James Way

Rev. James Way (17 June 1804 – 14 August 1884) was a Bible Christian minister in the early days of the colony of South Australia, and for whom Way College was named. He was the father of Sir Samuel Way.

Way was born in Morchard Bishop, Devon and entered the Wesleyan ministry in 1826 and was elected President of the English Conference in 1847. He had been urged to take charge of the Canadian missions, but demurred, as his widowed mother depended on him. Subsequently Rev. James Thorne, one of the founders of the sect and secretary to the Missionary Society, asked him and Rev. James Rowe (22 October 1824 – ) to form a mission to Australia.

Rev. James Way left for South Australia on the Anna Maria, arriving in Adelaide in August 1850 along with his three younger children, his wife Jane, and her son Edward. Samuel Way, the eldest, remained behind to complete his studies, arriving in Adelaide in March 1853. Rev. Way soon came across Samuel Coombe of Brompton and P. P. Dungey, and visited J. R. Rundle, for whom he had a letter of introduction, and at whose butcher shop the first services were held.

Their first chapel, seating 160, was erected on Sixth Street, Bowden by builders George Cole and Simon Clarke, J. W. Cole being the architect, and the first services were held on 30 November 1851. In June 1852 the Sabbath School commenced operation under J. R. Rundle, and within a year had 80 pupils. Around 1855 it was decided to move into larger premises and in 1856 the foundation stone was laid by Rev. Way and the new 400-seat church building opened on 15 February 1857.

In 1855 he left for Victoria to open the Victorian Mission, which in 1860 became a separate district under the Rev. James Rowe, who from a base at Burra had established the northern circuit in South Australia.

Other churches were established in rapid succession: Yankalilla, Normanville, Finniss Vale,Peachey Belt,Willunga,Findon, and a host of others, were opened around 1855. The city chapel, in Young Street, was opened in August 1858.

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