Rex Collis MATHIAS

MATHIAS, REX COLLIS (b. Maldon, Vic, 8 Jan 1907, d. 7 April 1986). Methodist minister.

Educated in Victorian state schools and Wesley College, Rex Mathias was a journalist with the Herald and the Melbourne Argus before entering Queen's College, Melbourne to train for the ministry. Graduating MA (1934), Dip R Ed (1937), and ordained in 1936, in 1937 was staff tutor at Westhill Training College, England. Returning to Vic, he spent much of his ministry in educational posts, at the Young People's Department, as chaplain of Wesley College (1940-44), first director of the Council for Christian Education in Schools (1944-46), founding director of the Methodist Federal Board of Education for Australasia and co-director and editor of the Joint Board of Graded Lessons in Australia and New Zealand (1946-64). He was first chairman of the Australian Religious Film Society (1946-64), a weekly participant on the 'Voice of Methodism' platform on the Yarra Bank Forum (1946-61) and national secretary to the Methodist Mission to the Nation and colleague to the Missioner (1953-56). Mathias was superintendent of the Methodist National Memorial Church, Canberra (1965-69) and of Wesley Church, Geelong (1970-75), secretary of the Victoria and Tasmania Conference (1961-62), president (1962-63), secretary-general of the Methodist Church of Australasia (1969-72) and president-general (1972-75).

Rex Mathias was a great encourager and strengthener, and a skilled writer and communicator. These capacities and his openness, generosity and transparent honesty allowed him to reach out to and exert a strong influence upon people within and without the church. It was in this quiet way that his evangelical ministry was primarily exercised. In his long ministry on the Yarra Bank, and the briefer but highly influential work in Canberra during the Vietnam War, he added a great work for peace to that of personal evangelism.

Synod of Victoria, Minutes of Tenth Synod, October 1986; Age, April 1986; Diary of the Rev Alan Walker

DON WRIGHT