Pastor led way on many fronts

BISHOP

12-7-1937 29-1-2011

THE right reverend Dr John Wilson, a significant figure in the Anglican Church in Australia whose wide-ranging influence as an academic theologian continued as bishop of the vast diocese of Melbourne's southern region for nearly 22 years, has died of cancer at his home in Berwick. He was 73.

In addition to his duties as a pastor, he was an author and scholar, and a driving force behind Acorn Press as well as the Melbourne Anglican Foundation.

Before his consecration as regional bishop by Archbishop David Penman in 1985, Wilson had been the lecturer in Old Testament at Ridley College in Parkville from 1973.

He was chairman of Korowa Anglican Girls School Council for 16 years and his many other roles over the years ranged from chairman of the board of sponsors of Anglicare Dixon House in Clayton, to work with the Melbourne Anglican Foundation.

At the foundation he helped raise funds especially for work among children, youth and families, as well as for hospital chaplaincies, and to assist refugees.

Wilson's last office before he retired in 2007 was to serve as administrator of the Anglican Church in the interim between Archbishop Peter Watson's retirement and the appointment of Archbishop Philip Freier in December 2006.

Born in Sydney to Walter and Norma, who had moved to Australia from New Zealand, Wilson grew up with his younger sisters Elizabeth and Julie in the Manly area.

He was educated at local primary and high schools, and his enterprising streak once landed him in trouble. Like other youngsters who enjoyed the delights of Manly's famous wharf, young Wilson would dive for pennies tossed into the water by visitors. It was an activity banned by his father, and on this day he was treading water and called to a figure on the wharf, "throw a penny, mister". The figure turned out to be his father. He was busted.

A good student, Wilson declined a scholarship to Sydney University to train as a teacher at the Bathurst Teachers College, and the Australian School of Pacific Administration he wanted to be an education officer in the then territory of Papua and New Guinea.

It was there, while living for three years in isolated and primitive conditions at Lae, Manus Island and Tapini that he had many adventures. He also found his calling to the church while attending the Bible Society centre in Port Moresby.

One of the eulogists at his funeral service, Archdeacon Emeritus Peter Smart, recalled an occasion at Tapini when his friend was stumped: he agreed to a young man on his staff naming his new son after him and when he met the man and his wife some time later walking with the baby, he inquired "So, this in young John?". "Oh, no," came the reply, "this is Mr Wilson".

On his return to Australia Wilson entered Ridley College to study theology simultaneously completing a degree by correspondence from London University and was ordained at Armidale in New South Wales in 1963. The same year he married Jill (nee Brady), who taught deaf people, and continued as a tutor at the Parkville college for about six months.

He moved to parish duties at Armidale for four years, then on to Narrabri, and the tiny mining town of Tingha, before a scholarship took him (and Jill) to Yale University in the United States. Yet another scholarship followed to Duke University in North Carolina, where he completed his PhD in theology. By then he was competent in seven languages, including Aramaic.

Wilson returned to Ridley as a lecturer in the Old Testament and Hebrew from 1973 to 1985, and maintained parish life as assistant curate at St Michael's, North Carlton, and later, St James' Old Cathedral.

A voracious reader, he was also instrumental in setting up the college's bookshop at that time, and with the Christian publishing business in decline in Australia, he set up Acorn Press to fill the void. Moreover, he was an instigator of the Australian Christian Book of the Year Awards.

More recently he had turned his energies to Islamic studies and published Christianity alongside Islam. A further work, The Old Testament on the Way to the Cross is to be released soon.

In 1993 he helped to bring the catholic Cursillo movement to Melbourne from the diocese of Gippsland, and for 10 years to 2003 he acted as the episcopal overseer of Melbourne Cursillo.

Wilson strongly supported overseas mission and aid programs, and was a member of the federal council of the Church Missionary Society of Australia. In 1989, the diocese of central Tanganyika invited him and Jill to spend a month in Tanzania, and in 2004 they were a part of a study team that spent a month in southern India and Sri Lanka, including the war-torn northern parts of the island nation.

An avid stamp collector, he also loved games, puzzles and a good joke, and enjoyed such shows as The West Wing on television, as well as old films. He also had a feel for classical music and art.

Wilson is survived by his wife Jill, daughters Susan and Jenny, their husbands Joe and Andrew, grandchildren Emma and Jack, and his sisters Elizabeth and Julie.