THE LEPROSY MISSION (AUSTRALIA) - a brief history
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Those years, following World War One, were outstanding for The Mission to Lepers, even though the Australian Auxiliary had not received a visit from the international General Secretary in London until 1925. It was after that visit that remarkable progress was made in the Australian Auxiliary being able to raise 1,000 pounds for the Foochow leprosy project in China. During the next year, the visit of G.J. Grundy, Secretary of The Mission to Lepers in India, visited Australia and left a lasting impression.
The Church Missionary Society had a leprosy problem in Tanganyika (later to become Tanzania) and the Mission's Australian Auxiliary was challenged to raise the sum of 1,000 pounds to help solve that problem. By this time, the work of the Mission had expanded to the extent that it was deemed necessary to appoint an Associate Secretary and Rev. A..E. Blackwell responded to the call in Nov. 1928, to be based in Sydney. Tragically, after only four years of dedicated service, the Rev. Blackwell, became seriously ill, but not before succeeding the Rev. W.J. Eddy as General Secretary for Australia. This created a great vacuum in the Mission's Australian Auxiliary, on account of which, an urgent appeal was sent to Mr. Donald Miller, the Mission's Secretary for India, requesting him to visit Australia to give advice.
More than a year passed before the Australian Auxiliary could appoint another leader as efficient and dynamic as those who had gone before. It was Rev. F.A. Crawshaw, the Mission's Secretary for New Zealand, who, in 1934, responded by accepting a most difficult ministry at a time when the whole world was gripped by a financial "Depression", when few people had the extra resources to donate to charities. To make matters worse for Rev. Crawshaw, he lost his faithful colleague. Due to her age, Sister Louise submitted her resignation, after many years of selfless service as Deputation Secretary which had taken her many thousands of miles in speaking to as many meetings all over Australia. This posed a colossal problem for the Mission's Council, who wondered however it could be possible to find a replacement Deputation Secretary with the zeal and physical stamina able to endure the stress associated with all that travel by public transport and speaking at so many Meetings.
In March 1936, the Mission's prayers were answered by the appointment of Mr. Robert Edgar who was commissioned as Deputation Secretary to cover the whole of Australia. In the initial stages, Mr. and Mrs Edgar did most of their travel in public transport, hauling with them, along with their personal baggage, a colossal amount of Mission literature, a kerosene-powered "Magic Lantern", projection screen, wooden collection money-boxes, photos and a large amount of glass picture-slides. The Edgars became famous because of all this paraphernalia that was a vital part of their dynamic presentation. Towards the end of their ministry, they took along with them on deputation tours, their son, "Bill" who, in the years ahead, became the Mission's Australian National Director and, later, International General Director, based in London.
The ministry of Bob Edgar was so powerful that, for the first time, in 1938, and in spite of the global economic "Depression", the annual income of the Australian Auxiliary exceeded 10,000 pounds. This spectacular financial success, helped to alleviate the pain caused by the shocking news of the death, in 1937, of its founder, Wellesley Bailey, at 90 years of age. From 1929, following the Wall Street Crash, the whole world had been crippled by a shortage of money and this may have contributed to the failing health of the Australian Auxiliary's General Secretary, Rev. Crawshaw, who returned to New Zealand in 1946 and died there, two years later.
From 1945, following the Declaration of Peace after World War 2, the Mission's Australian Auxiliary entered a period of rapid expansion. Following the resignation of Rev. F.A. Crawshaw, Mr. Robert ("Bob") Edgar, was invited to accept the position of Secretary for Australia, a post he took up on 11 Feb. 1946. Three years later, Mr. A. Donald Miller, who had now become International General Secretary, in London, visited Australia. One of the most important decision made during his visit was that the Mission's Australian Executive be empowered to nominate and interview applicants for service overseas and, where necessary, recommend them to London for approval. In September, 1950, Bob Edgar left for his first visit to the overseas field at the Mission's representative. During that visit, the London Office suggested that an Australian delegate be sent to the proposed International Conference on Leprosy in 1953. On the 7th. November, in Lucknow, India, and in cooperation with American Leprosy Missions, the first International Conference of the entire Mission to Lepers was held, with Bob Edgar acting as delegate from Australia. This was a most significant Conference, following which Australia nominated two missionary nurses, Miss Trixie McKay and Miss G. York, both of whom were appointed to India .
In 1958, after a Ministry richly blessed of God, Donald Miller retired as International General Secretary, based in London, to be replaced by Rev. Wilfred Russell. . On the home-front, in Australia, the General Secretary for Australia, Mr. Bob Edgar, was under such pressure that he found it almost impossible to maintain speaking appointments all over Australia and, at the same time, keep abreast with office administrative work. Thanks to the Billy Graham Crusade, William Richard McKeown, a qualified accountant and administrator, with shorthand experience, decided to follow Jesus Christ. In response to a newspaper advertisement, "Dick" McKeown was inspired to offer himself for service. . On 22 July 1959, he was appointed as Executive Secretary of the Mission in Australia.
"Dick" was gifted with many talents, not the least being broadcasting, and, for a number of years, firstly through Melbourne Radio Station 3XY and later, Geelong's 3GL, the Mission's "Gateways of Hope" programme was transmitted
The Mission to Lepers (Aust.), for a number of reasons, developed a close working relationship with the Church Missionary Society (CMS), not the least being through one Australian Missionary, The Right Rev. (Bishop) Alfred Stanway who was serving in Central Tanganyika (now Tanzania). The International General Secretary, Mr. A Donald Miller, during a tour he made of several African nations, mainly Nigeria and Uganda, heard of the serious water shortage problem existing at Manutupora and wondered whether the Australian Auxiliary might like to consider helping out there by setting up a memorial in honour of the late Horace J. Hannah, Chairman of the Mission in Australia. It so happened that Horace Hannah's son, Dr. H.W. Hannah, was a member of the CMS Executive and he suggested that the memorial could be established at Hombolo and in the form of a hospital. The sum of 5,000 pounds was set aside towards this memorial hospital, suitably named "The Living Water Centre". This project was the Australian Auxiliary's first direct involvement in the African continent and it made a profound impact on supporting churches and other groups in Australia.
However, it was not only Africa that was now clearly in focus; two qualified nursing sisters applied to serve overseas - (1) Ida Griffiths left for India on 25 Sept.1959, followed by (2) Deirdre Banks, six months later. She, also was initially posted to India, to take training at the Schefflin Leprosy Training and Research Centre at Karigiri, Tamil Nadu, South India. Eventually, Dierdre was posted to Nepal where she was appointed Sister in Charge at the new hospital, established at Anandaban ("Forest of Joy"), 10 miles west of Kathmandu, on 23 November 1963. Yet another Australian - Ruth Filmer - was posted to India and all these appointments stimulated an even greater interest in The Mission to Lepers which was now able to hold its own among all the major international missionary societies.
At this time, another tragedy struck the Mission in the failing health of its outstanding Chairman - Mr. Percy Edgar Turnbull. Because of his inability to give full time to the work of Chairman, his son, Mr. Percy Lawrence Turnbull, was challenged to accept an invitation to assist his father as Deputy Chairman. Percy Lawrence was so meticulous in keeping records and reporting on the Mission's activities in the most minute details, that it was only to be expected that he would be appointed to carry on his father's leadership. Not only was Percy Lawrence Turnbull an expert in keeping accounts (his profession) but he also recorded a history of the Mission in accurate detail, from its inception in 1913. I am indebted to Percy Lawrence Turnbull for much of this brief history. A fitting tribute to his ministry is recorded in his excellently documented book - "A Lifetime of Caring", published by The Leprosy Mission in 1988.
The visit of Bob and Mrs. Edgar to London, in April 1962, was to have profound repercussions. Bob returned, after a stop-over in India, to make a statement that, in Mission circles, became almost as famous as that of Martin Luther King's "I have a Dream." Bob's statement was. "We face an unfinished task." He had been shocked by what he saw in India and his Christ-inspired oratory touched the heart of Patricia Hunn, a Tasmanian physiotherapist who felt a strong call to Korea.. Up to this time, the Mission had had no really close relationship with Churches of Christ, but, in April 1963, Mr. and Mrs. Smith, Australian Churches of Christ missionaries serving on the island of Penticost, New Hebrides, met the Mission to Lepers Executive and appealed for help. This appeal resulted in a 2000 pounds grant being made, initiating a close working relationship between the Mission and Churches of Christ ).
Sadly, in May, 1963, the dynamic Bob Edgar took seriously ill, in his 28th. dedicated year of ministry with Mission to Lepers (Aust.). Before his death, he had hoped to see the Australian Auxiliary raise a record 100,000 pound in the year, but his death came too soon for his wish to be fulfilled, however, that target was reached shortly after. Robert (Bob) Edgar was an outstanding speaker who knew his Bible well. His son, Bill, was only 21 years of age at the time he lost his father and little did he know , at the time, that all the training he had received, operating the projector for his father, in Mission meetings, was to prepare him for a role in the highest echelon of the international Mission.
Mr. Richard McKeown, who had done an excellent work, as Executive Secretary, was asked to step into Bob's shoes to carry the torch, ably assisted by another dynamic speaker - Mr. Graeme Cann. In honour of Bob's devotion to service, the "Robert Edgar Memorial Ward" was established at Anandaban, Nepal - a fitting tribute to God's Good Servant"
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