Messages by Gloster Udy

Messages spoken at various Camps Farthest Out by Gloster Udy.

Gloster Udy

About Gloster Udy

Gloster Stuart Udy (1918–2003) was a foundational figure in the Australian Methodist and Uniting Churches…
Gloster Stuart Udy (1918–2003) was a foundational figure in the Australian Methodist and Uniting Churches, dedicating over five decades to pastoral care, innovative social ministry, and global evangelism. Born into a devout family—the eldest of three brothers who would all enter the ministry—Udy’s life work transformed how the church engaged with the community, leaving a legacy of compassionate outreach.

Foundations and Early Call

The son of a Cornish Methodist minister, Udy grew up with a deep understanding of faith and community service. After completing his arts degree at the University of Sydney in 1939, his path to the pulpit was temporarily diverted by World War II. He served as a military chaplain for the 2/23 Infantry Battalion, providing spiritual guidance to soldiers during the grueling Battle of Tarakan. This wartime experience solidified his commitment to ministry under pressure and shaped his practical approach to faith.

The Parramatta Mission and Community Innovation

In 1951, Udy was appointed minister of the historic Leigh Memorial Church in Parramatta, New South Wales. This role launched his most impactful period of ministry. He became the Superintendent of the Parramatta Mission, where he worked tirelessly to bridge the gap between spiritual teachings and practical social care.
Udy believed that the church should be a sanctuary for both the soul and the body. In 1977, he envisioned and secured “Keramic” house, a dedicated space designed to give hospital visitors a place to rest, reflect, and pray. Under his leadership, the Parramatta Mission expanded its scope to address poverty, mental health, and isolation, laying the groundwork for the modern community services the mission provides today.

Crisis Support and Global Evangelism

Udy’s ministry extended far beyond his local parish. Recognizing the growing need for immediate, accessible mental health support, he served as a Director for Lifeline, the crisis support and suicide prevention service. His involvement helped institutionalize faith-based crisis counseling as a vital civic service in Australia.
His reputation as a compelling speaker and strategic thinker eventually led him to the global stage. Udy was appointed to the General Board of the Methodist Department of Evangelism in Nashville, Tennessee. From this hub, he traveled internationally, sharing insights on community-focused evangelism and modernizing church outreach for a rapidly changing world.

Literary Legacy and Honors

Throughout his ministry, Udy was a prolific writer, using literature to extend his pastoral voice. He authored seven books that explored religious history and practical Christian living. His notable works, including Key to Change (1962) and Spark of Grace (1977), challenged readers to live out their faith through active community engagement.
Udy’s lifelong service earned him significant national recognition. He was appointed a Member of the Order of the British Empire (MBE) in 1980 and was awarded the Medal of the Order of Australia (OAM) in 2003 for his service to the church and the community.
Gloster Udy passed away in 2003 at the age of 85. His innovative approach to holistic ministry was permanently honored in 2006 with the opening of the Gloster Udy Memorial Hall, ensuring his vision of a serving, community-facing church continues to inspire future generations.

Messages Given By Gloster Udy

The Day the Lord Has Made

Gloster Udy walks through Psalm 73’s steps out of despair. He tells of a widow whose husband died suddenly sixty years ago, and who still wakes to sunlight on the words she scratched into her windowpane with her engagement ring: “This is the day the Lord has made.” The talk was given before the California Redlands CFO in 1966.

Remove the Stone, Come Forth

At the California Redlands CFO in 1966, Gloster Udy retells the raising of Lazarus. He shows how Jesus said “remove the stone” and “loose him and let him go.” He pairs the story with an Aboriginal man’s testimony of forgiving the policeman who once jailed him.

This One Thing I Do

Gloster Udy takes Paul’s refrain “this one thing I do” as his text at the 1966 California Redlands CFO. We forget past successes and failures, he preaches, in order to press toward Christ. He anchors this in the story of the singer Roland Hayes, who met a hostile Berlin crowd with prayer and love until their hissing turned to applause.

An Open Door No One Can Shut

Gloster Udy preaches from Revelation 3:8 on the “open door which no one can shut.” Roland Brown prayed over his hands at a Sydney tollgate; a troubled young woman was told that Christ accepts her as she is. The talk was given to the 1965 California Redlands CFO.

Baptized Together In The Pacific Ocean

Gloster Udy addresses the problem of reentry after a retreat. He describes an open door “which no one can shut” from Revelation chapter 3. He recounts a week of evangelism on Daytona Beach, and an Aboriginal man who walked into the Pacific Ocean to be baptized beside the policeman he once wanted to kill. He urges listeners to carry that door back into the camps.

Underneath Are the Everlasting Arms

Gloster Udy links three connected promises for the 1967 Indiana CFO retreat: that God’s strength matches each day, that “underneath are the everlasting arms,” and that God is a refuge. He illustrates them with the interlocking roots of California redwoods and with an eagle teaching its young to fly.

Farther to Pray, Farther in Prayer

Gloster Udy traces three phases of Christ’s prayer in Gethsemane: going “farther to pray,” “farther in prayer,” and “farther after prayer.” He then tells how a prayer lab with Roland Brown broke years of resentment toward a fellow committee member, in this session from the 1966 Indiana CFO retreat.

He Will Lift Up Your Head

At the Indiana CFO retreat in 1966, Gloster Udy unpacks the beatitude “meek” through Hebrew, Greek, and French. He explains it as being “God molded,” “God tamed,” and “God trained.” He also recalls a discouraged young woman named Marge who is told, “he will lift up your head.”

The Glove That Needed a Hand

Closing out the Indiana CFO in 1966, Gloster Udy tells campers that trusting Christ is like a glove that stays limp until a hand fills it. He draws on Stephen’s example in Acts 6 of being “full of faith” and “full of the Holy Spirit,” and on a boy who takes a leap of faith into his arms during a children’s service.

The Rhythm of Withdrawal and Return

Gloster Udy frames this New Year weekend, gathered as the 1966 Indiana CFO, as a withdrawal from the world. Campers pull back, he says, in order to return equipped to serve it. Drawing on a visit to an Air Force laser laboratory, he tells them that in Christ “light has come into the world” and “the darkness cannot put it out.”