On 1 October, the earthly career of Clifford George Taylor closed at the Mona Vale Hospital, NSW, just 29 days short of his 79th birthday.

      He was born at East Fremantle, WA, on 30 October 1915, the second of six children of Olive and Samuel Taylor.

      Earlier in 1994, Clifford G. Taylor preached at Chatswood, NSW, church at a special service to mark the 60th anniversary of the commencement of his ministry on 6 May 1934, at Brookton, WA.

      There was a thanksgiving service at the Chatswood chapel led by Ian Alves, the present minister. Cliff Taylor's son-in-law, Christopher Thomas, and Rosalie Rofe, the associate minister of Chatswood, each read the Scriptures. Major Margaret Redmond, Manager of the Warringah Place Retirement Village, Collaroy, where Cliff Taylor and his wife, Millie (Amelia), have been residing since 1991, gave a tribute and led in prayer. Fred Stephenson, a lifelong friend, presented a eulogy and biographical outline of Clifford Taylor's long and fruitful service.

      Two of the hymns used had been written by Cliff himself.

      Sympathy was expressed to his widow, Millie, daughters, Wendy (who had come from London) and Heather, her husband, Christopher Thomas, and granddaughters, Siobhan and Kirsty.

      Baptised by S. H. Mudge in 1925 at Fremantle church, Clifford was a contemporary there of Gordon Stirling, whose father, D. Stirling, was a minister at Fremantle in the 1920s. Another minister to influence him greatly was Roy Raymond.

      His early training in speaking was through Christian Endeavour and classes conducted by Roy Raymond and the WA Youth Department. The appointment to full-time ministry at Brookton was made jointly by the Brookton church and the Home Missions Department, with a view to his later entering the College of the Bible, which he did in February 1936. He was immediately appointed to South Yarra and later Ringwood churches to minister whilst at College.

      On graduating from COB in November 1938, he went straight to the Parkdale, Victoria, church (1938-41) for a part-time ministry, while doing a full-time BA History Honours course at Melbourne University, graduating at the end of 1941. He accepted full-time ministry at Hampton Victoria from the beginning of 1942, but resigned to accept an urgent call to a strategic wartime ministry at Lygon Street. While there, he married well-known Melbourne singer, Amelia Scarce. From February 1945, with the ready agreement of Lygon Street church, he combined full-time church ministry with lecturing at the College of the Bible in Homiletics and other subjects. During the period of his ministry at Brighton church (1948-56), he became editor of The Australian Christian in June 1951 and gave up his lecturing at the College.

      Early in 1957, he moved to Doncaster, Victoria, and continued to combine full-time ministry with the 'AC' editorship, also serving as Victoria-Tasmania Conference President, 1962-63. He terminated both Doncaster ministry and 'AC' editorship in November 1963 to move to Chatswood, NSW, where he served for 14 years (1963-78). He gave ministerial support and oversight during the preparations for, and the first year of, the establishment of the 'daughter church' at North Turramurra (commenced August 1965). For 12 years, he lectured in Missions and Comparative Religion at Woolwich College NSW. During 1972-73, he was President of NSW Conference. In April 1978, he moved back to Victoria for a ministry with the church at Gardiner. However, three operations on his eye, for detached retina, and a serious illness forced premature resignation from full-time ministry in October 1980.

      Mr and Mrs Taylor returned to Chatswood to live in retirement and to attend the church there, where he preached occasionally.

      During his ministries, Clifford Taylor served on a number of conference and inter-church committees, with long-term service on the Victoria-Tasmania Christian Union Department and the NSW Overseas Missions Committee (chairman 12 years). For many years, he was a regular broadcaster on ABC religious sessions -both radio and television.

      He was a talented hymn writer and two of his hymns (including the World Convention 1952 theme hymn) are in the Australian Churches of Christ HymnBook.

      Cliff and Millie have made many true friends over each stage of life, including their residence at the Retirement Village at Collaroy. Faith, friendship, talent and dedication produced a remarkable God-honouring life of service to others.

--Fred Stephenson