The Prayer Book Society of Australia (Victorian Branch) Inc. to be wound up
It is with some sadness that we announce that the Prayer Book Society of Australia (Victorian Branch) Incorporated has ceased operation.
At the Annual General Meeting in March 2022 the eleven members who attended asked that the Committee work towards finding a way forward for the future of the Society. Our numbers continue to decrease, and with the death of our Vice-Chairman Mr Clive Tadgell in July 2022, and of Mr Max Boyce, the former Secretary in September 2022, as well as the poor state of health and move to residential care of Mr Peter Prideaux, a former Committee Member, we have few people available to continue the Society’s functions.
A Final Letter from the Chairman
Dear friends,
The Past
It was a year ago that I wrote in our Newsletter that we needed to consider seriously our situation with regard to our dwindling and ageing membership. This was inevitable, of course, because of the situation in relation to the usage of the BCP having been replaced by the newer Australian productions, and a generation or so of church membership not experiencing its use, especially younger clergy.
So it was, then, that these things were seriously considered at the AGM on 19 March this year, resulting in this Executive being asked to prepare the necessary resolutions dealing with the situation. A Special General Meeting was called (via the August 2022 Newsletter) and held at 1 pm on Saturday 3 September 2022 at All Saints’, East St Kilda, at which the formal resolutions below were passed.
Resolution 1
1. That most of the remaining funds of the Society (a sum of at least $15,000) be given to the Trinity College Theological School (TCTS) on trust to create an endowed fund:
(a) To support the teaching of a subject on the Book of Common Prayer (BCP) at TCTS (normally every three years), open to to all University of Divinity students (including TCTS students) and Ridley College students (subject to the regulations around transfer credits between the University of Divinity and the Australian College of Theology); and
(b) to provide each student of such subject with a copy of the BCP;
Further Details:
- This fund could be named “The Prayer Book Society Fund” or another appropriate name agreed to by the Prayer Book Society and Trinity College.
- Donations could be made in support of the fund at any point in the future.
- Instruction of this subject would be undertaken by a qualified full-time staff person at Trinity College or by a qualified sessional/adjunct instructor.
Resolution 2
2. That the Society then makes an application to Consumer Affairs Victoria for voluntary cancellation of the Society.
After the meeting, Evening Prayer (BCP) was sung in All Saints Church as a fitting conclusion to forty-one years of the Society’s advocacy of the importance of the BCP.
The Future
As you will see herein, the BCP Fund managed by Trinity College, has now been set up, enabling us to contribute to a continuing witness to the importance of the BCP to the Anglican Church of Australia. Any donation, large or small, may be made. It also enables those of us who wish to, to make provision in our wills towards this fund.
Thanks
I would like to say thank you to all of you who receive this Newsletter for your support over the years, particularly to those of you who have made an effort to attend the meetings. We are indebted, too, to the sound leadership of our Founding Chairman, Henry Speagle OAM, his successor Assoc. Professor Anthony Bailey, and then Bishop James Grant, not forgetting our very able Deputy Chairman, the Hon. Clive Tadgell AO.
We will all be grateful too, for the sterling service given to the Society by Mr Max Boyce as Secretary and Treasurer, and to Dr Peter Prideaux as Membership Secretary.
The Revd René Knaap and the people of All Saints’ Church, East St Kilda have been most generous in their hospitality to the Prayer Book Society, and we thank them for allowing us to make our base there in recent years. We also thank those many good people or who have written and presented papers and addresses at our meetings and services.
Finally, in this past year in particular, we must give our sincere thanks to Mrs Helen Farrer for her devoted time and diligence as Secretary, and to Mr Donald Speagle as our Minute Secretary and, latterly, Deputy Chairman.
As I lay down this task, may I say that I have been honoured to have been able to serve the Society as Chairman over the past few years, and to have been one of the founding members of the Prayer Book Society of Victoria Inc. I wish you a very happy and holy Christmas and New Year; and to help us all in this regard, we can do no better than to pray the Collect for Christmas Day:
ALMIGHTY God, who hast given us thy only-begotten Son to take our nature upon him, and as at this time to be born of a pure Virgin; Grant that we being regenerate, and made thy children by adoption and grace, may daily be renewed by thy Holy Spirit; through the same our Lord Jesus Christ, who liveth and reigneth with thee and the same Spirit, ever one God, world without end. Amen.
Yours sincerely,
Tom Morgan
We hope to continue to provide information on this website about where and when Prayer Book Services are held in Victoria; as we have no knowledge of such services in regional areas, these are all in and around Melbourne. We do advise, however, that those intending to attend such services make contact by phone or email beforehand to make sure that the details are still correct.
Helen Farrer
Honorary Secretary
Email: prayerbookBCP@gmail.com
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Melbourne Parishes currently known to be using Prayer Book Services
Please check that these times are still correct.
(This list is still being compiled. If you know of more, or wish to make corrections, please email details to prayerbookBCP@gmail.com)
Brunswick, Christ Church
Sunday 8.00am
Monday 7.00am
Wednesday 10.00am
Saturday 8.00am
Ph 9380 1064, www.christchurchbrunswick.org
Camberwell, St John’s
6.00pm Evensong, 2nd Sunday
Ph 9882 4851, www.stjohnscamberwell.org.au
Camberwell, St Mark’s
11.00am, 5th Sunday
Ph 03 9882 3776, www.stmarkscamberwell.org.au/services
Melbourne CBD, St Paul’s Cathedral,
Sunday 8.00am
Sunday 4.00pm Choral Evensong
Tuesday to Friday 5.10pm Choral Evensong
https://cathedral.org.au/
Melbourne, St James Old Cathedral
10.00am, 2nd Sunday
Ph 9329 0903, www.sjoc.org.au
Melbourne, St Peter’s Eastern Hill
Sunday 8.00am and Evensong 6.00pm (2nd and 4th Sundays)
Ph 9662 2391, www.stpeters.org.au/index.shtml
St Kilda East, All Saints’
Sunday 8.30am and 10.00am, all weekday and special services,
and 5.00pm Evensong (1st Sunday)
Ph 9510 7689, www.allsaints.org.au
St Kilda East, St James the Great
Last Sunday of the month, 10.30am
Ph 9527 1017, stjamesthegeat@outlook.com
South Yarra, Christ Church
Every Sunday 8.00am, and 6.00pm Evensong (4th Sunday)
Ph 9866 4434, www.ccsy.org.au
Doncaster, St David's
Sunday 8.00am
Ph 9842 9127, www.eastdoncaster.melbourneanglican.org.au