|
||
|
|
||
|
|
||
|
|
||
|
There has been little change in the membership of the Society, but we look forward to further interest, as more and more people realise the importance of discovering and remembering our Baptist heritage. Most of our members are of more mature years, and there is a need to inspire more of our young people to take an interest in our historical roots, as one way of reducing the pressure to follow the latest fads in church life and worship. Officers elected at the Annual meeting in November, 2006 were: President: Mr Eric Kopittke; Secretary/Treasurer: Dr Ken Smith; Publications Officer: Mrs Rosemary Kopittke. As part of our celebrations for 2009 we are in the process of compiling information about the work of Baptist women from Queensland. The general title for this will be "Women Who Made a Difference", and we hope that over the next year or so people will look forward to the next meeting about WWMD. Our initial meeting was held in September, and concentrated on women who had served in various capacities on the mission field. The research is being co-ordinated by David Parker, and it is anticipated that a book covering many aspects of the contribution made by women to Baptist life in Queensland will be published in 2008. One important area in which little progress has been made is arrangements for the long-term management and care of Baptist cemeteries. There are a number of these in Queensland, and they form an important part of our heritage. It is with pleasure that we note the appointment of Rev Dr David Parker as Executive Director of the World Evangelical Alliance Theological Commission. David was one of the founding members of the Baptist Historical Society of Queensland, as we were originally known, and served as Chairman for ten years. We wish God's blessing on him in this important role in the wider Christian community. There are still many areas of Baptist life and work in Queensland where a consolidated work would be helpful, and it is hoped that as we have celebrated the 150th anniversary of the opening of the first Baptist church in Queensland, more people will be encouraged to look to our heritage and unearth the many treasures which may be lying around in our many Churches, all too often forgotten and unappreciated. We need to continue to impress on people the importance of keeping accurate records of events, and preserving them in some permanent form, so that in the future people will be able to look back and be encouraged by our successes, as well as giving thought to reasons for any lack of success. As we move forward into a new year, we look forward to continuing the work of recording and analysing our history, so that, aware of what has gone on in the past, we may take note of our errors, and preserve and remember the good things, to the glory of our Lord. Ken Smith, Secretary |
||
|
Grace Hickson Official Baptist Union of Queensland Tribute 24 Jan 1980 Miss Grace Hickson "fell asleep" on Wednesday morning, 16th January, 1980 and so concluded an earthly life of just over 96 years. She was born at Forest Gate, Essex, England, on the 6th January, 1884, and was the youngest of a family of sixteen. At the age of 15 she was baptized by Rev. Archibald Brown, and became a member of the Chatsworth Baptist Church. She became an active worker, and taught in the Sunday School. In 1913 she joined the Baptist Missionary Society, and was
accepted for service in the Belgian Congo. There her health deteriorated
and she was invalided home in 1917, during the First World War.
The ship on which she travelled home was torpedoed in the Bay
of Biscay, and passengers and crew took to the life-boats. The
only loss of life was of some engineers who were killed by the
explosion. Retirement did not mean an end to active service. In 1952 at the age of 68 years, she offered her services in the Queensland Baptist Home Mission Office, where she laboured on a voluntary basis until 1970. She also acted as Minute Secretary for the Home Mission Committee. On arrival in Brisbane she became a member of the Nundah Baptist Church, but subsequently she and her sister transferred to the Clayfield Church, where both became actively involved in the work, even to the point of becoming deacons. Miss Hickson assisted in the playing of the organ, and was involved in the women's work. From 1955 to 1957 she served as State President of the Queensland Baptist Women's Union. At the end of 1970 the two sisters gave up their home and moved to "Pleasantville", a home for the aged conducted by the Blue Nursing Service. They became members of the Wynnum Baptist Church, and worshipped and served in the Lindum fellowship. Miss Hickson continued to maintain her contacts with the Baptist Missionary Society and the Chatsworth Church. She also gave consistent support to various missionary bodies, notably the Queensland Baptist Home Mission, the Australian Baptist Missionary Society, the Bible Society in Australia and the Leprosy Mission. She gave liberally from her meagre resources, as well as from the sale of her own handcrafts. Her health remained fairly good until the last two years of life, when it declined rapidly. To the end she remained alert, never complaining, thoughtful for others, and with frequent flashes of humour. |
||
|
|