JourneyOnline
Another founding father of the Uniting Church died on 3 July. Rev Dr Ian Gillman, aged 78, was an eminent scholar, author, teacher, preacher and liturgist.
Well known for his wicked sense of humour, Dr Gillman came to Brisbane in 1962 to the Presbyterian Church’s Emmanuel College Theological Hall, having accepted the position of Professor of Theology and Lecturer in Church History.
Soon after Church Union, Dr Gillman went to the University of Queensland where he later became Head of the Department for Studies in Religion. As a Presbyterian member of the Joint Commission on Church Union, Dr Gillman was an enthusiastic advocate for the Basis of Union on which the Uniting Church in Australia was founded.
When the decisions regarding union were before the Presbyterian Church Assembly in the 1970s, Dr Gillman presented the case.
Former Moderator Rev Don Whebell said Dr Gillman was one who contributed much to the lives of many. “We are grateful for his faith, insights and personal gifts, and for the profound contribution he made to the drafting of our Basis of Union," he said.
