Why Trump this year? The fall in churchgoing may have some thing to do with it, suggests vox.com, a political commentary site. Obadiah hopes they are right. If churchgoing depresses the Trump vote, then the 5 per cent drop in churchgoing from 2008 to 2012 according to another reliable poll from Pew Research might give a clue why this year has seen the rise of the man with the strange hair. 

On the box: For those who like watching Christians on TV, Nathan Campbell, a Presbyterian minister in Brisbane, blogger and occasional Eternity writer is on Channel 10’s Family Feud from Monday.

On the box 2: Charlie Pickering of the ABC’s The Weekly was “Exhibit B”  in Anglican Minister (and Eternity Columnist) Michael Jensen’s  provocative article in The Drum “When did all the comedians become sanctimonious televangelists?” The outcome? An invitation to go on Pickering’s show this Wednesday night.

Named after: Obadiah’s idiosyncratic take on the news that the Bible Society has turned 199 was to check out who turned up at the first society board meeting. Seems like they were all famous members of the early settlement in Sydneytown. To check out their fame Obadiah checked to see what was named after them. He found something for most of them. Others not listed got to name all sorts of places, suburbs and towns but did not attach their own names to things.

• Governor Lachlan Macquarie: Macquarie St, Sydney and Hobart Macquarie University, Macquarie Bank, Lachlan and Macquarie rivers, Macquarie Harbour in Tasmania
• Elizabeth Macquarie, nee Campbell (Lady Macquarie): Campbelltown NSW, Elizabeth St Sydney and Hobart. Mrs Macquarie’s chair in Sydney harbour (not named in minutes but widely held to be the inspiration for the meeting).
• Judge Advocate John Wylde: Wylde St, Potts point
• Justice John Barron Field: two genera and one species of plants
• The Rev. Samuel Marsden: Marsden Park NSW, Marsden St Parramatta (Marsden Qld is NOT named after him).
• Lieutenant Governor Molle: Molle Islands in the Whitsunday passage, Queensland
• Major Henry Colden Antill (friend of Governor Macquarie): Antill Park Golf Club, based on his Estate, near Picton a town he helped found
• Sir John Jamieson, first titled free settler: Jamieson valley in the Blue Mountains, Jamison High School
• T Campbell (Macquarie’s colonial secretary): Campbell Street, Sydney
• William Cowper, Church of England clergyman: Cowper St Parramatta
• Edward Riley: Riley Street, Darlinghurst NSW
• Rev R Cartwright, Church of England clergyman: Cartwright near Liverpool NSW
• William Cox: Cox’s road, the original descent from the Blue Mountains, named after the man w surveyed it.
• Edward Eager, forger who founded the Methodists in Australia: Edward Eagar Lodge, a Wesley Mission facility for the homeless
• John Eyre: painted panoramas of Sydney in several art galleries
• Henry Fulton, political prisoner and later chaplain: henry Fulton public School Penrith NSW, and a nursing home
• Edward Smith Hall, newspaper editor: E S Hall Park Ryde NSW
• John Harris: Harris Park, suburb near Parramatta
• William H Hovell, explorer: Lake William Hovell, on the King River, Victoria, roads in Canberra and Melbourne
• Samuel Leigh, first Methodist minister in Australia: Leigh Memorial church, Parramatta, the former Leigh Theological College in Enfield, Sydney
• Simeon Lord, merchant: Lords Place in Orange, NSW
• Thomas Moore: Moorebank NSW, Moore Theological College
• John Oxley, surveyor general: federal Electorate, State electorates in Qld and NSW, A town in NSW, suburbs in the ACT and Qld, numerous streets.
• John Palmer, commissary of the first fleet: Palmer Street, Sydney
• John Piper, Military officer: Point Piper in Sydney Harbour
• Dr W Redfern, surgeon: Redfern the suburb and railway station.
• Samuel Terry, merchant, “Australia’s richest man”: Samuel Terry Public School, Cranebrook; Samuel Terry Asset Management, a funds management company
• Dr D’arcy Wentworth, assistant surgeon: Wentworthville, Wentworth Point but not the federal electorate)

With this list, Obadiah is aware he will have missed something. Please inform me of blunders at eternity@biblesociety.org.au