Frank Jenner

Frank Jenner
Born	Frank Arthur Jenner (1903-11-02) 2 November 1903 Southampton, Hampshire, England
Died	8 May 1977(1977-05-08) (aged 73) Kogarah, New South Wales, Australia
Other names	Bones Jenner; often mistakenly spelled as Genor
Occupation(s)	Evangelist, sailor
Years active	1937–circa 1965 (until Parkinson's disease)
Known for	Street evangelism on George Street, Sydney; "Frank Jenner question"

Frank Arthur "Bones" Jenner (often mistakenly spelled as Genor; 2 November 1903 – 8 May 1977) was an Australian evangelist and sailor recognized for his unique evangelistic method: approaching individuals on George Street, Sydney, with the question, "If you were to die within the next 24 hours, where would you spend eternity? Heaven or hell?" Originally from England, Jenner contracted African trypanosomiasis at age twelve, which resulted in lifelong narcolepsy. He initially served in the Royal Navy but deserted while in New York City to join the United States Navy, only to desert once more upon arriving in Australia. Subsequently, he worked with the Royal Australian Navy until purchasing his discharge in 1937.

Jenner embraced Christianity that same year after encountering open-air preachers from the Glanton Exclusive Brethren. For nearly three decades—until Parkinson’s disease curtailed his efforts—he dedicated himself to personal evangelism, reportedly engaging over 100,000 individuals. Among those influenced was Noel Stanton, who later founded the Jesus Army in 1969.

In 1952, Reverend Francis Dixon of Lansdowne Baptist Church in Bournemouth began receiving accounts from people converted by Jenner’s probing question on George Street. Upon meeting Jenner in 1953, Dixon informed him that many of these converts had maintained their faith, an insight that profoundly affected Jenner.

Jenner passed away from colorectal cancer in 1977. Although his work was not widely recognized during his lifetime, his evangelistic legacy grew after his death, despite some inconsistencies in various reports. In 2000, Raymond Wilson authored Jenner of George Street: Sydney's Soul-Winning Sailor to present a well-researched biography. Nonetheless, differing portrayals persist, including one by Ché Ahn who refers to Jenner as "Mr. Genor."

Early life

Frank Arthur Jenner was born on 2 November 1903 in Southampton, Hampshire, England. His father was a former sea captain turned hotel pub proprietor. Jenner had four siblings. At twelve years old during World War I, he was sent to serve aboard a training ship designed for troubled youths. At fourteen, while voyaging to Cape Town, South Africa, he contracted Trypanosoma transmitted by a tsetse fly bite, leading to African trypanosomiasis ("sleeping sickness"). After enduring a coma lasting fifteen days, he recovered but developed narcolepsy, which later prevented him from driving. Following the war’s conclusion, he returned to England.

Navy career

Jenner enlisted in the Royal Navy but deserted while stationed in New York City. Shortly thereafter, he joined the United States Navy. During this period, he developed a gambling habit focused on craps and earned the nickname "Bones" due to his superstition of rubbing a rabbit’s foot before rolling dice.

At age 24, Jenner deserted again while in Melbourne, Australia. There he met Charlie Peters and wed Peters’ daughter Jessie on 6 July 1929 at HMAS Cerberus. After settling in Melbourne, Jenner joined the Royal Australian Navy and was tasked with retrieving HMAS Canberra from England. He served aboard HMAS Australia until purchasing his discharge without pension benefits in 1937.

Called back into service at the outbreak of World War II in 1939, Jenner’s narcolepsy restricted him to shore-based roles in Sydney. His duties included covert operations and delivering sealed orders. After the war ended, he left naval service and took up work as a janitor for IBM, a company specializing in technology and consulting services.

Conversion to Christianity

In 1937, Jenner came across members of the Glanton Exclusive Brethren preaching openly on Collins Street. After suggesting he share some encouraging news first, Jenner listened to their message. He demonstrated how to play craps, which prompted one Brethren member to invite him home and discuss the gospel. Jenner embraced Christianity and urged his wife Jessie to seek salvation, though she initially resisted. During this period, Jenner’s gambling caused financial difficulties, leading Jessie to take their daughter Ann and move to a farm in Corowa for work. Jenner’s fervent evangelistic efforts distanced Jessie’s brothers, severing ties with them. He also wrote to his relatives in England about his newfound faith but received no reply.

Later that same year, while staying with a Glanton Brethren family, Jessie converted to Christianity. By the end of 1937, Jenner and Jessie were reunited. Jenner gave up gambling but frequently experienced job loss due to his evangelistic activities at work. In 1939, Jessie was diagnosed with a peptic ulcer, believed then to be caused by stress related to financial pressures; she and Ann relocated to India for recuperation at the Kotagiri Keswick Missionary Home under the care of Jenner’s aunt Emily McKenzie. Ann attended Hebron School in Ooty, Tamil Nadu until she was ten years old. After Jessie's health improved, the family returned to Sydney aboard the SS Oronsay.

Jenner adopted a strict daily schedule, beginning each day at 5 a.m. with prayer. During the 1940s, he transitioned from the Glanton Brethren to the Open Brethren, attending congregations on Sydney’s Goulburn Street and in Bexley. These churches often misinterpreted his narcolepsy as inattentiveness during services and disapproved of his cooperation with other Christian groups. Despite this, Jenner actively worked alongside organizations such as The Navigators, Campaigners for Christ, and churches from Baptist, Anglican, and Methodist denominations.

Evangelism

Motivated by gratitude for his salvation, Jenner dedicated himself to personal evangelism, striving to engage ten individuals daily for 28 years until Parkinson’s disease limited his efforts. It is estimated that he spoke with over 100,000 people, many of whom made initial commitments to Christianity. He carried religious tracts in his shirt pocket along with a card quoting Philippians 4:13 for encouragement during his outreach. Typically attired in a white shirt, black shoes, trousers, and occasionally a navy greatcoat, Jenner primarily evangelised along George Street, Sydney, posing what became known as the "Frank Jenner question": "If you died within 24 hours, where would you be in eternity? Heaven or hell?" Those who expressed interest were invited either to his home or a nearby church. His most active period coincided with World War II, during which he hosted sailors on Saturday evenings for hymns and sermons.

Among those impacted was Noel Stanton, who went on to establish the Jesus Army in Northampton, England. In 1945, Jenner encountered Norrie Jeffs, a returning serviceman already committed to Christianity; Jeffs later met his future wife through gatherings organized by Jenner. In 1952, Ian Boyden from Roseville accepted Jenner’s invitation to attend church and maintained his Christian faith for more than five decades. Numerous others converted after brief conversations, although Jenner only became aware of their enduring faith in 1953 through Francis Dixon.

Efforts to duplicate Jenner’s approach faced difficulties; Sydney evangelist Dave Rosten was physically rejected when attempting it. In 1947, Jenner posed the same question to Angus Carruthers; Carruthers confirmed his faith and eventually married Jenner’s daughter Ann.

Discovery by Francis Dixon

Reverend Francis Willmore Dixon, who served as the lead pastor at Lansdowne Baptist Church in Bournemouth, England, became acquainted with Jenner through his youth pastor, Peter Culver. Culver had himself experienced conversion after encountering Jenner on George Street in 1945. In 1952, at an event hosted by All Nations Christian College, both Dixon and Culver listened to Noel Stanton’s testimony, which also mentioned Jenner. Dixon soon recognized that both Culver and Stanton had been converted through the influence of the same individual. The following year, Dixon heard similar accounts from two British sailors at Lansdowne Baptist Church, each recalling Jenner’s question posed on George Street.

Motivated by these accounts, Dixon and his wife embarked on a preaching tour in Australia, aiming to locate Jenner despite being unaware of his full identity. In Adelaide, while sharing these conversion stories, they encountered Murray Wilkes, another individual converted through Jenner’s influence. Continuing to Perth, Dixon met yet another person whose conversion was sparked by Jenner’s question. Upon reaching Sydney, Dixon connected with Alec Gilchrist of Campaigners for Christ, who facilitated a meeting with Jenner himself. When Dixon revealed to Jenner the numerous conversions attributed to him, Jenner—then fifty years old—was deeply moved and brought to tears, having previously been unaware of the extent of his impact.

After returning to England, Dixon identified additional converts affected by Jenner’s evangelism in locations such as Bournemouth, Cumbria, India, and Jamaica. By 1979, he had recorded ten such cases. Through Dixon’s dedication and his wife Nancy’s written work titled "The Jenner Story," the scope of Jenner’s evangelistic influence gained broader recognition.

Later life

In his later years, Jenner developed Parkinson’s disease and subsequently retired from IBM. Utilizing funds inherited from Jessie, he and his wife relocated to Bexley in 1953, where they became members of Bexley Gospel Hall. Towards the end of his life, Jenner suffered from worsening dementia and narcolepsy. Confined to bed for six months and undergoing treatment with amphetamine, he was later diagnosed with colorectal cancer. Jenner passed away at Calvary Hospital in Kogarah, New South Wales, on 8 May 1977 at the age of 73. Due to close relationships with local police officers, his burial at Woronora Lawn Cemetery was accompanied by a police escort. His wife died two years afterward.

Legacy

During his lifetime, Jenner’s evangelistic efforts went largely unnoticed. After his passing, numerous stories about his ministry began circulating widely but often contained inconsistencies. Some narratives inaccurately depicted him as a small man with white hair—details that contradicted family testimonies.

In 2000, Raymond Wilson authored Jenner of George Street: Sydney's Soul-Winning Sailor to present a precise account of Jenner’s life. With full support from Jenner’s family, Wilson portrayed him as "eccentric... the very antithesis of the 'wise', 'mighty', and 'noble'," echoing 2 Corinthians 12:9 which emphasizes strength found in weakness. Wilson drew parallels between Jenner’s "heaven or hell" question and Arthur Stace’s famous sidewalk inscription "Eternity," both designed to provoke contemplation about eternal matters. He characterized Jenner as a determined fighter and advised caution against replicating his evangelistic methods without similar divine empowerment. Wilson substantiated his findings through extensive interviews with key individuals including Jenner’s daughter, son-in-law, and close acquaintances.

Despite Wilson's research, conflicting accounts persisted as late as 2006; some sources referred to Jenner as "Mr. Genor." Ray Comfort’s Living Waters website and Ché Ahn’s book Spirit-led Evangelism perpetuated this version, describing Jenner erroneously as a "little white-haired man" and incorrectly stating that he died two weeks after meeting Nancy Dixon. Wilson’s investigation confirms that Jenner lived more than twenty years beyond when Dixon began sharing stories about those converted through him.

In 2013, Gary Wilkinson produced the documentary The Frank Jenner Question, which included interviews with Jenner’s daughter and individuals inspired by his evangelistic efforts. Claire Goodwin encouraged adopting Jenner’s approach in her book Compelled to Tell: A Fascinating Journey from a New York Dead-End Street to a Lifetime of Ministry and Soul-Winning.