Who was Arthur Stace? Part 2

The Reverend John G. Ridley, M.C. Arthur Stace was โ€œborn again,โ€ as he would have described his experience, on 6 August 1930 at an evangelistic service at St Barnabasโ€™ Church on Broadway, Sydney. He soon began attending the Burton Street Baptist Tabernacle where Rev. John G. Ridley (1896-1976) was a regular preacher. Ridley himself was …

Why am I here? Thoughts on vocation

Pastor Rick Warren of Saddleback Church, discussing his book, The Purpose Driven Life. I work at the Donald Robinson Library, the centrepiece of Sydneyโ€™s Moore Theological College. Near the front doors to the Library is a glass-wrapped display case that often shows rare items from the Samuel Marsden Archives, another hidden jewel of the Anglican …

Publications and talks of Rod Benson

A list of most of my publications and public addresses as at 17 October 2024. Transcripts of my sermons are available here. Publications Books Here We Stand: NSW Baptists and Contemporary Social Issues (second edition; Glebe, NSW: Baptist Union of NSW, 2004). Book chapters โ€œโ€˜Extracurricular activitiesโ€™: The ecumenical service of Deaconess Margaret Rodgers AM,โ€ in Erin …

A short history of the NSW Baptist Social Issues Committee

An address to the Baptist Historical Society of NSW by Rev. Rod Benson, 4 November 2010. Part of the large crowd gathered to listen to Prime Minister Kevin Rudd's historic apology speech to members of the Stolen Generations in Canberra, 14 February 2008. Introduction The year is 1968, the year of my birth. There are …

Church traditions and the creeds (2)

Inaugural Assembly of the Uniting Church of Australia at Sydney Town Hall, June 1977. Historically, Baptists have affirmed the ecumenical creeds as normative in terms of doctrinal congruence with Scripture but have also emphasised liberty of conscience regarding all matters of faith and conduct. Generally, Baptist denominations and associations have been reluctant to impose creeds …