The Methodist minister, 1949-1997

Component identifier:

Series 2

Content Summary:

As the son of a South Australian Methodist minister, Barrett had an early introduction to the church, and spent his formative years growing up in manses at Yorketown, Broken Hill, Port Lincoln and Goodwood, a suburb of Adelaide. At the University of Adelaide he was Co-President of the Student Christian Movement, and spent a year during his Bachelor of Arts degree as a resident at Wesley Theological College, Wayville. He also undertook two or three units of an external Bachelor of Divinity degree from the University of Melbourne while at Wesley College, but did not complete it. During this period he was an active member of Pirie Street Methodist church, the main centre of Methodism in South Australia. After graduation from the University of Adelaide he resumed theological studies during his appointment as a probationary minister, initially in West Hindmarsh, then at Snowtown. Once ordained, he continued as Methodist minister to the circuits of Snowtown, 1957-1960 (including the towns of Lochiel and Condowie) and Naracoorte, 1964-1968 (incorporating Lochaber, Wrattonbully, Kybybolite and Keppoch). Included in this series are sermons, parish newsletters, and letters exchanged with former parishioners and fellow ministers, of which some ties extended over many years.

Barrett gradually became disaffected with the itinerancy of circuit work, and of the workings of the Methodist Church in general, and briefly considered transferring his ministry to the Presbyterian faith before resigning from the church altogether in 1968. Amongst his grievances, Barrett was critical of the Church's failure to take an active stance on the preachings of Billy Graham, and on Australian involvement in the Vietnam War, on which topic he wrote a discussion paper in 1966.

Additional papers relating to the Goodwood Methodist Church are filed in File 19 of Series 1.

Immediate source of acquisition:

The papers were donated to the National Library by Barrett's widow Margaret in March 2000. They form an exceptionally orderly collection, characterised by a large body of sustained correspondence, and reflect both Barrett's flair for letter writing and his meticulous approach to record keeping. Series 5 (a letter to his daughter Clare) was added on 3 October 2001.

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