James AndersonPrint Page

The plaque commemorates James Anderson, former session clerk and office bearer of the church who died in 1898. 

On Sunday morning St Stephen's Presbyterian Church, Phillip-street, was attended by a large congregation, when a memorial service was held in connection with the death of Mr James Anderson, who for the last 43 years had been an active member of that congregation and a prominent worker in the Presbyterian Church of New South Wales. The preacher was the Rev. J. Ferguson, who based his sermon on the passage of Scripture contained in St John, xi. 28.

In the course of his remarks the preacher said that during the past week an old and familiar figure in the Presbyterian Church of this colony, one of the most noble pillars of that congregation, and a dear friend to many, had been called away. In 1855 Mr James Anderson came to these shores, and within a few weeks of his landing he was appointed to a responsible position in the Royal Mint, which position he filled with honour and credit for 41 years. When Mr Anderson arrived in Sydney, at the age of 26, he attached himself to St. Stephen's congregation, which at that time as a congregation of the Free Church of Scotland was worshipping in the building now occupied by the Sydney School of Arts.

In 1859 Mr Anderson was elected a deacon, in 1863 he was ordained an elder, and two years later he was appointed session clerk, which responsible position he filled without intermission for 33 years. In the year 1860 he founded a Sunday school in the neighbourhood of Darlinghurst, and later on he became superintendent of the main Sunday School. At that time the congregation were worshipping in the building in Macquarie street now in use as the lending branch of the Free Public Library. One feature of his labours in Church life was the founding and carrying on of the Polynesian Mission in connection with the Presbyterian Church of New South Wales. He took a warm interest in the welfare of the young people, and in foreign mission work of their Church, and for many years he was an active member of the Foreign Missions Committee.

In his position as session clerk he was often times doing the work of the pastor, and none had felt his help in that direction more than he (Mr Ferguson) when he first landed on these shores to take up the pastorate of the church. Mr. Anderson was not blessed with an abundance of bodily strength, but in mind he was a tower of strength in the work of the Lord. During the few weeks of his illness he was nursed with loving care by one who to him had for so many years been a true partner in life, and whose name was as familiar in the work of the congregation as was that of her now departed husband. Mr Anderson was the most widely known of all the Presbyterian laymen of this colony, and was, without doubt, a noble-minded, self-sacrificing, and most consistent Christian gentleman,— one who did his work in no ostentatious manner, but with one object in view—that of serving his Master and benefiting his fellow man—and his dying message was " When I leave this scene on earth there are to be no sorrow, no flowers, and no fuss : I go home because my work is done, and because my Master calls me. " They laid his body to rest in the cemetery on Friday morning. In life he was an example to all Christians ; and, though dead, he yet speaks through the good works he left behind him.
Sydney Morning Herald (NSW), 15 August 1898.

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