[Oe List ...] The completed life of Jim BIshop

[Judi White]

Remembering Jim Bishop w deep gratitude for his bold adventure in renewing
the historical church. What stands out strongly was his insistance we focus
on "the human factor" iin our work in the world. I will be forever grateful
for the one and only healing conversation we had, just before our return to
the states. Isobel and Jim were just returning to Australia. We grieve
peacefully with you, Isobel, family, and colleagues. His smile continues in
my heart. Judi White

On Wed, Jan 17, 2024, 5:55 PM Jonathan Barker via OE <
oe at lists.wedgeblade.net> wrote:

> TO COLLEAGUES OF THE ORDER ECUMENICAL – THE COMPLETED LIFE OF JIM BISHOP
>
>
>
> Isobel has asked us to pass on news of Jim’s death which occurred on
> Sunday 14th January at the grand old age of 94. We express our heartfelt
> condolences to Isobel and the family. We anticipate a memorable
> thanksgiving event to celebrate Jim’s completed life. Look for further
> details regarding live streaming of the service at Pitt Street Uniting
> Church, Sydney on Thursday 25 January at 11.30am (Eastern Australian time).
>
>
>
> Jim’s passing reminds us of a remarkable period in Australian church
> history. Jim played a significant role in what became known as the
> “movement” associated with the Ecumenical Institute.  Jim, a Presbyterian
> minister attended the two-week national conference organised by Australian
> Frontier (an organisation established by the Australian Council of
> Churches) held at Wesley College Sydney in January 1967. Joe and Lyn
> Mathews together with Frank and Aimee Hilliard presented a dazzling diet of
> Ecumenical Institute courses. Frontier’s Director, Peter Mathews later
> admitted how amazed but nervous he was with what came out of that event!
>
>
>
> Jim together with the Rev Ron Denham who also attended the Frontier
> conference initiated an association of Sydney inner city clergy who
> collaborated with others around Australia to invite Joe back to Australia
> for a return visit in October 1967. The International RS-1 was taught in
> many locations across the country and culminated in a gathering at Otford
> when a national organisation was established to “renew the church for the
> sake of the world”.
>
>
>
> The EI movement in Australia expanded and flourished across the continent
> in 1968 and a new kind of corporate leadership emerged. The quarterly
> meetings of the Praesidium (representatives of cadres across Australia
> attended at their own expense) required a basic polity.  Jim played the
> role of “first among equals” which required him to gingerly negotiate with
> other strong personalities particularly among the Sydney team. The team
> assigned to Australia in 1968 from Chicago (Fred and Sarah Buss together
> with Don Clark) greatly appreciated that their housing in Sydney was
> provided by the Bishop and other families.
>
>
>
> At the urging of Chicago, the first Sydney Religious House was established
> in late 1969 utilising premises provided by St John’s Presbyterian Church
> in Paddington where Jim was the minister. Jim and Isobel were appointed
> priors and while sharing that role, it was Jim who came up with most of the
> ideas as to how things were best done. Given Jim’s individualistic streak
> we marvel that he was able to gradually adapt to the corporate insights of
> his colleagues.
>
>
>
> At the Frontier conference Jim exemplified an Australian reluctance to
> automatically accept all that was being presented without interrogating
> things first. Joe Mathews had to get used to parrying Jim’s frequent sharp
> questions. Scepticism however gradually gave way to admiration and Jim
> earned Joe’s respect (particularly when it was revealed that both were well
> acquainted with the theology of H. Richard Niebuhr).  We also remember the
> consternation Jim caused at the Global Assembly in Chicago in 1969 when he
> insisted that Australian priorities had to be also considered if the Order
> was to be truly global. Jim exhibited the necessary cussedness required to
> be heard.
>
>
>
> While Jim and Isobel and their family took up assignments in several
> global locations, many of us in Australia will especially remember Jim as
> “one of us”. Like other former Order members from Australia, he returned to
> serve in the historic church but doing so having interiorised the
> radicality of RS-1, the profound insights of order religious life and the
> unique methods which had shaped us all. For instance, Jim with Isobel for a
> time served in Whyalla, South Australia a city where EI had already left
> its mark. When we moved to Bondi Beach in 1996 (Jonathan became minister of
> the “Chapel By the Sea”) the ground had been well prepared by Jim as he had
> acted as the interim minister prior to arrival. Jim then went on to serve
> in a most significant ministry as a Prison Chaplain.
>
>
>
> We pay tribute to Jim as the unique, unrepeatable gift that he was to
> history and especially to all of us who knew and loved him. VALE JAMES
> TREGARTHEN BISHOP – good and faithful servant – well done.
>
>
>
> JONATHAN AND JANEEN BARKER
>
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>
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