James Udy

Reverend James Stuart Udy OAM (30 September 1920 – 24 February 2003) was an Australian Uniting Church minister, Master of Wesley College, University of Sydney, author and President of the World Methodist Historical Society from 1977 until 1983.^[1]

Early life and education

Jim Udy was a Methodist minister, and one of three brothers who became ministers of religion. Gloster Udy was his older brother, and Richard Udy was his younger brother. James attended Newington College (1930),^[2] North Sydney Boys High School, Maitland High School, University of Sydney and Boston University. James married Anne Benua after meeting on a European bike tour that he took and together they had six children.

Military chaplain

Udy offered himself for service as a chaplain immediately after his ordination at Melbourne in January 1945. After his arrival on the island of Morotai with an engineer unit, he organised the construction of a chapel, which was dedicated on 25 July. Shortly afterwards, Udy was posted to 2/26 Supply Depot Company on the island of Labuan, where, after the Japanese surrender, another chapel (built to the same plans as the first) was constructed by 2/14 Works Unit. During this period, Chaplain Udy worked extensively with repatriated Prisoners of War, and with their Japanese former captors.^[3]

Publications

• Paul: A Conflux of Streams (Syd, 1956)
• Campus Marks of Christian Presence (Syd, 1968)
• Living Stones (Syd, 1974)
• Dig or Die (Syd, 1980)
• Christians and Churches in Socialist Countries (Syd, 1982)
• Church Union in Australia (Syd, 1983)
• A Pride Of Lions (Syd, 1990)
• One More Challenge (Syd, 2001)

References