RevWrites - April 26

The funeral service of former Archbishop of Sydney, Sir Marcus Loane, was held this week. Archbishop Loane was the first Australian-born archbishop of Sydney (1966-1982). Before that we imported them from overseas!

Marcus Loane had a remarkable ministry. He was a lecturer and then principal of Moore College. Although he had a speech impediment and learned to overcome it, it meant he had a distinctive voice that students and clergy regularly imitated.

The former Bishop of North Sydney, Paul Barnett, wrote:

Marcus Loane had an incredibly powerful influence on my life.  His lectures to my class at Moore College (in the early 60s) on the life of St Paul and the Life of Christ showed me the importance of the historical basis of our faith.

During World War II he served as a chaplain to Australian forces in New Guinea. Later in life, I think he was in his seventies, he returned to New Guinea and walked the Kokoda Trail.

Peter Jensen hails him as “one of the key architects of post-war Anglicanism in Sydney”, and a “remarkable leader who served both church and nation”.

Marcus Loane was a minister of the gospel of Christ. He was always concerned for the lost. He led the 1959 Billy Graham Crusade in Sydney. He was very active in ministry to people, visiting them and advising others, right up until he died at 97!

Marcus Loane demonstrates that God can do much through a person when that person is willing to actively and passionately pursue gospel ministry. It meant for Marcus giving up the pursuit of other things, like worldly wealth and worldly comfort and success. He and his family often went without things other families had.

His life also demonstrates that God can achieve much through a man when the man’s wife is totally committed to the same ministry. The commitment of Patricia Loane to the same gospel ministry enabled Marcus to pursue the extent of ministry he did.

One of the reasons that Sydney Anglicans are now such a great resource to other churches, like those in Africa and India(!), is because of the patterns established by Marcus Loane and those who have followed him.

They are models to many young people today. We need to pray for specific young people in our church who will pursue gospel ministry with the same determination. Who know? Maybe God is already raising up yet another Australian-born leader of God's people!

Neil