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

Sat Jan 20 07:46:45 PST 2024

Thanks, Barkers, for these words, especially, "Jim exhibited the necessary cussedness required to be heard."  Looking back, I often imagine a sort of rosy glow around our history, now, at a distance.  Cussedness was an important ingredient in that past.  There was lots of risk and lots of hard pushing and "things not fitting easily with one another . . . nevertheless . . . So thanks for all of this and for our reality as actual human beings and the efforts involved in gluing together our community long enough to make (some) difference for the church and for the world  . . . and for each other . . . and for the persons and communities and organizations touched.
Now here is a question -- As I recall Jim and Isobel  I have many images of stern looks on Jim's face, and being a bit at attention in his/their presence (though, Isobel, your presence always seemed more "gracious" . . )  I don't recall Jim ever being mean or bitter or angry -- maybe i missed that meeting??  That disciplined cussedness he maintained is a gift to remember!
Jim Wiegel  

Theunknown is what is.  And to be frightened of it is what sends everybodyscurrying around chasing dreams, illusions, wars, peace, love, hate, allthat.  Unknown is what is.  Accept that it's unknown, and it's plainsailing.    John Lennon

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    On Wednesday, January 17, 2024 at 03:55:14 PM MST, 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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