Rodney Dean Drayton (born 1941
[Dean Drayton](_blank)
National Library of Australia
The National Library of Australia (NLA), formerly the Commonwealth National Library and Commonwealth Parliament Library, is the largest reference library in Australia, responsible under the terms of the ''National Library Act 1960'' for "mainta ...
catalogue, accessed 26 January 2010) is a
minister of the
Uniting Church in Australia
The Uniting Church in Australia (UCA) was founded on 22 June 1977, when most congregations of the Methodist Church of Australasia, about two-thirds of the Presbyterian Church of Australia and almost all the churches of the Congregational Union ...
(UCA) and was President of the UCA Assembly from July 2003 to July 2006. He lectures on a part-time basis in
missiology
Missiology is the academic study of the Christian mission history and methodology, which began to be developed as an academic discipline in the 19th century.
History
Missiology as an academic discipline appeared only in the 19th century. It was ...
at
Sydney
Sydney ( ) is the capital city of the state of New South Wales, and the most populous city in both Australia and Oceania. Located on Australia's east coast, the metropolis surrounds Sydney Harbour and extends about towards the Blue Mountain ...
's
United Theological College (UTC).
Biography
Drayton was born in
Whyalla
Whyalla was founded as "Hummocks Hill", and was known by that name until 1916. It is the fourth most populous city in the Australian state of South Australia after Adelaide, Mount Gambier and Gawler and along with Port Pirie and Port Augusta ...
,
South Australia
South Australia (commonly abbreviated as SA) is a state in the southern central part of Australia. It covers some of the most arid parts of the country. With a total land area of , it is the fourth-largest of Australia's states and territories ...
in 1941. He spent his childhood growing up in the suburbs of Adelaide. He has received a BSc (Hons) from the
University of Adelaide
The University of Adelaide (informally Adelaide University) is a public research university located in Adelaide, South Australia. Established in 1874, it is the third-oldest university in Australia. The university's main campus is located on N ...
, a BD from the
Melbourne College of Divinity
The University of Divinity is an Australian collegiate university of specialisation in divinity. It is constituted by eleven theological colleges from eight denominations. The University of Divinity is the direct successor of the second oldest ...
and a PhD from the
Chicago Theological Seminary
Founded in 1855, the Chicago Theological Seminary (CTS) is the oldest higher education institution in the City of Chicago and was established with two principal goals: first, to educate pastors who would minister to people living on the new weste ...
.
A former
geophysicist
Geophysics () is a subject of natural science concerned with the physical processes and physical properties of the Earth and its surrounding space environment, and the use of quantitative methods for their analysis. The term ''geophysics'' som ...
, Drayton was ordained as a minister in 1969 in
Kent Town, South Australia
Kent Town is an inner suburb of Adelaide, South Australia. It is located in the City of Norwood Payneham & St Peters.
History
Kent Town was named for Dr. Benjamin Archer Kent (1808 – 25 November 1864), a medical practitioner of Walsall, Staf ...
. He served as a minister in three congregations,
Westbourne Park and
Salisbury
Salisbury ( ) is a cathedral city in Wiltshire, England with a population of 41,820, at the confluence of the rivers Avon, Nadder and Bourne. The city is approximately from Southampton and from Bath.
Salisbury is in the southeast of Wil ...
in South Australia and
DePue, Illinois in the United States while writing his doctoral thesis.
He then worked as a consultant for
evangelism
In Christianity, evangelism (or witnessing) is the act of preaching the gospel with the intention of sharing the message and teachings of Jesus Christ.
Christians who specialize in evangelism are often known as evangelists, whether they are i ...
for the
Synod of South Australia
The Synod of South Australia (also known as Uniting Church SA and formerly Presbytery and Synod of South Australia from 2005 to 2019) is the entity of the Uniting Church in Australia covering most of the state of South Australia. It is one of six g ...
for five years followed by 16 years as the executive director of the Board of Mission in the
Synod of New South Wales
The Synod of New South Wales and the ACT is a regional council of the Uniting Church in Australia having responsibility for the congregations and presbyteries in New South Wales and the Australian Capital Territory
The Australian Capital Terr ...
. He was the moderator of the New South Wales Synod (October 1995–October 1996) and had ''Pilgrim in the Cosmos''
published in 1996. During 1997, he spent time as a visiting professor in evangelism at the
Southern Methodist University
, mottoeng = "The truth will make you free"
, established =
, type = Private research university
, accreditation = SACS
, academic_affiliations =
, religious_affiliation = United Methodist Church
, president = R. Gerald Turner
, prov ...
's
Perkins School of Theology
Perkins School of Theology is one of Southern Methodist University's three original schools and is located in Dallas, Texas. The theology school was renamed in 1945 to honor benefactors Joe J. and Lois Craddock Perkins of Wichita Falls, Texas. De ...
in
Dallas, Texas
Dallas () is the third largest city in Texas and the largest city in the Dallas–Fort Worth metroplex, the fourth-largest metropolitan area in the United States at 7.5 million people. It is the largest city in and seat of Dallas County w ...
. In 1999 he was appointed a
lecturer
Lecturer is an List of academic ranks, academic rank within many universities, though the meaning of the term varies somewhat from country to country. It generally denotes an academic expert who is hired to teach on a full- or part-time basis. T ...
in
theology
Theology is the systematic study of the nature of the divine and, more broadly, of religious belief. It is taught as an academic discipline, typically in universities and seminaries. It occupies itself with the unique content of analyzing the ...
(
missiology
Missiology is the academic study of the Christian mission history and methodology, which began to be developed as an academic discipline in the 19th century.
History
Missiology as an academic discipline appeared only in the 19th century. It was ...
and evangelism) at the
United Theological College in Sydney, where he is a member of the adjunct faculty (2010).
Drayton has been a member of the UCA Assembly's National Mission and Evangelism Committee from 1985 to 1998 and a member of the standing committee from 1985 until 2009.
He has travelled widely in
Australia
Australia, officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a Sovereign state, sovereign country comprising the mainland of the Australia (continent), Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous List of islands of Australia, sma ...
practicing evangelism and mission, worked extensively with the
Uniting Aboriginal and Islander Christian Congress
The Uniting Church in Australia (UCA) was founded on 22 June 1977, when most congregations of the Methodist Church of Australasia, about two-thirds of the Presbyterian Church of Australia and almost all the churches of the Congregational Unio ...
and with the NSW Synod Pacific Island Council and Synod
Korea
Korea ( ko, 한국, or , ) is a peninsular region in East Asia. Since 1945, it has been divided at or near the 38th parallel, with North Korea (Democratic People's Republic of Korea) comprising its northern half and South Korea (Republic o ...
n Advisory Council.
Drayton was President of the Uniting Church in Australia from July 2003 to July 2006 at a time when there was controversy over the church's position
Church opens arms to gays, others head for door
Kelly Burke, Religious Affairs Writer, Sydney Morning Herald
''The Sydney Morning Herald'' (''SMH'') is a daily compact newspaper published in Sydney, New South Wales, Australia, and owned by Nine. Founded in 1831 as the ''Sydney Herald'', the ''Herald'' is the oldest continuously published newspaper i ...
, 18 July 2003, accessed 26 January 2010 on male and female homosexual Christians, particularly clergy
Clergy are formal leaders within established religions. Their roles and functions vary in different religious traditions, but usually involve presiding over specific rituals and teaching their religion's doctrines and practices. Some of the ter ...
, and took a conciliatory leadership role.
Drayton is the author of ''Pilgrim in the Cosmos'' (1996) and ''Which Gospel?'' (2005), as well as other studies and articles on mission, evangelism and the contemporary mission context.
References
{{DEFAULTSORT:Drayton, Dean
1941 births
Living people
Uniting Church in Australia ministers
Uniting Church in Australia presidents
University of Adelaide alumni
Chicago Theological Seminary alumni