JONES, John Clark, Rev (1888-1960)
Assembly memorial minute, 1960
By the passing of the Rev. John Clark Jones the Church has sustained a very real loss. Educated at Scotch College and Melbourne University, he taught for a time at Scotch College, Perth, before returning to Melbourne for his theological course at Ormond College.
On being licensed to preach the Gospel, he became the first Chaplain at Scotch College and, as he was a keen cricketer and a League footballer in his earlier days, his reputation helped his influence with the boys.
His ordination took place at Beeac in 1919; in 1926 he was called to Chalmers Church, Tasmania, and to Coburg in 1931. In the great depression he was a tower of strength to the unemployed and the needy, both in spiritual encouragement and practical assistance. This zeal for the under-privileged led him to accept appointment as Superintendent of the Group Mission at Fitzroy-Collingwood in 1934. He carried on this work with great success for seven years, and though his parishioners are now widely scattered the influence of his radiant Christian personality is still felt in the congregation to which many of them now belong.
In 1941 he accepted a call to West Hawthorn, and did good service there until he became Commissioner to the Tasmanian Church in 1946. Here he did a valuable work until his return to Victoria when he became minister of the rapidly growing parish of Ringwood in 1951. After three years of strenuous work he demitted the Ringwood charge in 1954.
Later he served the Church under the Home Mission Committee in the Jordanville Church Extension area, sharing with Deaconess Boughen the pioneer work of this new parish. Failing health compelled him to retire from this work in 1957, though he resumed preaching as soon as he was able, and acted as a supply minister until the end of 1959. After a long illness he passed away in St. Andrew's Hospital on 18th June, 1960, at the age of 72 years.
"Jacky" Jones, as he was affectionately called by many, served his Lord and Master faithfully and his fellow-men in a spirit of love.
The sympathy of the Assembly is extended to his widow, his helpmate for 45 years, and to their daughter, Mrs. John Hume, of Balwyn#
Gender
- Male