for further study for college lecturing were abandoned when he accepted appointment as general secretary of the Australian Baptist Foreign Mission (ABFM) in 1934. Marsh guided the mission through difficult times. The 1930s depression forced staff reductions and cuts in allowances. Under his leadership the mission was freed of debt. During World War Two Marsh, as chairman of the National Missionary Council, was missions' liaison officer on the Naval Board, which arranged all overseas passages for missionaries. After the war the ABFM accepted responsibility for missionary work in Assam and for a new work in PNG commenced by NSW Baptists. Independence and partition in India caused great problems by splitting Australian Baptist missionary work between India and Pakistan (later mainly Bangladesh). In all these issues Marsh won great respect for his care of staff and his dignified statesmanship. In 1950 the Australian Department of External Affairs appointed him adviser to the Australian delegation to the UN General Assembly. He retired in 1958.

In 1959-62 Marsh was president general of the Baptist Union of Australia and, as such, was a member of a mission of fellowship to USSR. For two years (1962-64) he was comptroller of the new Hong Kong Baptist College until ill-health forced his return to Australia.

Marsh was one of the most admired, respected and trusted of Australian Baptist leaders.

J A Redman (ed) Mission Accomplished (Melbourne, nd)

GERALD B BALL