Rev Robert Jeremy Bailey 1988 – 2009

Jerry was born in Johannesburg, on 10 February 1943, the youngest of 3 brothers. He was educated at St David’s, the Marist Brothers College in Inanda. From there he went on to join the Syfrets Group where he stayed until 1972. He then moved to the Metboard Group where he stayed until his resignation in 1984. He was then a director of a major subsidiary.  He came to St Luke’s for the first time in 1973 – to investigate the man his cousin had married, John Spyker. Here he stayed as John brought him to the Lord and encouraged and developed his spiritual life and ministry. He was licensed as a Lay Minister, served on the Parish Council, became a Church Warden and resuscitated and developed the Parish Magazine – The Bell. He was also accepted for training as a self-supporting priest.

He continued to serve under Peter Lee and led a Lay Mission to Christiana as well as a preaching team to St Edmund’s in Kempton Park. He ran a number of Small Groups and acted as an Area Pastor to the Small Group Leaders. He was also a member of the ‘celebrated corps de clergy!’ - the others being the Revds Peter Lee, Richard Girdwood, Rob Jobling and Horace McBride.

He was ordained deacon in St Mary’s Cathedral, on 12 December 1982, by Bishop Sigisbert Ndwandwe. He was ordained priest the following year, on 11 December 1983, by Bishop Timothy Bavin, also in the Cathedral.

It was at this time that the Lord intervened and directed him into the stipendiary ministry. He was appointed an assistant priest at St Martin’s in the Veld in Rosebank, under Mervyn Moore. Here he and his family spent two and a half of the happiest years of their life. On Mervyn’s retirement he acted as Priest in Charge until Brian Germond took up his appointment as Rector. He returned to St Luke’s in late 1987 as assistant to Peter Lee. After Peter left to establish the Diocese of Christ the King, to which he was elected as the first Bishop, Jerry was appointed Rector of St Luke’s by Bishop Duncan Buchanan on 14 June 1988, During his time with St Luke’s he has also served on a number of Diocesan groups. He has been a Chaplain to the Diocesan Lay Ministers, Co-ordinator of the Diocesan Vision Implementation Team, Chairman of SAINTS – the Team focused on the development of the Ministry of the Laity –as well as designing and running workshops aimed at facilitating the implementation of Ministry Development Teams in the parishes. He also served as the Managing Director of the Olive Branch Christian Bookshop which operated in Norwood for 10 years. He is, in addition, Chaplain at St Mary’s School in Waverley. He takes weekly services on Wednesday, Thursday, Friday and Sunday, teaches Divinity twice a week, leads the Confirmation classes and is a member of the School Board.

During his time at St Luke’s a number of property developments have taken place. The area around the church was landscaped and re-paved, the Rectory became the new Parish Centre and was renovated to make it more effective, the Robin Crawford Centre was built, the Wall of Remembrance was erected in the Garden of Remembrance, a small Hall, the Lighthouse Hall, was designed and completed mainly to serve the Youth Ministry. It has been so well designed that it has been used for many other uses and functions.  After No 17A Orchard Road was sold, parishioners donated their home at No 36 Dorothy Road for use as the Rectory (also to be used for assistant clergy if needed). St Luke’s also contributed towards and arranged for the building of a new church in Christiana, to replace one appropriated by the State. The growing and developing ministry of the parish meant a growth too in the parish staff. A full time Parish Manager was appointed for the first time in July 2001. A full time Youth Pastor was also appointed in 2004. During this time too, 7 members of the parish have been trained and ordained.

Jerry is married to Beryl [nee Dawson] a physiotherapist. They have 3 daughters – Catherine, who lives with her family in Perth, Western Australia, and Michelle and Teresa, who are both married and live in Johannesburg.