George Henry Morling (21 Nov 1891 – 8 April 1974
) was an Australian Baptist minister who was Principal of the
NSW Baptist College (which was later named in his honour) from 1921 to 1960.
Morling also served as President General of the
Baptist Union of Australia
Australian Baptist Ministries (formerly Australian Baptist Union, then Baptist Union of Australia) is a Baptist Christian denomination in Australia. The Baptist Union of Australia was inaugurated on 24 August 1926 at the Burton Street Church in ...
from 1962 to 1964.
Early life and education
Morling was born in
Sydney
Sydney is the capital city of the States and territories of Australia, state of New South Wales and the List of cities in Australia by population, most populous city in Australia. Located on Australia's east coast, the metropolis surrounds Syd ...
on 21 November 1891, the third child of Annie Hillman and Charles A. Morling. His father had been refused entry to
Charles Spurgeon
Charles Haddon Spurgeon (19 June 1834 – 31st January 1892) was an English Particular Baptist preacher. Spurgeon remains highly influential among Christians of various denominations, to some of whom he is known as the "Prince of Preachers." ...
's
Pastor's College because he was "
consumptive
Tuberculosis (TB), also known colloquially as the "white death", or historically as consumption, is a contagious disease usually caused by ''Mycobacterium tuberculosis'' (MTB) bacteria. Tuberculosis generally affects the lungs, but it can al ...
" and come to Australia to recover.
[ Morling was baptised and joined Ashfield Baptist Church at age 17, before attending ]Sydney University
The University of Sydney (USYD) is a public university, public research university in Sydney, Australia. Founded in 1850, it is the oldest university in both Australia and Oceania. One of Australia's six sandstone universities, it was one of the ...
where he graduated with a BA in 1913.[ He applied to be trained as a Baptist minister and was sent to the Victorian Baptist College in 1915, before returning to Sydney the following year as one of the first batch of students at the new Baptist College there.][
Morling completed an MA at Sydney University in 1925.][
]
Career
Morling had a brief stint in the country before taking up a pastorate in the city in 1919.[ He became a visiting lecturer at the Baptist College around the same time, and was appointed acting principal in 1922 after the abrupt resignation of Alexander Gordon.][ He was appointed an honorary lecturer in Church History at Sydney University in 1938 and chairman of Inter Varsity Fellowship Australia in 1947.][ He published a book on Christian spirituality called ''The Quest for Serenity'' in 1952.]Baptist Union of Australia
Australian Baptist Ministries (formerly Australian Baptist Union, then Baptist Union of Australia) is a Baptist Christian denomination in Australia. The Baptist Union of Australia was inaugurated on 24 August 1926 at the Burton Street Church in ...
from 1962 to 1964.[ He was appointed an ]OBE
The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire is a British order of chivalry, rewarding valuable service in a wide range of useful activities. It comprises five classes of awards across both civil and military divisions, the most senior two o ...
in the 1963 New Year Honours
The New Year Honours 1963 were appointments in many of the Commonwealth realms of Queen Elizabeth II to various orders and honours to reward and highlight good works by citizens of those countries. They were announced in supplements to ''The Lon ...
for "services to religion".[
]
Personal life
Morling married Gladys Rees on 28 April 1917.[ He suffered from chronic ill health.][
]
Death and legacy
In early 1974, Morling developed thrombosis
Thrombosis () is the formation of a Thrombus, blood clot inside a blood vessel, obstructing the flow of blood through the circulatory system. When a blood vessel (a vein or an artery) is injured, the body uses platelets (thrombocytes) and fib ...
in his left leg, eventually leading to its amputation
Amputation is the removal of a Limb (anatomy), limb or other body part by Physical trauma, trauma, medical illness, or surgery. As a surgical measure, it is used to control pain or a disease process in the affected limb, such as cancer, malign ...
. His health continued to decline and he died on 8 April 1974.[
Rowland Croucher described Morling as one of the four most admired ]Australian
Australian(s) may refer to:
Australia
* Australia, a country
* Australians, citizens of the Commonwealth of Australia
** European Australians
** Anglo-Celtic Australians, Australians descended principally from British colonists
** Aboriginal Aus ...
Baptists
Baptists are a Christian denomination, denomination within Protestant Christianity distinguished by baptizing only professing Christian believers (believer's baptism) and doing so by complete Immersion baptism, immersion. Baptist churches ge ...
, alongside Geoffrey Blackburn, F. W. Boreham
Frank William Boreham OBE (3 March 1871, Tunbridge Wells, Kent, England – 18 May 1959, Melbourne, Victoria) was a Baptist preacher best known in New Zealand, Australia, and England.
Life and career
Boreham's birth coincided with the end of the ...
, and Noel Vose
Godfrey Noel Vose (23 December 1921 – 2 May 2016) was a Western Australian Baptist minister, the founding principal of Vose Seminary (formerly the Baptist Theological College of Western Australia) and the only Australian appointed as President o ...
.[ Rowland Croucher,]
Review: Geoffrey Blackburn, ''Beyond Imagining''
In 1985, the NSW Baptist College was renamed Morling College
Morling College is a Baptist college in Macquarie Park, New South Wales. It is affiliated with the Australian Baptist Ministries. It is an approved teaching institution of the Australian University of Theology, and is a member of the South Pacif ...
in his honour.
References
{{DEFAULTSORT:Morling, George
20th-century Australian Baptist ministers
1891 births
1974 deaths
Seminary presidents
University of Sydney alumni
Officers_of_the_Order_of_the_British_Empire