Tribute Ralph Read

1921 -2023

The ACC Family pays tribute to Ralph Read, former national leader of the AOG in Australia, from 1969 – 1977, who passed away in February at the age of 102. Pastor Denis Smith shares insights into his life and leadership.

Ralph received the fullness of the Holy Spirit at Glad Tidings Tabernacle through the ministry of the church pastor, W. A. Buchanan.

Ralph reflected, “It was a very real and personal prayer time, which was very enriching, but so enriching that I wanted more.'

Yet his experience didn't please everyone. In those days, there was a genuine hostility among churches against the Baptism in the Spirit. The Methodists disowned him because he accepted believer's baptism. The Baptists disowned him because he had favoured the Baptism with the Holy Spirit.

Tent Revival

It was around this time that he was invited to join a team holding a tent crusade in Parkes, NSW. Ralph commented, “I would say in my many years of experience that I had never seen anything closer to a spiritual revival. I saw under that stretch of canvas; a number of the young people, farmers, good types of people, good church people come to a personal experience with the Lord.”

Ralph caught ‘tent fever’ from his involvement with the Sturgeons and engaged extensively in tent evangelism. He married Iris Conwell on the 27th September 1947, and joined a tent crusade in Orange, NSW. Ralph and Iris stayed on to pastor the small Assembly that formed there.

From Methodist to Pentecostal

Born in Lismore, New South Wales in 1921, Ralph’s family were strong Methodists, and after he made his commitment to Christ, Ralph became a Methodist lay preacher.

It was while working at the Electricity Dept of Brisbane Town Hall during the Depression years that Ralph met up with a Mr. Nosworthy, who was 'a very fine and stable Methodist, but had become a Pentecostal believer'. “He was a big influence on my life and became a friend and it helped us both spiritually,” Ralph commented.

After WW2, Ralph was invited by Bill Nosworthy to visit Glad Tidings Tabernacle. Ralph could see the difference between the normal churchgoer and these Pentecostal people who had the evidence of something very real, very satisfying, very warm, and very attractive to them.

Ministry Leadership

Out of the blue, Ralph received a call to take over the Christchurch Assembly in New Zealand.

Twelve months later, he was appointed by the Assemblies of God in New Zealand to be General Superintendent. He established a Christian Printing Press in New Zealand in 1962 and started regional Bible Schools there as well.

After about seven years, Ralph and Iris returned to Australia and following Alec T Davidson’s tenure, served as the General Superintendent of the Assemblies of God in Australia from 1969 – 1977. During that time, he became the Principal of Commonwealth Bible College, then at Graceville.

Over his life, Ralph served in churches in Orange in NSW, Stafford in Queensland, Oakleigh in Victoria, Christchurch in New Zealand, and Richmond in Canada.

Church Governance Resources

Proper Governance is vitally important to the operation and reputation of our churches and ministries. The whole realm of Governance can seem overwhelming at times, but there are some easy-tounderstand resources available to assist us in this space.

Here are some resources we would recommend.

Good Governance Essentials

Developed by our very own Alphacrucis University College, the Good Governance Essentials online course introduces the essentials of Church governance from some of the leading figures in the field. Topics covered in this course include:

• The legal framework of churches in Australia

• Key principles of good corporate governance

• Important aspects of financial accountability, workplace health and safety, and risk management

• Approaches to managing people, both staff and volunteer

• The legal, ethical and administrative approaches required for working with children and other at-risk people groups.

Acnc

The Australian Charities and Notfor-profits Commission (ACNC) is the national regulator of charities here in Australia. The ACNC has developed a range of easy-to-understand resources, specifically for the charity sector.

Governance for good: The ACNC's guide for charity board members

Relevant articles include:

• Common questions about Board Member,

• Governing your charity

• Overseeing your charity’s finances

• Your charity’s obligations to the ACNC

ACNC Online Learning courses

Relevant topics include:

• Becoming a charity board member: What you should know

• Governing a registered charity in Australia

• Reporting obligations of your charity