How do you pay tribute to a man? Each person lives out many roles and Harold is no exception. He was a husband, a father, grand-father and great grand-father. He was a Churches of Christ minister, a confidant, friend and fellow traveller on the journey of life. He was all of these and much more; no one person here can lay claim to knowing every part of what made up the man Harold Gilbert NORRIS, child of God.

Today, as we pause to grieve his death and celebrate his life, it is appropriate that we re-tell something of his story, for in this re-telling we actually honour him.

Background:

Harold was born at Henley Beach 25th November 1910. attended Grange Primary School and Thebarton Technical High School. Left school at 14 years of age with Junior Technical Certificate. Worked as builder's labourer, brick-layer, carpenter with wages beginning at 5/- and rising to 15/- a week. Attended Henley Beach Church of Christ Sunday School; baptised and received into church membership by Ross Graham in 1922 when 12 years of age.

During the Depression of the 1920s worked with his father at farming on 5000 acres of virgin Mallee scrub. Entered Glen Iris College of the Bible to train for the ministry in 1930. in the first 12 months in College completed Intermediate and Leaving secular subjects with Melbourne University to attain standard of education required before beginning Bible training course. Paid all expenses of College course for 4 years by gardening work in free time and preaching in student church at Warrnambool and St Kilda. Graduated in 1933, began first full time ministry at Wudinna S.A in December 1933.

Married Reta Penn on 20th March 1934 at Henley Beach Church of Christ, before moving to Wudinna.

Ministries:

It is absolutely fascinating reading to go through the "Recollections of Ministry of Harold and Reta Norris" a living history spanning over 60 years. Unfortunately it is not possible in the time we have available to do any sort of justice to Harold, Reta and the family's experience. What does stand out first of all is how tough they did it in those days, especially in the two ministries in the Central Eyre Peninsula, at Wudinna and Tumby Bay. The conditions were challenging and the salary small, however there is no hint of complaint, but rather the sober recognition that the farmers were often doing it harder.

I would like to mention the ten ministry appointments conducted by Harold with Reta.

• Wudinna March 1934--February 1936. (Alan born 11 May 1935). *Page 3 of Appendix.
• Dulwich 1936--39. (Glenys born 27 Oct 1937)
• Tumby Bay 1939--1945. (Shirley born 13 November 1939, Rhonda born 8 March 1944)
• Army Chaplain February 1942--May 1943. *Page 8 of Appendix.
• Park St Unley 1945--1952. (Lynette born 9 December 1945). State Conference Departments, Overseas Mission Board 28 years--Visitation evangelism 28 decisions.
• Kilburn 1952--1956. Visitation evangelism 49 decisions.
• Grote St 1956--58. Difficulties--long distances for visiting--his own sickness.
• Magill (Koongarra Park) 1958--65--relatively new work--significant growth.
• Blackwood 1965--72. Population explosion--able church board--7 elders.
• Aldgate Valley 1973--77. 70% growth in numbers.

* Faithful, hard work and pastoral visiting paid tangible dividends, although the impact his ministry has made on countless peoples lives is beyond measure.

* Page 15-16 of Appendix.

* A real pastor's heart. Wanted desperately to help me at Aldgate in pastoral visiting, and was so very frustrated that he physically couldn't do it. However, we would swap pastoral notes and I would often get a letter providing tips and comments on various pastoral concerns.

* "Its not how far along you are in the journey that is important, but what direction you are facing in". Harold was a down to earth man, who included and accepted all people. His friends were not just church folk, but many within the local community. Particularly with working men.

* But probably Harold's greatest joy was his family. His 90th birthday late last year which enabled all of the family to gather together was an occasion that he revelled in.

* Close with these words at the end of his "recollection". Page 17 Appendix.

Well done good and faithful servant.

[Page 3] Looking back now I see that the discussions with my Elder shaped my future. We remained close and warm friends, each holding differing opinions yet agreeing to differ (as Mark Twain put it "The only time people think alike is when they don't think") I can still smile as I remember my Elder's reply when I tried to refute his (premillenialist) opinion which had 7 different resurrections (with Bible texts to support them). I differed from him and said that the first resurrection didn't occur after death but at our conversion. I quoted from John's gospel chapter 5 verses 24-29 to prove my point. I can still see and hear my Elder saying "You young Sadducee--denying the resurrection." I freely acknowledge my debt to my first Elder who taught me to think for myself, to express my own thoughts, to agree to differ--and to remain friends with those who hold different views. The Christian unity possible in such circumstances is something real.

[Page 8] I was released by the Tumby Bay church to serve as a Chaplain in the Army in February 1942 and served in the 110th Casualty Clearing Station, and in 2/10th infantry battalion A.I.F. in Papua New Guinea during July 1942--April 1943 and the battles at Milne Bay, Buna, Gona and Sanananda. While I was overseas Reta, Allan, Glenys and Shirley lived at Aldgate Valley with Reta's mother and father. I returned from army service in May 1943 and we returned to Tumby Bay.

[Page 15-16] As I face the sunset at eighty years of age, my dreams and visions become brighter in my memories. I am very conscious of how little I have accomplished. I am not an eloquent or good pulpit preacher. I am a slow thinker and rather hesitant to speak expressing my thoughts and opinions. I am not an impassioned gospel evangelist for I believe that God has His own secret pathway into every life, and I refuse to be a spiritual highwayman. To my mind, when a person is ready to listen and respond to God, and not till then, will a person really respond to Jesus Christ. Perhaps I can justly claim at least that I have been a teacher of Bible truth. But my greatest love and satisfaction has been to be a pastor, a shepherd both to Christ's sheep in the church and to those "other sheep" which Jesus has outside the sheep fold of the local church membership. It has been particularly in pastoral visitation and in counselling that I believe I have best been of some use.

The pattern of my ministry was probably formed in my childhood by my parents. I have made reference in another place to the influence which my father has had on my attitude to life. I owe a great deal to my mother in her unquestioning Christian faith. She had a way of meeting issues in which others found difficult problems in the Bible which she couldn't answer by saying "If we could understand everything that is written in the Bible we would understand that it came from the finite mind and hand of man himself and not from the mind and hand of God who is infinite." And she had a habit of saying regarding theories on prophecies "that if it was important, and God intended us to know, God would have made it much plainer."

[Page 17] Finally, whatever success may have come from my ministry I owe not to my own feeble powers but to the power of the grace of God in Jesus Christ.

I owe to my dear wife Reta my thanks for her strong, steady, reliable and efficient support. If I could have my time over again I would try to so organise things that I would spend more time with my wife and children than I have. Too often I have been so busy attending church committee meetings, conferences, and church groups that I have neglected my own home duties. Too often I have left Reta to bring up our five children. But still, perhaps our children have grown to be such blessings to us mainly because of their mother's influence. I thank God for my wife, our five children, the husbands of our four daughters, our eleven grandchildren, and our ten great-grandchildren. I thank God for the privilege that has been mine. If I had to live my life over again I would be a minister of the church--but a better one.