Published three times per annum

Qld Baptist Forum No. 40 July 1998

Toowong Baptist Church was full for the launch of the latest BHSQ book at the Annual Celebration of Baptist Heritage held there on Saturday July 18. More than 100 people had earlier enjoyed a Chinese dinner catered by the church. A large number of these were members of the Brooks and Hiron families, the main focus of the event. Toowong Church was the Brooks’ family home church, where several members of the family had given devoted service in earlier years. The pulpit is a memorial to Mr Edgar Brooks.

Special attention was given to Rev. A.H. Brooks, Home Mission Superintendent 1948-57, President of the Union 1941 and 1953, and pastor of Windsor Road and Maryborough churches in Queensland. Reminiscences by members of the family and other acquaintances were the main feature of the program at the meal session. The earliest memory was given by Rev. Cyril Baldwin, veteran ABMS Missionary, who was his room mate at the Baptist College of Victoria in the early 1920s!

The book, Vision and Courage: Rev. A.H. Brooks and His Family Heritage, was launched during the program that followed. This 36 page book, well illustrated with family and church photos, was written by John Brooks, second son of Rev. A.H. Brooks and published by the BHSQ. In launching the book, President of the Society, Mr Eric Kopittke, spoke about his excitement in reading of the successful ministry of Mr Brooks.

A panel of five former Home Missionaries discussed Mr Brooks’ leadership of the Home Mission. They were joined by Ruth Elfverson, daughter of Mr Brooks, who had served as minute secretary for several years. The panel was moderated by Dr David Parker. The evening concluded with an inspirational address by Mr Ormond Porter, a former pastor of Windsor Road Baptist Church. After describing some of the remarkable qualities and contributions of the Brooks and Hiron families, he traced the source of their Christian character and commitment to the grace of God, in terms of the verse, "By the grace of God I am what I am." (1 Cor 15:10)

Research on the first Baptist minister in Queensland, Rev. Charles Stewart, by Dr David Parker has been completed and published under the title, Strange Bedfellows" Rev. Charles Stewart, Brisbane’s First Baptist Minister and the United Evangelical Church. The 80 page book is available from the Baptist Historical Society at a cost of $12 plus $2.20 p + p.

It gives details of church life in Moreton Bay in the period leading up to the arrival in 1849 of Dr John Dunmore Lang’s immigration ships, the Fortitude, Chaseley and Lima. Stewart had been selected by Lang as chaplain on the Fortitude and then upon arrival became the minister of the church composed of Baptists, Presbyterians and Congregationalists. Although Stewart’s important pioneering role has been known and recognized, this is the first time that details of his life and ministry have been published. Stewart’s ministry from 1849-54 was a key factor in Protestant life during this formative period in the life of Brisbane; he was also actively involved in Ipswich, laying the foundations for a united church there as well. His church laid the foundation for the emergence of the three denominations after his departure from the colony early in 1855. The complex details of this development are fully explained in Dr Parker’s work.

Dr Parker used local documents, such as newspaper, government and church records, but in addition made extensive use of correspondence between Stewart and the minister of the Bathurst St Baptist Church in Sydney, and correspondence between Stewart and Lang. He also drew upon many English and Scottish documents and sources of information.

Plans are underway to mark the 150th anniversary of Stewart’s arrival and the work of the Lang immigrants with a suitable function in 1999. Details will be announced as they come to hand.

by Rev. W. Higlett

Reproduced from the Queensland Baptist, Sept 1899

REV. ERNEST ALBERT KIRWOOD, the newly appointed pastor of " Jireh" Church, Valley, is a native of the colony of Victoria, having been born at Buninyong in 1868. He received the ordinary State School education with some extra subjects added. At the age of fourteen he was converted through a mission held by Messrs. Harrison and Isaacs in the Aberdeen Street Baptist Church, Geelong; of which church his parents were members, and in which he himself had been brought up. There, too, he was subsequently baptised and received into fellowship by Rev. J. S. Harrison.

He soon engaged in Sunday School work and eventually became superintendent of one of the branch schools. A mutual improvement class afforded opportunity to exercise his gifts of public speech, and being fond of music he joined and presently became leader of the choir at Aberdeen Street. Public preaching commenced in connection with the Preachers' Association of the church, and Mr. Kirwood for some time held the position of secretary to the Society. Under the advice of Rev. A. W. Webb, then pastor of the church, he applied to the Victorian Baptist College and was admitted in 1891. He successfully passed through a four years' course, taking prizes yearly, and gaining the sermon prize three years out of the four.

For twelve months he served the church at Lilydale as student preacher, but the wish of the church to retain him as pastor was not feasible, and in 1895 he went to Oxley as agent of the Victorian Home Mission. (It may be mentioned in passing that he here had as colleague Rev. W. Ottaway, who has just accepted invitation to our church at Bundaberg). After a year at Oxley, Mr. Kirwood became pastor of the church at Maldon, concerning which the president of the Victorian Union writes that it was "sustained under somewhat difficult circumstances."

Being recommended to the friends at "Jireh", arrangements were made by which he visited Queensland and preached at "Jireh" for five Sundays, the result being a unanimous invitation to the pastorate, where we trust he may have a long and successful ministry.

EDITOR’S NOTE - Mr Kirwood’s ministry was "long and successful." After a four year pastorate at Jireh, he moved to Grange Road Baptist Church, Auckland NZ, largely because of family health problems. (He was the fourth Queenslander to make the journey across the Tasman!) He served there for eleven years and returned to Melbourne, for two years at South Yarra Church and then as Superintendent of the Melbourne City Mission for four more years. In 1922 he answered a call to the Ipswich Church, but then moved on to Clayfield the following year for a lengthy pastorate of twenty three years.

When he had been in Queensland at first, he was secretary of Educational and Credentials Committee of the Baptist Association. When this committee gave way to the Queensland Baptist College, he strongly supported the new institution. Upon his return to Queensland in 1921, he became a regular tutor of the College and for five years in the 1930s was its chairman. He also edited the Queensland Baptist for fourteen years 1925-39. He died on 30 Sept 1954 at the age of 84 years and 10 months.