Ian Bowe Tanner (24 February 1926 – 27 December 2013) was an Australian

Presbyterian Presbyterianism is a historically Reformed Protestant tradition named for its form of church government by representative assemblies of elders, known as "presbyters". Though other Reformed churches are structurally similar, the word ''Pr ...

and

Uniting Church The Uniting Church in Australia (UCA) is a united church in Australia. The church was founded on 22 June 1977 when most congregations of the Methodist Church of Australasia, about two-thirds of the Presbyterian Church of Australia and almost a ...

minister. He was President of the Uniting Church's Assembly between 1985 and 1988.

Education

Tanner was educated at Trevallyn State School, Launceston Technical College and the

University of Tasmania The University of Tasmania (UTAS) is a public research university, primarily located in Tasmania, Australia. Founded in 1890, it is Australia's fourth oldest university. Christ College (University of Tasmania), Christ College, one of the unive ...

, where he resided at Christ College and graduated with a

Bachelor of Science A Bachelor of Science (BS, BSc, B.S., B.Sc., SB, or ScB; from the Latin ') is a bachelor's degree that is awarded for programs that generally last three to five years. The first university to admit a student to the degree of Bachelor of Scienc ...

degree in 1950. He later obtained a Diploma of Education from the

University of Adelaide The University of Adelaide is a public university, public research university based in Adelaide, South Australia. Established in 1874, it is the third-oldest university in Australia. Its main campus in the Adelaide city centre includes many Sa ...

and studied theology at

Ormond College Ormond College is the largest of the residential colleges of the University of Melbourne located in the city of Melbourne, Victoria, Australia. It is home to around 350 undergraduates, 90 graduates and 35 professorial and academic residents. H ...

Theological Hall.

Career

He served in the

Royal Australian Air Force The Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF) is the principal Air force, aerial warfare force of Australia, a part of the Australian Defence Force (ADF) along with the Royal Australian Navy and the Australian Army. Constitutionally the Governor-Gener ...

from 21 April 1944 to 22 August 1945 as a Leading Aircraftman, and prior to training for the Presbyterian ministry worked as an Industrial Chemist at Patons and Baldwins in Launceston from 1950 to 1955. He was

ordained Ordination is the process by which individuals are Consecration in Christianity, consecrated, that is, set apart and elevated from the laity class to the clergy, who are thus then authorized (usually by the religious denomination, denominationa ...

in 1959, and subsequently ministered at: *Prahran Presbyterian Church, 1956–1958 *North Box Hill Presbyterian Church, 1959–1963 *

Scots Church, Adelaide Scots Church is a Uniting church on the southwest corner of North Terrace and Pulteney Street in Adelaide, the capital city of South Australia. Founded by the Free Church of Scotland, the stone church was one of the early churches built in the ...

: as associate minister (from 1963) and collegiate minister (1965–1980) *Director of Lay Education (South Australia) (from 1980) *President of the Assembly (1985–1988) *Mission Director (South Australia) *Wesley Church, Canberra (1992-1996) He was the first Moderator of the UCA

Synod of South Australia The Synod of South Australia (also known as Uniting Church SA and formerly Presbytery and Synod of South Australia from 2005 to 2019) is the entity of the Uniting Church in Australia covering most of the state of South Australia. It is one of six g ...

from 1977 to 1979. He retired in 1996.

Family

He was the son of Thomas Alexander Tanner (-1947). His son Andrew Tanner was a member of the band

Seven Stories Seven Stories, the National Centre for Children's Books is a museum and visitor centre dedicated to children's literature and based in the Ouseburn Valley, Newcastle upon Tyne, close to the city's regenerated Quayside. The renovated Victorian ...

Publications

Among his publications is a 2002 biography of Beryl Grant AO, OBE, FRCNA.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Tanner, Ian Bowe Uniting Church in Australia ministers Uniting Church in Australia presidents 1926 births 2013 deaths Australian Companions of the Order of St Michael and St George People from Launceston, Tasmania University of Tasmania alumni 20th-century Australian Presbyterian ministers 21st-century Australian Presbyterian ministers