While in Oz and NZ recently I had an idea or dream. In 2009, (just over two years from now), it will be the 50th anniversary of the death of F. W. Boreham. The idea is to stage an F W Boreham Gathering and Pilgrimage, to reflect with gratitude on his life and consider the significance of his ministry.
Melbourne, Australia, would be an ideal place to hold this conference as this city was the base for the longest chapter (31 years) in his life.
What Could We Do?
- We could listen to addresses and visit some of the places that were pivotal in the life and ministry of F W Boreham.
- We could spend time at Whitley College, hearing preaching in the chapel from the F W Boreham Pulpit and singing the song that he wrote. It would be fitting to spend time in the library, gazing at photos, leafing through Boreham's own copies of his books and reading his carefully marked scrapbooks.
- We could do a bus tour (more extensive than the previous tours) of Melbourne city, looking at the Art Gallery which he visited each week, the Melbourne library (where he did all his research for those sermons in the series Texts that Made History, the Botannical Gardens where Frank and Stella retreated every Thursday afternoon and the F. W. Boreham Mission Training Centre, where there is an extensive cabinet of Boreham memorabilia.
- We could go past the two houses in Armadale where FWB lived and possibly have a tour through the Boreham home ('Wroxton Lodge') in Kew where they lived from 1928. This was the place where Dr Billy Graham visited and we could watch film footage of Billy's visit.
- We could visit the Armadale Church where FWB was pastor and where his funeral was held. There is another room of Boreham memorabilia here and you could have your photo taken in Boreham's preaching chair.
- Wouldn't it be great to visit Scot's Church in the inner city (where there is more memorabilia) and worship in this beautiful church, where FWB had such a significant ministry of lunch hour services from 1935 to 1955?
- We would go to the Kew Church where FWB and his family were members from 1928 and then go to the grave where Frank and Stella are buried (in Australian soil under the English oak).
Anyone Interested (God willing)?
This could be a 3-4 day conference in Melbourne, Australia, possibly in mid June (?) 2009.
It would be a challenge organizing this Boreham pilgrimage from my home in the Middle East, but not an impossibility.
At this stage, without making any commitment to proceed, I thought that I would toss out the idea, 'fly a kite' and judge whether we go further by the interest that I get.
If you are interested in exploring this possibility (this doesn't commit you), please register your interest and desire to receive updates by emailing me at:<geoffpound@yahoo.com.au> and saying 'I am interested. Keep me posted'.
Geoff Pound
Image: The beautiful (and recently renovated) Reading Room of the State Library of Victoria, where FWB did all the research for his most important preaching series, Texts that Made History.