Arthur William Smith STEPHENSON

STEPHENSON, ARTHUR WILLIAM SMITH (b. North Fremantle, WA, 18 Feb 1900; d. Sydney, NSW, 3 March 1988). Churches of Christ minister, editor, college principal.

Nurtured in the faith by his parents, Arthur Stephenson gave his life to Christ at 12 and at 21 entered the College of the Bible at Glen Iris in Melbourne to train for the Churches of Christ ministry. Graduating in 1924, Stephenson took up the ministry at Christchurch, New Zealand, where he remained two years and where he was married to Ella Winch. He returned to Melbourne, where he prepared for matriculation while preaching part-time at Burnley and Camberwell. In 1928, the year he accepted the full-time ministry at Parkdale, he enrolled in Arts in the University of Melbourne (MA 1933). During the latter years of his ministry at Parkdale, and during A R Main's absence overseas, he lectured at the College of the Bible in church history.

After six years at Parkdale, Stephenson accepted the ministry at Hampton, at the same time becoming joint editor of the 'Austral Graded Lessons', material produced for Sunday schools. In 1941, when Main relinquished editorship of the Australian Christian, the federal journal of Churches of Christ, Stephenson was appointed editor. When T H Scambler (q.v.), who replaced Main as principal of the College, died in 1944, Stephenson was approached to lecture in Apologetics.

A college for training ministers had been established in Sydney in 1942. A R Main was brought out of retirement to inaugurate the venture. He was succeeded by H J Paterson. When Paterson retired in 1950, Stephenson succeeded and remained in the position until he retired in 1969. Following his retirement he took up part-time ministries Burwood, Lane Cove, Chatswood and North Turramurra.

Stephenson wrote extensively on the history of the Churches of Christ. His publications include a book on the early history in Australia and New Zealand, a history of Churches of Christ in NSW and numerous biographies published under the auspices of the Historical Society and the Literature Committee of Churches of Christ. He also edited a centenary history of Churches of Christ in Australia in 1946. Stephenson, a man of irenic temperament who was committed to the ecumenical stance of Churches of Christ, was involved with representatives of other protestant communions in dialogue with the Roman Catholic Church.

G Chapman, One Lord, One Faith, One Baptism: A History of Churches of Christ in Australia(Melbourne, 1979); G Chapman, 'A W Stephenson', The Digest of the Australian Churches of Christ Historical Society 98, 99

GRAEME CHAPMAN