McCARTHY, James Birks, Rev (1902-1959)
Assembly memorial minute, 1959
A minister who had spent many years in the service of the Church in outback places, the Rev. James Birks McCarthy died suddenly on 27th July, 1959. Mr. McCarthy, who was 57, was a Queenslander by birth and in his early years was employed first in a bank and then as a landscape gardener.
He and Mrs. McCarthy, after their marriage, went through the Melbourne Bible Institute together. Later he worked on plantations in Papua and the Solomon Islands before going to Aurukun Aboriginal Mission in 1939. He had special gifts for this work, and also gave outstanding service as Superintendent of the Mornington Island station for some years.
Wishing to enter the ordained ministry, he returned to Brisbane, his birthplace, and completed his theological course there.
He was ordained and inducted at Charleville, West Queensland, on 24th December, 1956, and was called to South Melbourne in 1958. Here he was showing himself specially fitted for his new type of congregation when his death came after only a couple of days' illness.
He is survived by his wife and a family of three daughters and one sen (all but one under 18).
Gender
- Male