Leading without command
The life of Hal Oxley
The legacy of a 103-year-old visionary
During the interviews for my website, I regularly hear testimonies about preachers who left a deep impression. Sometimes these are people from the immediate vicinity, but often names from far beyond the border are mentioned. Hal Oxley is one such name that comes up. It triggered me to delve into his life story again.
His life serves as a powerful example for anyone who wants to live with vision and conviction. At the time I attended the Kom en Zie Pentecostal church in Rotterdam, he was a familiar figure there. The impact this Australian had on those present was impressive. He shaped his worldwide ministry in his own unique way through his clear teaching.
I recently spoke with someone about that period in Rotterdam. That conversation immediately brought back memories of this remarkable man. Hal Oxley often wove his war experiences into his message as practical examples. That makes his story still worth sharing.
A foundation of discipline
Hal’s life began in Adelaide in 1916 as the son of English parents. He grew up as an athletic young man who excelled at the prestigious Scotch College in Melbourne. There he developed the qualities that would characterize him for the rest of his life. He proved to be a natural leader who inspired others by taking the lead himself. At seventeen, he chose to attend the Royal Military College in Duntroon. Four years later, he was a lieutenant in the Australian Army. His physical achievements were impressive: he was a first-class hockey and rugby player, and a long-distance runner.
The horrors of war
When World War II broke out, Hal found himself at the center of power as adjutant to the governor-general. The war at the front was nothing like the orderly life in the barracks. He fought in the deserts of Africa, the hills of Greece, and the heat of Syria. During the siege of Tobruk, he held out for six months in a situation where survival was the only priority. Later, as a lieutenant colonel, he coordinated Australian operations with the American headquarters under General MacArthur. He left the armed forces with the Order of the British Empire on his chest. It seemed like the peak of his career, but his most important work was yet to begin.
From the boardroom to the pulpit
After the war, he pursued a career in business. He rose to become director of a large publicly traded company, where he managed factories and led large groups of people. Despite his success and financial security, something gnawed at him. Around the age of forty, a major change took place in his life; he converted and came to faith in Christ. This was not a sudden event on a battlefield, but an inner realization that power and status did not give him the satisfaction he sought.
In 1962, he was appointed pastor, and five years later, he decided to devote himself fully to this calling. He started a small church that grew into the Life Ministry Center in Melbourne. Hal brought with him the discipline he had learned in the army and the insight he had gained in business, but now he used these skills to serve and liberate people, rather than command them.
A legacy of wisdom
His influence spread further when he founded a Bible school in 1972. He trained hundreds of pastors, not by presenting them with dusty theories, but by offering them practical wisdom. In his old age, he recorded these lessons in his book on inspirational leadership. It was the culmination of seventy years of experience in the trenches, the boardroom, and the church.
Hal continued to preach until he was 100 years old. His centenary in 2016 was a celebration of a life that had shaped generations. In March 2020, he died peacefully at the age of 103. Those around him described his passing as a departure to the next adventure.
The power of his testimony lies in the change he underwent. He showed that true power is not about controlling others, but about the ability to lift people above themselves. He proved that integrity and humility are the most important building blocks for a meaningful existence, no matter how old you are.
@wimvanputten