John Burton: Missionary, Administrator, Mission Theorist (1875-1970)

John Wear Burton's importance to Methodist History in Australia derives firstly from his nine years as a missionary to the Fiji Indians (1902-11), during which time he criticized the institution of indenture, and secondly from his long tenure (1925-1945) as General Secretary of the Methodist Missionary Society where he was responsible for the Methodist missions in the Sout Pacific and also in Indiaand North Australia. In this role he had to content with the disruptions of the Depression and World War II. He was a prolific writer, publishing books and articles on mission policy, ecumenism, theology and Australia's responsibility to the world; his articles appeared regularly in the Methodist mission journal Missionary Review (Which he edited for around 25 years) but also in the Sydney Morning Herald and other mainstream outlets. He was also a keen photographer, and his photos enliven many of his articles