Lawyers' Christian Fellowship

Who we are

The Fellowship was formed in 1960 in the wake of the 1959 Billy Graham Crusade to help encourage those lawyers who had made a commitment to Christ during that Crusade.

The Origins of the Fellowship

Imagine a time when over 980,000 people come to listen to God*s word being preached at one location over a two week period. Imagine over 56,780 of those people responding over that time to that Word. Imagine that so many of that 56,780 were legal professionals that a number of lawyers felt that there was a need to follow those people up. Imagine an organisation being set up to provide fellowship and encouragement to those people, in the legal profession, who had made a response to God*s word.

Well the time was 1959, the place was Sydney and that organisation was and is the Lawyers* Christian Fellowship. Those people who saw the need included Trevor Morling who went on to become Queens Counsel and later a Federal Court judge, Richard Gee, recently retired Judge of the Family Court, Ian Harvey solicitor and later lecturer at Macquarie University in psychology, and Justice Athol Richardson of the Supreme Court. Others who later became involved in 1960 included Ray Sanders Watson who went on to become a Judge of the Family Court and Justice Normal Jenkins of the Supreme Court and Justice Leslie Herron of the Supreme Court.

Of that 1959 Crusade Richard Gee said that what stood out in his mind was that it just rained and rained and yet people just seemed to keep going forward to commit their lives to Christ. The other thing that struck him was the unearthly silence and stillness. Dr Stuart Piggin said that others had described the atmosphere at the Sydney Crusade as being "as if each person there was standing before God".

In their book on the 1959 Bill Graham Crusade "LightBeneath the Cross" Stuart Barton Babbage and IanSiggins describe the response of legal practitioners as follows:

"Those engaged in the pursuit and practice of law responded in significant numbers. Moves were made, in the weeks following the Crusades, to establish a Christian Legal Fellowship in Australia, along the lines of the similar Fellowship in Great Britain. At a dinner of forty legal men in Sydney, convened to discuss the promotion of Christian activity within the profession some twenty-five Crusade enquirers were present. A similar number of law students registered decisions in the Sydney Crusade and in other states numbers of prospective and actual members of the legal fraternity did likewise. A group of solicitors from the offices connected with the New South Wales Supreme Court participate actively in a new Fellowship which has been established since the Crusade amongst the staff of the Court. Encouraged by the Registrar of Probates and the Prothonotary, a growing number of staff personnel in like manner gather regularly for Bible study and prayer."

If the 1959 Billy Graham Crusade was a genuine expenence of revival, as Dr Stuart Piggin contends, then this Fellowship had its origins in that revival.

In its early years the Fellowship held regular lunches where members could sit and talk. It provided support to the new Christians in the profession and helped disciple them with bible studies. In 1965 it held its first weekend away at Gilbulla. On that weekend John Poulson QC, from England, who was out for a legal convention, spoke together with Bishop Hugh Moyer, Dr Robert Tronson, and Ray Sanders Watson. Richard Gee recalls that over seventy people attended that weekend including members of the St Thomas Moore Society. Amongst those attending from St Thomas Moore Society were the present Governor General Sir William Deane and the present Chief Justice of the Supreme Court Murray Gleeson.

In 1965 the Fellowship even put on a play written by Dr Howard Guiness the rector at St Michaels Vaucluse in which Paul the Apostle (played by Syd Hume) was cross examined on his beliefs by Richard Gee and Peter Taylor (now the Anglican Minister at West Pennant Hills).

While events such as these were important, the Fellowship*s focus in those early years were people. One of those who made a commitment to Christ during the Crusade was a prominent solicitor, at that time the solicitor for the NRMA, Roger Neale Breden. He has been variously described as a hard man and a very tough solicitor. Many of those I have spoken to who were involved in the Fellowship at that time remember him fondly. Several have remarked how they have rarely seen someone change so much.

Roger Breden was 59 yrs old when he went forward on March 18 1959 and committed his life to Christ. During February that year he had been hospitalised suffering a nervous and mental breakdown. But in true lawyer fashion he was in hospital for four days, out for two days and back to work to deal with a particularly exacting matter. However the pressure of work was taking its toll and more and more he was having recourse to alcohol to get him through his days.

Roger Breden made his commitment to Christ after having heard Billy Graham on 2CH and went forward at White City Crusade which was conducted by one of Billy Graham*s associate evangelists. During the Crusade his wife went forward as did his three sons, each accompanied by their fiancee.

In the words of his testimony:

"Since March 18 I have continued at my work in better shape mentally and physically than I have been for years. But more than that, I rejoice to say that I have become a new man spiritually, and my life and our home have been refashioned. My wife and sons having made their decisions, we can truly say with Joshua, as recorded in the bible - "As for me and my house we will serve the Lord."

"I do not understand - and I would not pretend to understand just what has happened, much less explain it. I just know some thing very wonderful has happened - that is none of our doing - that it is solely by the grace and love of God and through faith in Him that we are saved and through no effort of our own. I have gained a desire for prayerful communion with God in all things, and for a knowledge of the Bible as a guide through life, and this great Book is opening up in a very wonderful way through the lessons learned during the Crusade.

"We have all gained a new understanding of what is required of a Christian and have awakened to our obligation to serve in our Church, our home and in the office , or elsewhere as we may be called. I could not adequately express my thanks to our God for what he has done for me and my family.

"In the words of a well known hymn:

"I'm not ashamed to own my Lord

Or to defend His cause

Maintain the honour of His Word

The glory of His Cross."

Gary Tyler, now a partner in Church & Grace Solicitors calls how once while Roger was chairing a meeting f Creditors, forgetting where he was said "shall we open in prayer" and proceeded to do so.

Roger Breden played a significant role in the Fellowship in its early years and Richard Gee says that his vitality had an impact on all of them in particular Justice Norman Jenkins who himself had come alive in his faith during the Crusade.

Richard Gee remarks of Roger that he would often say:

I cannot know how long I will live, but while I am alive I will scorch the earth for Jesus.

Unfortunately Roger was to die only a few years later on 22 December 1963, but says Richard Gee he kept his word and in those 4 1/2 years he scorched the earth for Christ never failing to defend God*s cause and to live his testimony.

His life stands as a testimony to the sovereign power of God to perform that greatest of all miracles to transform the hardest heart, to bring to life the Spiritually dead, to make a new creation. It also stands as an example and encouragement to desire prayer and communion with God in all things.