Nationality Australian Role Theologian Religion Methodism | Spouse(s) Winifred Walker Books God the Disturber Name Alan Walker | |
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Full Name Alan Edgar Walker Born June 4, 1911 ( 1911-06-04 ) Other names "Mister Methodist""The Methodist Pope""That Nice Alan Warble""Conscience of The Nation" Occupation Christian minister, theologian and evangelist, social commentator / activist, Children Lynette SueBruce WalkerDavid WalkerChristopher Walker Awards Knight Bachelor, Order of the British Empire, Centenary Medal | ||
Sir Alan Edgar Walker OBE MA, DD (4 June 1911 – 29 January 2003) was an Australian theologian, evangelist, social commentator, broadcaster and activist, broadcaster and the Superintendent of Wesley Mission (formerly the Central Methodist Mission).
Contents
Career
Alan Walker was:
Lifeline
Walker launched Lifeline in Sydney, Australia in 1963 after a call from a distressed man who three days later took his own life. Walker launched a crisis line which initially operated out of the Methodist Central Mission in Sydney.
Lifeline Sydney was two years in planning and preparation, with 150 people attending a nine-month training course to work at the Centre. A century old, dilapidated building owned by the Mission, on the fringes of downtown Sydney was renovated for the purposes of this new support centre. A staff of full-time employees was appointed to direct the work of these new telephone crisis support workers. The Director General of Post and Telephone Services authorised that this crisis support service should be listed on the Emergency Page of the Telephone Directory and the phones were installed.
March 1963 saw the opening of the first official Lifeline Centre. The initiative was well received with over 100 calls for help being answered on the first day. In its 50th year, Lifeline had over 11,000 volunteers and spoke to more than 500,000 people in crisis annually.(Lifeline Australia Annual Report 2011/12)
Honours and awards
Personal life
Walker was born in Sydney on 4 June 1911 to the RevD Alfred Edgar Walker (1877—1966) and Violet Louisa Walker (née Lavis) (1881—1971). He was married to Winifred Walker (later Lady Walker) (1916–2006) and they had four children, Lynette Sue, Rev Bruce Walker, David Walker and Rev Christopher Walker. He died in 2003, at an aged care center on Sydney's North Shore, aged 91.