The Rev. Dr. Geoffrey Blackburn (‘Geoff’ as we affectionately call him) has had a long, fortunate life. Among Australian Baptists, he would be among the four ‘most admired’ (alongside Principal G.H. Morling, F. W. Boreham, and Dr. Noel Vose).

Geoff has just (self-) published his memoirs – ‘Beyond Imagining: 65 Years of Christian Ministry’ (from the text ‘Eye has not seen, nor ear heard, neither has entered into the heart of man (sic.), the things which God has prepared for them that love him’ (1 Corinthians 2:9).

You wonder how Geoff has fitted so much into one life. Like Caleb, he’s lost none of his youthful enthusiasm and vigor: in his 80s he’s still going strong. Geoff has enjoyed the esteem and respect of every group he’s been part of. He’s been President-General of the Baptist Union of Australia, Vice-President of the Baptist World Alliance (and speaker on at least one occasion at a BWA plenary session) and President of the Baptist Union of Victoria. He has been honored with the OAM – the Medal of the Order of Australia – plus Rotary, Ethnic Baptist churches ‘awards’ etc. etc.

This book is not a ‘critical history’ of the Baptists. It’s to be read as memoirs. Geoff is constitutionally unable to utter a ‘discouraging word’ (reminds me of the Scottish preacher of whom it was said ‘All his geese were swans’). He’s a modern Nathaniel, in whom there is no guile. There’s very little about the ferment of great theological ideas, or clashes of people or groups within the Baptist denomination. (It’s interesting to note the people with whom he worked – Superintendents of the Baptist Union of Victoria, Baptist College principal/s – even the great F.W. Boreham – who hardly get a mention). The only two negatives I can recall are his criticism of the time pastoral students (used to) spend learning Greek and Hebrew (p.52), and his gentle rebuke of the narrowness of conservative Baptists who won’t agree to serious ‘fellowshipping’ with Christians of other denominations. (‘I wish Australian Baptists were not so isolationist…’ Let’s be bridge- not fence-builders, he urges).

Geoff’s had a fortunate life, but not an easy one. As a young pastor he rode his bicycle in all weathers to visit his flock. The immobilizing, painful arthritic condition of his first wife Edna, and the serious accident suffered by his current wife, Jessie, in Russia, were enough to ‘knock the stuffing’ out of a lesser man.

He has enjoyed a diversity of ministries – ‘home missionary’ in rural churches, State youth director, padre in the War, editor of Baptist Sunday School materials, full-time and part-time ministries in suburban and city churches, and faithful service on many Baptist committees… Geoff has traveled extensively, and has an amazing memory (or good diaries) for places, names and events. His memory for names (for example, of children to older people at Syndal), has been legendary…

As a young pastor of the neighboring church to Geoff’s in the 1970s (he was at Syndal when I was pastoring what was then Blackburn Baptist Church) , I used to be amazed that he would turn up when I led seminars on this and that… What could I teach him? But he’s always been a teachable man. He has two earned doctorates – the first, a Ph.D. on the early church’s catechetical methods, the second, a Doctor of Ministry, completed at Fuller Seminary in his 70s, on ethnic ministries. (Interestingly, Geoff adjusted an overseas schedule to attend his graduation from Fuller; I was in the U.S. speaking at a conference, and couldn’t be bothered going to Pasadena to collect mine!).

I have always appreciated Geoff’s gentle wisdom. When a ‘call’ came for me to leave Blackburn and move to a ministry in Canada, Geoff was the person I immediately consulted.

Now if you wanted to be ‘picky’ you might be critical of some editing oversights. Geoff repeats himself occasionally (three times we learn that 100 million people lost their lives in World War 2, twice we are told that as a 12-year-old he with his Sunday School friends he raised money for bricks for the Canberra Baptist Church). But this was all hand-written, then typed: at the book’s launch Geoff confessed to his antipathy towards computers!

Some things you wonder about. Like: how could anyone (at Syndal Baptist Church) vote _against_ a man like this when considering him to be their pastor? Jan and I were members at Heathmont Baptist Church when Geoff was a part-time member of the pastoral team: and they let him go!

This book ought to be compulsory reading for all Australian Baptist – and perhaps other – theological students. They might not resonate with all the details, places and names, but that doesn’t matter. They can skip some of those paragraphs. And they ought not to be too bothered by old-fashioned exclusive language (‘to sustain a long ministry a man must endeavour to keep himself mentally and spiritually fit’). They mightn’t be in the ‘solid evangelical’ theological camp he inhabits with deep conviction. But Geoff’s memoirs will give them a feel for how a humble, faithful, irenic yet effective ministry is lived in our day. ‘Wise elders’ are in short supply: but here we have a true patriarch – a ‘legend’ as the young might say…

A few wise or interesting excerpts:

# ‘A danger in ministry is staleness that can turn to burnout. Fortunately there are many ways a minister can avoid staleness such as attending seminars, spiritual retreats and doing short courses of study… These gatherings enabled me to keep up contact with [fellow-] ministers…’ (p. 196).

# ‘The expatriate Christian community built a large A-frame church. The sight of such a visible Christian symbol in Kabul so incensed fanatical local Muslims that they pulled it down, stone by stone, before it had been occupied. The government did nothing to stop them’ (p.275).

# At the book’s end (p. 322) he quotes with favour/fervour a prayer by Harry Emerson Fosdick: ‘My soul, be broad in your sympathies; but O my soul, go deep in your convictions’

# And two stanzas from F W Faber’s great hymn: ‘There’s a wideness in God’s mercy/ Like the wideness of the sea; /There’s a kindness in his justice, / Which is more than liberty… There is no place where earth’s sorrows / Are more felt than up in heaven: / There is no place where earth’s failings / Have such kindly judgement given.’

I think it’s a terrific read!

Copies of the book can obtained from Geoff (track him down through the Baptist Union of Victoria). Typically he won’t make a profit – any spare proceeds go towards one of his favorite missionary causes.

Shalom!

Rowland Croucher

jmm.org,au

~~

Update 22/07/14: Geoff passed away at the ripe age of 99 recently. His Thanksgiving Service was held at Syndal Baptist Church – with 800+ attending –   last Friday (18/07/14).

From the Ashburton Baptist Church website:

What an inspirational service of thanksgiving today (18 July 2014) for Geoff Blackburn.

Thanks to Bill Brown for these notes of his tribute and challenge:

Tributes have flowed in for Geoff this week from many people and places.

People whom Geoff had pastored said:

+ “He was a man of grace  ¢â‚¬ ¦a legend  ¢â‚¬ ¦ had a huge impact on my family  ¢â‚¬ ¦ a special gift for remembering names …Geoff visited my daughter in hospital at Fairfield every week and helped her rekindle her faith in Jesus.”

+ One shared a Grace he taught some people on a trip interstate  ¢â‚¬ ¦
“Lord, bless this food upon the dishes
As Thou didst bless the loaves and fishes
And like the sugar in the tea,
Lord, stir us up to follow Thee.”

+ Colleagues commented:
“One of the most authentic human beings I have been privileged to know  ¢â‚¬ ¦ the quintessential Baptist Minister and leader  ¢â‚¬ ¦ clear-thinking, self-effacing, thoughtful, with a keen sense of humour and a true spirituality  ¢â‚¬ ¦ Geoff was a role model to me, and I suspect to countless other ministers.”

+ GIA Missionaries: “We loved Geoff and he loved us!”

For me Geoff Blackburn was a wonderful mentor and friend for over 40 years. Let me tell you why  ¢â‚¬ ¦

On Monday, Feb 7, 1977, the day after I was inducted as Youth Pastor, Geoff and I were sweeping out the back hall after it had been left in not a great state the day before. As we were sweeping, Geoff said,  ¢â‚¬â„¢Bill, this is what ministry is all about. ¢â‚¬â„¢ It could have been a basin and a towel, but for us it was a broom! Geoff was a servant of God and of people.

Two years ago, on my way back from a early morning appointment in Geelong on the day the Whitley School of Ministry was due to start. I got a call from Jessie, asking if I was going to the School of Ministry and if I was could I give Geoff a ride. I explained that I could do that in the afternoon. This was conveyed to Geoff and his response was,  ¢â‚¬ËœNo I need to go this morning ¢â‚¬â„¢. You would think that, at 97, Geoff could forgo a few hours at the School but Geoff was a life-long learner. At the age of 70, Geoff started a Doctor of Ministry at the same time as a number of others and finished ahead of us.

Geoff was a wise man and there are  ¢â‚¬Ëœone- liners ¢â‚¬â„¢  ¢â‚¬“truth for living -that he would express that still stick with me today  ¢â‚¬ ¦
e.g. People are down on what they are not up on!
In essentials unity. In non essentials, liberty. In all things, charity.
Keep the main thing the main thing!
Don ¢â‚¬â„¢t use the pulpit to scold your people..

What sort of a leader was Geoff? Of all the Biblical leaders, Geoff was like Barnabas (a great encourager) to me and to many others  ¢â‚¬ ¦
He modelled out what it meant to follow Jesus.
He was very generous.
He never paraded his achievements (notice no mention of any credentials or awards in the order of service). He didn ¢â‚¬â„¢t mind who got the glory.
He never introduced me as his assistant but always as his colleague.
He sponsored me into ministry opportunities and in numerous ways invested in the next generations.
He saw evidence of the grace of God wherever he went. Where others may see things about which they could be critical, Geoff looked for evidence of the grace of God.
He had a missional heart and wanted to share the Gospel wherever he went..
He loved people  ¢â‚¬ ¦ of all ages (he would bend down to speak to a child) , stages, backgrounds. He took risks with people, gave them a second chance, was with them in their time of need, welcomed them into his home.
He was a great team man  ¢â‚¬“he and Jessie made an awesome team. Geoff loved to work in teams.

Geoff preached the whole counsel of God but I reckon one of Geoff ¢â‚¬â„¢s favourite verses in all of the Bible and the secret to his life is found in Galatians 2:20  ¢â‚¬ËœI have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live but Christ lives in me. The life I now live in the body I live by faith in the Son of God who loved me and gave himself for me. ¢â‚¬â„¢

Geoffrey Herbert Blackburn was a good man but he would not want this service to be all about him nor to finish without a challenge to every one of us about whether we have tapped into the secret of his life ¢â‚¬“ a vital, moment by moment growing relationship with Jesus Christ. Geoff gave up his small ambitions to live with and for Jesus and his cause, a cause that was way bigger than him.

The writer to the Hebrews reminds us that we are surrounded by a great cloud of witnesses  ¢â‚¬“women and men of faith who have gone before. Geoff is now one of those and the writer puts it this way,  ¢â‚¬ËœLet us therefore, throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles. And let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us, fixing our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfector of our faith. ¢â‚¬â„¢ That ¢â‚¬â„¢s the way Geoff ran and now he would remind us that it is still our turn in the arena of life. Are you in the race? How are you running?