Alan Walker (theologian)
Encyclopedia
Sir Alan Walker OBE
(4 June 1911 – 29 January 2003) was an Australia
n Christian minister, theologian and evangelist
.
Walker was:
In 1986, Walker was awarded the World Methodist Peace Award and, in 1997, was one of the 100 people named as an Australian Living Treasure
.
Walker was married to Lady Winifred Walker (1916-2006) and they had four children. Lynette overcame hearing difficulties to marry and have a daughter. Bruce became a parish minister, most notably at Broadwater Road Uniting Church in Brisbane. David became a psychologist and practiced as a staff counsellor at Westmead Hospital. Christopher became a minister and is currently the National Consultant for Theology and Discipleship in the Uniting Church. All three sons earned Master of Divinity
degrees at Garrett Theological Seminary
in Chicago. Christopher went on to earn a PhD
at the Claremont School of Theology
(affiliated with Claremont Graduate University
) in Los Angeles supervised by the process theologian John B. Cobb
.
Order of the British Empire
The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire is an order of chivalry established on 4 June 1917 by George V of the United Kingdom. The Order comprises five classes in civil and military divisions...
(4 June 1911 – 29 January 2003) was an Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
n Christian minister, theologian and evangelist
Evangelism
Evangelism refers to the practice of relaying information about a particular set of beliefs to others who do not hold those beliefs. The term is often used in reference to Christianity....
.
Walker was:
- involved in the formation of the World Council of ChurchesWorld Council of ChurchesThe World Council of Churches is a worldwide fellowship of 349 global, regional and sub-regional, national and local churches seeking unity, a common witness and Christian service. It is a Christian ecumenical organization that is based in the Ecumenical Centre in Geneva, Switzerland...
- Superintendent of the MethodistMethodismMethodism is a movement of Protestant Christianity represented by a number of denominations and organizations, claiming a total of approximately seventy million adherents worldwide. The movement traces its roots to John Wesley's evangelistic revival movement within Anglicanism. His younger brother...
(later Uniting Church in AustraliaUniting Church in AustraliaThe Uniting Church in Australia was formed on 22 June 1977 when many congregations of the Methodist Church of Australasia, the Presbyterian Church of Australia and the Congregational Union of Australia came together under the Basis of Union....
) Wesley MissionWesley MissionWesley Mission is a name used by several Uniting Church congregations which are a part the Uniting Missions Network of UnitingCare Australia. Wesley Missions grew out of the inner city missions of the pre-union Methodist Church of Australasia...
, Pitt Street, SydneySydneySydney is the most populous city in Australia and the state capital of New South Wales. Sydney is located on Australia's south-east coast of the Tasman Sea. As of June 2010, the greater metropolitan area had an approximate population of 4.6 million people...
, 1958–1978 and one of the founders of the National Christian Youth ConventionNational Christian Youth ConventionThe National Christian Youth Convention is a national week long conference for people aged 16-30 years held by the Uniting Church in Australia every second January. It is held in a different Australian city each time in the long summer school and university holidays. It attracts over 1,500...
(NCYC) in 1955 and LifelineLifeline (Counselling service)Lifeline is a free, 24 hour telephone counselling service in Australia. Volunteer counsellors provide suicide prevention, crisis support and mental health services via telephone. This service can be accessed by calling 13 11 14 within Australia....
in 1963 - first world director of evangelism for the World Methodist CouncilWorld Methodist CouncilThe World Methodist Council, founded in 1881, is an association of churches in the Methodist tradition which comprises most of the world's Wesleyan denominations.- Extension and organization:...
, 1978 to 1988 - involved in founding the World Methodist Evangelism Institute (located at the United Methodist-related Candler School of TheologyCandler School of TheologyCandler School of Theology, Emory University, is one of 13 seminaries of the United Methodist Church. Founded in 1914, the school was named after Warren Akin Candler, a former President and Chancellor of Emory University and a Bishop of the Methodist Episcopal Church, South...
at Emory UniversityEmory UniversityEmory University is a private research university in metropolitan Atlanta, located in the Druid Hills section of unincorporated DeKalb County, Georgia, United States. The university was founded as Emory College in 1836 in Oxford, Georgia by a small group of Methodists and was named in honor of...
in Atlanta, 1982. - Principal of the Pacific College of Evangelism, now the Alan Walker College of Evangelism, in Sydney, 1982–1995.
In 1986, Walker was awarded the World Methodist Peace Award and, in 1997, was one of the 100 people named as an Australian Living Treasure
Australian Living Treasures
Australian Living Treasures are people who have been nominated by the National Trust of Australia. The first list of 100 Living Treasures was published in 1997....
.
Walker was married to Lady Winifred Walker (1916-2006) and they had four children. Lynette overcame hearing difficulties to marry and have a daughter. Bruce became a parish minister, most notably at Broadwater Road Uniting Church in Brisbane. David became a psychologist and practiced as a staff counsellor at Westmead Hospital. Christopher became a minister and is currently the National Consultant for Theology and Discipleship in the Uniting Church. All three sons earned Master of Divinity
Master of Divinity
In the academic study of theology, the Master of Divinity is the first professional degree of the pastoral profession in North America...
degrees at Garrett Theological Seminary
Garrett-Evangelical Theological Seminary
Garrett–Evangelical Theological Seminary is a graduate school of theology of the United Methodist Church located in Evanston, Illinois. Founded in 1853, Garrett-Evangelical is on the campus of Northwestern University and continues many associations with the university...
in Chicago. Christopher went on to earn a PhD
PHD
PHD may refer to:*Ph.D., a doctorate of philosophy*Ph.D. , a 1980s British group*PHD finger, a protein sequence*PHD Mountain Software, an outdoor clothing and equipment company*PhD Docbook renderer, an XML renderer...
at the Claremont School of Theology
Claremont School of Theology
Claremont School of Theology is a graduate school located in Claremont, California, offering Master of Art, Masters of Divinity, Doctorate of Ministry and Ph.D...
(affiliated with Claremont Graduate University
Claremont Graduate University
Claremont Graduate University is a private, all-graduate research university located in Claremont, California, a city east of downtown Los Angeles...
) in Los Angeles supervised by the process theologian John B. Cobb
John B. Cobb
John B. Cobb, Jr. is an American United Methodist theologian who played a crucial role in the development of process theology. He integrated Alfred North Whitehead's metaphysics into Christianity, and applied it to issues of social justice.-Biography:John Cobb was born in Kobe, Japan in 1925 to...
.
External links
- Alan Walker College of Evangelism
- Sir Alan Walker, World Methodist evangelist, dies at 91, World Faith Network
- Alan Walker Remembered, ABC Radio International's The Religion Report
- Alan Walker: A Many-Faceted Man Of God, John Mark Ministries
- 'A Study in Word and Deed' (Harold Henderson's eulogy for the Reverend Sir Alan Walker, Wesley Centre, Sydney, 11 February 2003)