Was waiting to see if anyone else posted this but so far no one has . wish I could just link it but not sure how . This was in last Friday's NCN .Remember Roland , and his extended family at this time .I've put the part about Roland in red .
Australian pioneer remembered
W. John Kerr, the first district superintendent for the Church of the Nazarene's Western Australia District,
passed away on October 12 in Brisbane, Australia. Kerr, 78, died of heart failure after a recurrence of cancer.
Born in Brisbane on July 3, 1934, Kerr was one of the pioneers of the Church of the Nazarene in Australia. He
was raised in a Brethren assemblies home until John and his mother, Hilda Berg Kerr, began attending a
Church of the Nazarene. John's uncle, A. A. E. Berg, founded the Church of the Nazarene in Australia in 1945,
just a few years before John and his mother began attending.
At the age of 17, John sought and found the experience of entire sanctification. In November 2011, he wrote: "I
thank God for the Church of the Nazarene which brought the message of heart holiness to my hungry soul
nearly 60 years ago. The promise of Acts 1:8 came true when God filled my heart with perfect love."
John married Lorraine Theoharris in Brisbane on November 30, 1957, and they had three children: Kristine,
Jillian, and Charlton, and six grandchildren.
In 1960, John accepted the call to pastor the 2-year-old Mt. Gravatt Church on Creek Road in suburban
Brisbane. During his 14-year pastorate, the church developed thriving children’s and youth ministries.
Seven years later, John was ordained by Hardy C. Powers in Margate, Queensland. Soon after, John was
elected the District Nazarene Young Peoples Society (now Nazarene Youth International) president, a position
he held until mandatory retirement at the age of 40. One of his major contributions was the establishment of
evangelistic district IMPACT teams.
After the Mt. Gravatt church was sold in 1975, John led the congregation through a lengthy relocation process
to the bayside suburb of Capalaba, where he supervised the construction of the present worship and
fellowship facilities. Soon after the new church building was dedicated in 1977, John pastored the Mt.
Waverley Church in Melbourne. During his four years at Mt. Waverley, the church nearly doubled in
membership, mostly by profession of faith, and a new church was planted in the Melbourne suburb of
Wantirna. John served as a pioneer member of the advisory board of the newly created Australia Southern
District at this time.
He became one of the first male members of General Nazarene World Missions Society Council when he was
elected to a five-year term as the South Pacific Region’s representative. John served on the council for nine
years, also representing the Asia-Pacific Region from 1985 to 1989.
In 1981, John became pastor of the Mt. Yokine (now Dianella) church. At the time, it was the only Nazarene
congregation in the state of Western Australia, nearly 2,000 miles from its nearest Nazarene neighbor. Soon
after, John was appointed the first district superintendent of Western Australia. Under his leadership, four
churches were planted, property was purchased, church buildings constructed, and pioneer efforts were made
to establish multicultural ministries for migrants, especially from Africa.
After being diagnosed with cancer in 1999, John resigned as district superintendent, retired from the ministry,
and relocated to Brisbane, where he and Lorraine established a new home. In 2003, John returned to ministry
as the founding pastor of the North Lakes Church of the Nazarene in the northern suburbs of Brisbane. After
the resignation of Australia Northern Pacific District Superintendent Dick Sowder in July 2003, John served for
several months as interim district superintendent.
During his retirement years, John served on the District Advisory Board, the District Board of Ministerial
Credentials, and the district director of evangelism. He was chaplain to the pastors of the Australia Northern
Pacific District at the time of his death.
Additionally, John served on the management team of NazCare Inc/Nazarene Compassionate Ministries
Australia and was an invaluable assistant to Australia-New Zealand Field Strategy Coordinator John Moore.
John Kerr served at various times on the National Board of the Church of the Nazarene in Australia and on the
board of Nazarene Theological College in Brisbane. He volunteered at NTC-Brisbane for several years, where
he created a brick-making business that benefited the college and employed students. In recent years, the
Kerrs have been active members of the New Start River City Church plant in Brisbane, pastored by his
nephew, Roland Hearn.In August 2008, John and Lorraine were awarded a Distinguished Service Award by the Capalaba Community
Church of the Nazarene in recognition of more than 50 years of service to the Lord through the Church of the
Nazarene in Australia. In his report to the District Assembly in November 2011, John wrote: "My passion is to
live a Christlike life by example and encourage as many as I can to have this as their goal also."
John is survived by his wife Lorraine, and his three children: Kristine Jones, who lives in Brisbane and is the
mother of Stefanie and Nicholas; Jillian Kerr Hunt, who served as a missionary for the Church of the Nazarene
at European Nazarene College for 14 years and lives in Inverell, New South Wales, with her husband; and
Charlton Kerr, founder of Midas Mortgages, who was involved in evangelistic ministry in Greece and lives in
Perth, Western Australia, with his wife and four children: Tryphon, Vasilis, Yiannis, and Loukas.
Condolences may be sent to:
Mrs. Lorraine Kerr
144 Voyager Cct
Bridgeman Downs QLD 4035
Australia
Or by email: wjohnk@ozemail.com.au
Contributions in the name of John Kerr may be sent to:
Nazarene Theological College
40 Woodlands Drive
Thornlands QLD 4164
--Church of the Nazarene Asia-Pacific Region
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