Ken Leaver
Rev. Ken Leaver 1955-1958, 1967-68, 1973-74, 1985-86.
In 1955, Mr. Leaver, a former Parkin College student who was serving in Tasmania, was called to Brougham Place. He accepted and was inducted on 14 April, 1955. After a brief three years, Mr. Leaver accepted a call to be Principal of Parkin College. This was the college for training people for ministry in the Congregational Church of SA. He continued to assist as pulpit supply until his successor, the Rev. Winston Jones, was inducted as pastor in June 1958.
The immediate recourse following Mr. Jones’s departure in 1967, was to ask Rev. Ken Leaver, a former minister and (then) Principal of Parkin College, to come back as a member and help with ministry when his work at the College permitted. He preached most Sunday mornings, while a student helped as pastor and conducted evening worship.
There was an almost two year interregnum after John Mauviel accepted a call to Dalwallinu in Western Australia, and left Brougham Place in October, 1972. Up to May 1973, Rev. Allan Farr and Principal Leaver did the bulk of the ministerial work on a voluntary basis. The decision was then made to continue for 12 months with a ministerial team comprising Principal Leaver as leader, Rev. T. W. Fraser (retired) as pastor, Messrs. John Lane (Administrative Officer) and Ian Price (Youth Director). Fortunately, the laity lacked neither skills nor devotion, and, while no particular advance could be claimed, the work continued with little regression
For the whole of 1982, Dr. John Akehurst’s full-time services were required at the College, and Rev. Ken Leaver, who had recently retired, was asked to minister for the third time for just one year. His familiarity with the Church and knowledge of the people made this a sensible arrangement. He was assisted by David Buxton, a theological student, and Dr. Akehurst also shared the preaching. In 1985, Dr. John Akehurst was appointed as full-time lecturer at Parkin-Wesley College and Rev. Ken Leaver returned temporarily (for the fourth time) on a part-time, retired basis, to supply the pulpit and afford the Church time to accumulate funds sufficient to call a permanent full-time minister.
Sermon - The Play Without a Hero
