December 2012
December 2012
Page 1
Vol 4
No 4
FREE
The Newspaper of the Covenanting
Dioceses of Riverina, Bathurst and
Canberra-Goulburn
incorporating Anglican News and Four Rivers
Goodbye, Bishop Richard
EMOTIONAL: The emotions of the moment run close to the surface as Diocesan Administrator, Archdeacon Frank Hetherington, presents Bishop Richard and
Christine Hurford with a small altar for their new home. The altar, being unveiled by Cathedral Warden Sue West, was made by Kelso priest Roger Dyer and two
inmates from Bathurst Gaol, working with Roger under the Community Partnerships Program.
Twelve years after the date of his election as the 9th
Bishop of Bathurst, Richard Hurford formally laid up
the pastoral staff of the diocese in All Saints Cathedral.
In an emotional service on Saturday November 10,
Bishop Richard, Bishop Richard said ‘Goodbye’ to the
diocese in which he has served as the ‘shepherd of the
shepherds’ since his installation on March 24, 2001.
Consecrated as a bishop in St Andrew’s Cathedral,
Sydney, six weeks earlier, Bishop Richard had served
for the previous four years as rector of St James’, King
Street in Sydney. Prior to that he had been Dean of
Grafton Cathedral for 14 years.
Well-known throughout the Australian Church and
overseas because of his love of and expertise in church
music, the bishop was farewelled by friends and wellwishers from various Christian denominations throughout Australia and even from overseas.
Turn to page 2 for details of final service
in this issue:
Riverina farewells
Bishop Doug ... page 3
Prayer links to
strengthen Tri-Dio
Covenant ... page 7
Defence Forces
Bishop to retire
... page 5
Page 2
December 2012
TRI-DIOCESAN NEWS
Goodbye, Bishop
Richard (continued from page 1)
I thank my God every time
I remember you, constantly
praying with joy in every one
of my prayers for all of you
because of your sharing in the
Gospel from the first day until
now.
With these words from
the Epistle to the Philippians,
Bishop Richard Hurford began
his final sermon in All Saints’
Cathedral as Bishop of the Diocese of Bathurst.
In a Liturgy of Thanksgiving and Pastoral Leave-Taking
on Saturday November 10,
in a cathedral packed with an
estimated 500 people, Bishop
Richard formally laid up the
pastoral staff of the diocese.
The service came four days
after his official retirement date,
his 68th birthday. Bishop Richard and Christine have built a
retirement home in Kelso, and
have already moved to their
new address.
He based his sermon on
the Epistle reading used in the
service (Phil.1: 1-11), which he
said “summed up everything
that I might share with on this
the last occasion that I might
speak with you as Bishop of
this Diocese”.
The Bishop found three
theological themes embedded in
the passage:
1. Remembering – Paul’s recollection elicits thanksgiving;
2. Joyous gratitude- firmly
earthed in sharing the problems; and
3. Friendship – which can only
be fulfilled in Christ.
“I want you to recollect
regularly those three points:
remembering, joyous gratitude,
friendship. … This is what both
Christine and I would like to offer you. This is my last opportunity on behalf of both of us
to communicate that to you. So
that passage of Scripture says it
all, for us.”
At the beginning of the service, Bishop Richard and Christine’s eldest son Nicholas had
placed the large family Bible on
the end of the altar.
Bishop Richard explained
that it was “the family Bible my
Great-Grandfather and GreatGrandmother brought here to
Bathurst 152 years ago”.
“It’s had much use by
many people down through the
generations, and as mentioned
in the text in the Order of
Service, it was the one chosen
by me to swear my oaths on at
my consecration as a bishop in
St Andrew’s Cathedral. When
I was installed as a bishop
here, my eldest son carried it
on that occasion.”
Among the many things that
he had found inserted in that
family Bible was a brief story
about the word ‘goodbye’, written by his Great-Grandmother
in blue crayon on white paper.
It told how an old Somerset
road mender in their village in
England used to say to people
as they walked by, from her
schooldays on, ‘God be with
you to the next milestone and
beyond.’
“We’ve streamlined it to
‘Goodbye’, not ‘God be with
you’ – that’s its proper expression,” he said.
“So in this final address I
say to you, on behalf of both of
us: ‘To you, the people of God,
colleagues and wider community, in this 142nd year since
the diocese was founded, and as
you continue the journey right
through to the sesqui-centenary,
the 150th for this diocese eight
years from now, I want to leave
you with what my Great-Grandmother recorded: ‘God be with
you to the next milestone and
beyond’ – and certainly to 2020.
“We may have let
one another down
occasionally, sisters
and brothers, but
God will never fail
you. Be bold, be
confident - and
goodbye.”
“All I can say to you is,
have confidence in the Christ
and step boldly into the future
that God holds for us all. We may
have let one another down occasionally, sisters and brothers, but
God will never fail you. Be bold,
be confident - and goodbye.”
The service was followed
immediately by speeches from
various community leaders.
Cr Monica Morse, Mayor
of Bathurst Regional Council, spoke of the historic links
between the city of Bathurst
and the Anglican Church – dating back to May 7, 1815, when
Bathurst was proclaimed a
settlement and the first Anglican
service was held west of the
Blue Mountains.
State Member for Bathurst,
Paul Toole, said it was a privilege, on behalf of the Government of NSW, to be able to
acknowledge and thank someone who had done so much for
END TIMES: (above) Flanked by his Chaplain, Canon Carla Archer, Bishop Richard formally
lays the pastoral staff of Bathurst Diocese on the altar signifying the end of his twelve-year term as
the 9th Bishop of Bathurst.
HISTORIC: (below) Nicholas Hurford lays the Hurford Family Bible, brought from England in 1860
when Bishop Richard’s Great-Grandparents migrated, on the altar at the beginning of the service.
the community.
Bishop Jonathan Merrick,
Bishop of Lynn and Bishop
Richard’s Commissary in England, brought warm greetings
from the Archbishop of Canterbury, including a particular
thanks to Bishop Richard for
his service in the Gospel, both
in Australia and also throughout the Anglican Communion.
He said the Archbishop had
particularly mentioned Bishop
Richard’s involvement in the
international Guild of Church
Musicians. Archbishop Williams is President of the International Guild, and six years
ago he made Bishop Richard
Vice-President.
Bishop of Canberra and
Goulburn, Stuart Robinson,
speaking on behalf of his own
diocese and also the members
of the Tri-Diocesan Covenant,
said that as one of the founders
of the Covenant Bishop Richard
had “left a profound and lasting
legacy”.
“You see, no-where else
within the Anglican Communion, to my knowledge, do three
dioceses work so closely and so
collaboratively,” he said.
On behalf of the Roman
Catholic Diocese of Bathurst,
Bishop Michael McKenna said
he was grateful for the opportunity to express his gratitude,
describing Bishop Richard as
“more than just a friend”.
“In fact, he has been a coworker in making Christ known;
he has been a brother pilgrim on
the journey we share”.
He recalled “the great event
earlier this year”, the signing
of the Covenant between the
Roman Catholic and Anglican
Dioceses of Bathurst.
The Reverend Grahame
MacRaild brought greetings not
only from the Macquarie Darling Presbytery of the Uniting
Church, of which he is Presbytery Minister, but “from many
presbyteries and many people in
the Uniting Church”.
He pointed out that the
Anglican Church and the
Uniting Church in the central
and western parts of the state
had signed a Memorandum of
Understanding , a “statement of
those things we can do together
and do well, and maybe even do
better, in partnership”.
Canon of All Saints’ Cathedral Barbara Fallow thanked
Bishop Richard and Christine for
the effort they had both made to
connect personally with people
in the towns, cities and country
areas of the diocese.
“We’ve appreciated your
readiness to join with people,
wherever they are,” she said.
“We’ve enjoyed your company,
and we hope you’ve enjoyed
ours. We appreciate your warmth,
your commitment and dedication
to the furthering of God’s love
and his word amongst the people
of this diocese.”
Archdeacon Frank Hetherington used creative alliteration
in describing Bishop Richard’s
ministry in the diocese.
His list included the words
‘faith’, ‘fairness’, ‘family’ and
‘fun’. Then, “in memory of the
late Archdeacon Robert Howell,
who always found ways to do
amazing things with the English
language”, he added ‘effective’
and ‘effervescent’.
On behalf of the diocese,
Frank Hetherington presented
Bishop Richard and Christine
with a wooden altar, hand-made
by Darryl and Simon (inmates
from Bathurst Gaol working at
Kelso parish under the Corrective
Services Department’s Community Partnerships Program) under
the supervision of Kelso parish
priest Roger Dyer (see ‘Living
Theology in wood’, page 17).
December 2012
Page 3
TRI-DIOCESAN NEWS
Riverina farewells Bishop Doug
 Outgoing bishop
reflects on seven
years at the helm of
the diocese
by Lewis Hitchick
Taking inspiration from the
writings of Caesar Augustus,
Emperor of Rome at the time
of Christ, Bishop Doug Stevens used his final sermon as
Bishop of Riverina to list some
of the changes he had initiated or overseen in the diocese
since his consecration as bishop
seven years ago.
He was speaking in St
Alban’s Cathedral, Griffith, at
the Eucharist and Thanksgiving
service on Sunday afternoon,
November 11, during which he
formally ended his pastoral relationship with the diocese and
laid up his pastoral staff.
He has accepted an invitation from Archbishop Phillip
Aspinall to become rector of
the Brisbane parish of Mount
Gravatt, a position he takes up
early in December.
Bishop Doug told the large
congregation that towards the
end of his life, Caesar Augustus
had recorded the major achievements of his reign in a document known as the Res Gestae
Divi Augusti – The Achievements of the Divine Augustus.
“As I approach the end
of seven years here as your
Bishop, I’ve given some
thought to what I can say that
I’ve achieved – or attempted to
achieve,” he said.
He recalled that when he
was made Bishop of Riverina,
he had outlined what he thought
was the Bishop’s call or responsibility in nurturing a diocese.
“I used the four traditional
marks of the church: One,
Holy, Catholic and Apostolic,”
he said. “I tried to make the
point strongly that these are the
important things a bishop has
to look after to make sure the
church maintains its oneness,
its holiness, its catholicity and
apostolic zeal.”
He suggested that these were
the “DNA markers – the genetic
markers of the church”.
Oneness
The Bishop said that unity
was a critical genetic marker
of the church, as “it goes to
the very being of God who we
know as Trinity – Father, Son
and Holy Spirit”.
Over the last seven years he
said the diocese had built links
with the wider church through
partner parishes and companion
diocese relationships. He also
listed extended Tri-Diocesan
relationships and ecumenical
cooperation.
“But paradoxically, I’ve
found it difficult to build greater
unity among the Anglicans of
our diocese, because we are
so scattered and there are not
that many of us. It’s been very,
very hard. And I have to say
we have no new strategies for
bonding together Anglicans of
the diocese apart from the ones
that were here when I came
seven years ago: synod, clergy
conference, clergy retreat and
the visits of the bishop to all the
parishes. … As I leave you, I
have to say: please keep working on your unity.”
LAST SUPPER: In company with Sue-Ellen Clivers and Louise Osborne, Bishop Doug presides
at the Eucharist in St Alban’s Cathedral for the last time as Bishop of Riverina.
is to do with love: if we love
people, we will protect them.
Through Archdeacon Paul and
Anglicare, we’ve developed
better ways of being responsive to people in their times of
personal and community crisis.
That is love.”
“As I leave you, I
have to say: please
keep working on
your unity.”
Holiness
Bishop Doug said that it had
been his responsibility for seven
years to keep before the diocese
the vision of holy love.
“In regard to this we have
developed better standards
of professional behaviour for
clergy and church workers. That
He added that amid the challenges of aggressive atheism; an
ongoing global financial crisis
that was robbing people of confidence; fear of climate change;
and growing cynicism about
organised religion, “we have
to be genuinely holy people
so that we can speak to people
of Christ and reveal the Christ
whose image we bear”.
Catholicity
SYMBOLIC: Having taken off the Diocesan cope and mitre,
Bishop Doug lays the Diocesan pastoral staff on the altar to
symbolically mark the end of his ministry as Bishop of Riverina.
He explained that while
the Western understanding of
catholicity meant membership
of the world-wide church (accepting its beliefs, its creeds, its
practices), the eastern tradition
of the church had a different
approach to catholicity.
He said the Eastern Orthodox Church saw catholicity as
“a matter of having everything
that you need in order to be
the church”. Their understanding was that when a bishop,
a deacon, and the people of
God gathered around the Risen
Christ in the Holy Eucharist,
“there you have the church;
there you see catholicity”.
“So taking those two things
into account, I see it as a basic
imperative for the Diocese of
Riverina to remain catholic by
being traditional, in the best
sense of the word. Not traditional in terms of unbending
adherence to outmoded ways of
spreading the Gospel, but being
traditional in terms of faithfully
receiving what has been handed
on to us; discerning that which
is essential and has to be passed
on; living into it, living out of
it and dialoguing with it. All of
that is catholicity.
“Being catholic also means
being everywhere ... So we
need to remain incarnational:
we need to remain in small
communities that seem to have
been abandoned by some other
churches, by banks, by government agencies.”
Bishop Doug pointed out that
the diocese had endeavoured
to do this over the last seven
years by ensuring that there was
Eucharistic ministry, evangelistic
ministry and pastoral ministry
wherever there were people.
“We have ordained people in
the local ordination sense, and we
have had enabled and supported
ministering community. We are
a small and scattered diocese,
but our catholicity means we can
have geographical extent and we
can have localised fullness.”
Apostolic nature
He said the church was
called to be passionate about
being sent: “We are to be excited about mission, and a bishop’s ministry is to cattle-prod
everybody else into theirs.”
In this regard, he had appointed Regional Archdeacons
whose task was to encourage
and resource mission and minis-
try in their area. The leadership
team developed a Diocesan
Vision and Mission Statement;
parishes developed parish-based
Vision and Mission Statements,
and people were encouraged to
live into those statements.
He had encouraged the use
of new technology in parishes,
and the diocese had commissioned a new website and a new
Facebook page, “because if we
are to reach out to and engage
with younger, technologicallyaware people, we need to use
the best technology available”.
A task force, established at
the request of synod, had examined the critical area of ongoing
mission: “These were mostly lay
people, and they were briefed to
look at possibilities for constructively improving our outreach,
improving our life as a diocese.”
The task force report had
called for better preaching,
better-trained clergy, more relaxed and flexible worship and
greater investment of money
and energy into ministry to
children and youth.
“Riverina will probably
always struggle; it will always
be challenged financially,
through a very low population
base,” Bishop Doug concluded,
“but that doesn’t mean to say
we can’t be the church constructively, purposefully; so I
pray God’s continued blessing
on you as you live into today’s
epistle reading which said:
Keep doing all of this, until
Christ appears a second time
to save you who eagerly await
him.”(Hebrews 9: 28).
Seen page 4 for ‘Church
and community join in
Stevens’ farewell’
Page 4
December 2012
NEWS FROM THE WIDER CHURCH
Christmas brings welcome gift to Sri Lanka
 As Sri Lanka
rebuilds, Australian
churches give
support through
Christmas Bowl
from Act for Peace
Kamala and her husband
were so afraid when the bombing and violence got close to
their home, they fled war-torn
Sri Lanka with nothing but the
clothes on their backs. During five long years in a refugee
camp in Tamil Nadu, southern
India, they dreamed of raising
the daughter born to them in the
camp in their homeland. Now,
they are safely home in Sri
Lanka. Support from churches
around Australia for the Christmas Bowl helped Kamala and
her husband to survive in the
camps, and provide vital health
care to their newborn baby. And
it helped them to return home
once it was safe. Life is still
tough, but Kamala is grateful to
have the opportunity to rebuild
her life.
Rebuilding lives torn
apart by war
Kamala and her husband
are among the hundreds of
thousands of Sri Lankans who
were forced to flee as a result
of the civil war that gripped
their country between 1983
and 2009. Many fled to Tamil
Nadu, southern India, and have
been living in camps there ever
since - and now that the conflict
has ended, many are looking to
return home.
Australians who support the
Christmas Bowl in 2012 will be
helping more Sri Lankan refugees
like Kamala to make a safe return
home, and providing refugees
who are still in camps with health
care, including child and maternal care, vitamin supplements for
children, and counselling. The
Christmas Bowl is the Christmas
Appeal of Act for Peace, the
international aid agency of the
National Council of Churches in
Australia.
“We left for India because
of fear, but promised to return
when things were safe again,”
said Kamala. “Returning to Sri
Lanka has not been difficult
because of the help we have
received.”
The costs of the civil war,
which ended in 2009, remain
high, and Sri Lanka now faces
a huge challenge in resettlement, rehabilitation, large scale
infrastructure reconstruction
and reconciliation between and
within ethnic communities. Act
for Peace supports programs in
the refugee camps to help refugees prepare for a return to this
environment. They are provided
with health care before their
return, and participate
in self-help groups to
support community
leadership, peace building and human rights,
assisting safe return and
resilience.
While living in the
refugee camp in Tamil
Nadu, Kamala was a
member of a self-help
group which helped prepare her for her return
to Sri Lanka. “They
explained many things
to us. They taught us
about saving money.
This was very useful to
me because when my
daughter got sick I was
GRATITUDE: Kamala, Sri Lanka: “With the help my family has
able to take money out
received we have been able to return to our home in Sri Lanka living
of savings for her care,”
in a safer environment. I am so grateful for all the help that we have
Kamala said.
Act for Peace, work- received.” Photo courtesy Janet Cousens/Act for Peace.
ing with a local project
partner, also helps provide
the Christmas Bowl began.
to help people in some of the
refugees with the documentaThrough our work, Act for
most conflict-affected countries
tion they need - like birth and
in the world. Anglican congrePeace sees first-hand the devmarriage certificates - to ensure
gations in New South Wales
astating effects of conflict on
that they can prove their Sri
contributed more than $80,000 to
innocent people - but also the
Lankan citizenship and obtain
the Christmas Bowl in 2011.
incredible difference that the
the benefits they are entitled to
right support can make. Act for
For more information about
on their return to Sri Lanka.
Peace’s life-saving work around Christmas Bowl, or to make a
Churches working
the world simply would not be
gift today, please call 1800 025
possible without the support of
together
101 or visit www.actforpeace.
people around Australia.”
Alistair Gee, Act for Peace’s
org.au/christmasbowl. A gift of
Last year more than 2,000
Executive Director, said, “Aus$50 could supply essential vitachurches from over 19 denomina- min supplements to Sri Lankan
tralian Christians have been
tions took part in the Christmas
supporting people like Kamala
children living in refugee camps
Bowl, raising almost $2.5 million in Tamil Nadu, south India.
for more than 60 years, since
Church and community join in Stevens’ farewell
Representatives of the diocese and the wider community
farewelled Bishop Doug and
Denise Stevens at a dinner at
the Griffith Ex-Services Club
following the service in St
Alban’s Cathedral.
Speaking on behalf of the
clergy of the diocese, Louise
Osborne picked up on Bishop
Doug’s reference to the church
as ‘one, holy, catholic and
apostolic’ and thanked him for
leading the clergy and the diocese in these areas over the past
seven years.
On behalf of the diocese, Lyn
Middleton from Leeton presented
a triptych painted by Colleambally artist Jan Mills, depicting
scenes of the Riverina region.
Bishop of Willochra, John
Stead, told how he had worked
with Bishop Doug over the past
seven years through the Tri-Diocesan Commission, which he
said Bishop Doug had chaired
with great tact and wisdom.
Dean of St Alban’s Cathedral,
Rob Thomas, said he had known
Doug and Denise Stevens for
a long time, having served as a
curate at Tweed Heads.
“You brought us to Riverina
and brought us home,” he told
the bishop. “You gave us an
opportunity to be part of a very
unique diocese, and I love it.
We wish you the very best; we
know you’re going to where
God’s calling you.”
Dean’s warden Robert
Crawford then presented a
framed aerial photo of St Alban’s
Cathedral.
In reply, Bishop Doug
reflected that it was a time
of change for the Anglican
Church, with a number of NSW
Dioceses becoming vacant in
coming months - Bathurst,
Newcastle, Riverina and Sydney – and the recent announcement of the new Archbishop of
Canterbury.
He said he had met the new
Archbishop at the time of the
Lambeth Conference in 2008,
when Dr Justin Selby had been
Dean of Liverpool Cathedral,
and described him as a man
with “great skills and abilities
in terms of conciliation and
reconciliation”.
“Prior to the Lambeth Conference the Archbishop of Canterbury had him running around
Africa trying to get the African
bishops to talk to one another
and to come to the conference,”
he recalled.
The bishop paid a personal
tribute to his wife: “I wouldn’t
have lasted seven years if
Denise hadn’t been doing most
of the driving, and all of that
excellent work she’s put into
hospitality, the diocesan website
and Facebook – thank you for
that support.”
He also expressed his thanks
to Clive Jones and Colleen Light
in the Diocesan Registry. “You
appreciate them greatly, and I’ve
come to appreciate how important and useful they are,” he said
before leading the gathering in a
round of applause.
He also voiced his appreciation of the “collegiality in the
church”, and thanked clergy
who had stood with him over
the years.
GIFT: Denise and Bishop Doug listen intently as Colleambally
artist Jan Mills explains the images in the triptych that was
presented to them by the people of the diocese. The painting is a
collage of scenes from throughout the Diocese of Riverina.
December 2012
Page 5
NEWS FROM THE WIDER CHURCH
Defence Forces Bishop to retire
by Peter Rose
Bishop Len Eacott AM will
shortly retire after five-and-a-half
years as the Anglican Bishop to
the Defence Force.
This appointment followed 14
years in the Infantry Corps, first
as a soldier and then officer, and
25 years (part time and full time)
as an Army chaplain, including
five years as Principal Chaplain
and Archdeacon to the Army.
Across his military career, Bishop
Len has served God, the Anglican
Church and the Australian Defence Force faithfully and well.
Surely Bishop Len would
claim as the highlight of his time
as Bishop to the Defence Force
the opportunity to lead and pastor
about a hundred full time and part
time chaplains. He has attentively
cared for these Defence Force
chaplains both in Australia and on
operational deployments across
the world. Each year he has led
the full time chaplains’ annual
retreat with skill and sensitivity.
Bishop Len has delivered
moving presentations to General
Synod and to National Anglican Gatherings, describing the
importance of ministry to and
pastoral care of people in the
Australian Defence Force. These
have contributed to the national
Church’s understanding of the
work of Defence Force chaplains,
many of whom are also licensed
as clergy in dioceses throughout
Australia.
Organisationally, Bishop Len
has enabled Defence Force chap-
lains to have a formal position in
the national Church by oversighting and driving the introduction
of a new organisation, Defence
Force Anglican Chaplaincy
Incorporated (DFACI). DFACI
is a ‘Network’ of the Anglican
Church of Australia, with all the
attendant rules and regulations.
His dogged persistence over
several years has established this
new organisation from concept to
reality.
Bishop Len will be remembered throughout the Australian
Defence Force for the introduction of the short course on the
Christian faith, Faith under Fire.
This project, based on the Life
of Jesus series of teachings and
presented using DVD and workbook, provides a superb resource
to help Defence people and
their families to understand the
relevance of the Christian faith to
their work.
As project director, Bishop
Len ensured funding was secured, scripts were prepared
and key Defence people were
involved to present a uniquely
military flavour to the Gospel
message. With 2700 course packets now distributed, hundreds of
sailors, soldiers and air men and
women have been introduced to
the Christian faith.
There is a growing realisation
of the relevance of the Christian
faith to the men and women of
the Australian Defence Force,
and to their families, as they
encounter not only the normal
stresses of life but also the lifeand-death situations associated
with war-like operations. Pleasingly, Defence Forces of regional
nations are also interested in this
project.
A perhaps less obvious but as
significant part of Bishop Len’s
ministry has been the continual
caring hospitality extended by
him and his wife Sandy. Senior
military officials, clergy, Defence
Force chaplains and their wives,
couples in need and individual
service men and women have all
experienced Len’s and Sandy’s
ministry offered in a home that
is always warm and welcoming. Sandy’s culinary skills have
been appreciated not only in their
home but also during many office
business meetings.
Bishop Len’s ministry has
extended beyond the Defence
Organisation and the national
Church to the local Anglican
Diocese of Canberra and Goulburn and to Christian organisations supporting Defence people,
including the Military Christian
Fellowship and Australian Navigators. Not surprisingly, his pastoral support often touches people
in Defence who would describe
themselves as non-Christian.
Over the past year or so,
Bishop Len has sought to promote the need for spiritual health
and spiritual healing for all who
serve in the Australian Defence
Force. The spiritual resilience of
all people, not only chaplains, is
increasingly seen as fundamen-
Karen Kime on UN Commission
 International role
to boost Indigenous
work in Tri-Dioceses
Archdeacon Karen Kime,
the only Australian Indigenous
woman attending the 57th
gathering of the United Nations
Commission on the Status of
Women (UNCSW) in New York
in March next year, believes the
experience will directly assist
her work in regional NSW.
“The content and outcomes
of this Commission directly
relate to the work of Anglicare,
particularly in rural and remote communities, where the
incidence of violence against
Indigenous women and families
is particularly high,” Archdeacon Kime said.
“In many of these communities, there is a distinct lack of
support services and few safe
places for women to turn to.
This work will assist in the development of policy and service
frameworks that will contribute
to the prevention of such violence and a greater understanding of the services required.”
The UNCSW meets annually, is a functional commission
of the United Nations Economic
and Social Council (ECOSOC)
and is the principal global
policy-making body dedicated
exclusively to gender equality
and the advancement of women.
Every year, representatives
of Member States gather at
United Nations Headquarters in
New York to evaluate progress
on gender equality, identify
challenges, set global standards
and formulate concrete policies
to promote gender equality and
women’s empowerment worldwide.
In 2013 the UNCSW 57 session will focus on the `Elimination and Prevention of all forms
of violence against women and
girls’. The two priority themes
will be on the prevention of vio-
lence and the need for effective
support services. The Millennium Goal #3 and the Beijing
Platform for Action are considered the guiding documents.
Archdeacon Karen Kime
was nominated by The Primate
as the Australian delegate to the
Anglican Consultative Council
delegation, and is Archdeacon
Kime is looking forward to
speaking on the experiences of
Australian Indigenous women,
forming networks and being part
of the celebrations on International Womens Day (March 8).
On that day, the 3000
women attending the commission will celebrate the great
diversity and achievements of
women across the world.
Archdeacon Kime will also
have the opportunity to observe
and participate in the many
parallel events as well as be part
of the Anglican women gathering from around the worldwide
Communion.
FAITH UNDER FIRE: Bishop Len Eacott will be remembered
by military chaplains for his introduction of Faith under Fire, a
short course on the Christian faith for Defence Force personnel
and their families.
tal to their overall well-being.
As a consequence, a full time
chaplain now works within the
Defence Health Organisation,
providing resources and contributing to the work there of
other health professionals.
In all these areas of ministry,
Bishop Len has continued to
be approachable and friendly,
constantly seeking the Lord’s
will and contributing in a positive
way. His warmth, energy and attention to detail will be missed. It
is reported that he and Sandy are
moving to Queensland to retire;
whether they relax long before
undertaking another challenging
role in God’s kingdom remains to
be seen.
The Reverend Peter Rose
is a former Secretary to the
Bishop to the Defence Forces.
Invest in
Sandstone
Not CDOs
See www.aidf.com.au
Page 6
December 2012
LETTERS TO THE EDITOR
Connecting with the unchurched
Dear Sir,
Recent articles have mentioned the decline of the church
amidst a rapidly changing
society.
I notice that, whilst many
Australians consider themselves
Christians and have some sort
of Christian belief (however
vague), they have no interest in
going to church. This is probably
because church is remote from
their experience and quite boring.
Who wants to spend their Sunday
mornings sitting in a cold building listening to someone drone
on for an hour, only broken by a
few songs you have never heard
of? It is much more pleasant to
spend the day relaxing after a
hard week, spending time with
family and friends and doing
other things you enjoy.
The challenge is to remake
church services into a pleasant, enjoyable experience that
is accessible to the average
Australian, without in any way
compromising the Christian
message or fellowship.
One possibility would be
for church services to revolve
around a meal, either provided
by members of the congregation
or by a caterer. In some cases,
church halls could be converted
into commercial restaurants and
leased to a business providing
mid to low priced meals for
families during the week. As
well as providing income to
the church, it would also be a
means of outreach to the community.
The church service would
begin with communal prayers
and liturgy, about half an hour
before the main course. After
the main course, someone could
give a short sermon, but this
could include videos or various activities to reinforce the
message. The more people are
involved, the better they learn,
which, is the whole point of
teaching.
After dessert, there could be
communion and children could
go out for some extra “Sunday
School” teaching and activities (though try not to mention
“school” on the weekend). It
could then all end in tea, coffee
and bikkies. Everyone could go
home, having felt relaxed (one
less meal to organise), enjoyed
themselves while learning about
Christianity and enjoying Christian fellowship.
Whatever we do, we need to
develop ideas and activities that
make church services more user
friendly to the average Australian.
This can be done by developing
the ideas and talents of the members of the congregation.
Paul’s vision of the body of
Christ (1 Corinthians 12:1231) reminds us that church is a
team ministry, in which everyone uses their gifts, each of
which are equally important and
equally necessary. A church
can only be really alive and
growing when all members of
the congregation are participating and using their gifts towards
the growth of the church.
Yours sincerely
Marion Perry,
Bathurst.
Historic photo
Dear Sir,
What a nice surprise when I
read the Anglican News to see
my ‘old’ Serving mates in a
photo (AN, November 2012).
I can name several of them.
I remember serving Dr Rev
Fisher (Canterbury) when he
came to Australia.
Back Row from left:
Percy Granger, ???? Whyte.
Back Row from right: Cec
Isaac, Barry Cranston.
Front Row from left: ???
Harris, Lindsay Sidwell, ???
???, Adrian Granger, ??? ???,
Letters ...
Anglican News 3D readers are invited to respond
to articles and raise new issues of concern through
the ‘Letters’ column.
Letters of 250 words of less will be given
preference.
Long letters may be edited for reasons of clarity or
space. Name, address and a contact phone number
(for verification) must be supplied. Letters will not
normally be published without the author’s name.
Letters may be sent to:
The Editor
ANGLICAN NEWS
PO Box 23
BATHURST
NSW 2795
E-mail letters to:
[email protected]
Ian Rippon.
Yours in History,
Barry Cranston
Canberra.
Retirement
brings change
Dear Sir,
As someone who has more
fully entered into retirement in
recent months (after actually
ceasing paid employment eight
years ago) I have some sympathies for the yearnings that the
Rev John Clarkson expressed in
his letter of November.
Dianne and I have just
returned from seven and a half
years of voluntary mission service in Tanzania. Recently we
discussed with other “retired”
missionary friends the things
that we fear most. We agreed
that one is “the loss of significance”. Two things about that:
We have come from an
environment where we were
daily confronted by a relentless
round of activity, much of it
with a fairly high profile. Now
we are learning to find our own
activities, not to be “up front”
but to be of service to the Lord
in other ways, often just in the
quiet one-to-one exchanges of
fellowship and care.
And it is indeed a whole new
challenge! We need to remember
always that we “perform” for an
audience of one, the One who
sees all, especially the heart!
John has been blessed in
having continuing opportunities
to continue his vocation over
16 years after “retiring”, albeit
at a reduced level. Lay people,
most others, do not have such
a privilege. The church needs
to be just as sensitive to the
changes all retirees are facing,
not only the clergy. Sensitive
church leadership can draft us
into all sorts of roles.
But equally, we need to do
our own thinking and planning
for retirement, remembering our
own mortality and conscious
of the changes that age brings.
Our significance is not lost, but
its outworking has changed.
Dr Ken Phillis,
Dubbo.
Appreciation
Dear Sir,
I would be grateful if you
would allow me through the
medium of Anglican News, to
express on behalf of my wife
Christine and myself, our heartfelt thanks for the warm and
generous way in which we have
been farewelled both publically
and privately in our pastoral travels around the diocese of Bathurst
over the past ten months.
We have both grown to
deeply love and value the people and the communities across
this vast and diverse diocese
over the eleven years that we
have both been privileged to
worship and serve among them.
The Tri-Diocesan Commission and the synods of Riverina,
Canberra and Goulburn and
Bathurst, in the course of their
meetings earlier this year, have
all been so prayerful and affirming of our fruitful years together
in ministry – to God be the glory!
Finally, words cannot adequately express our thanks for
the Diocesan gift which was presented to us at the conclusion of
the Liturgy for the Laying Up of
the Pastoral Staff on November
10 in All Saints’ Cathedral. It is
a splendidly-crafted timber altar,
beautifully constructed in native
timbers with an inlaid Celtic
cross in the altar top.
It will have central place in
the oratory - the prayer space
- which we have in our new
home in Kelso, and will always
provide a focus for our gratitude
to Our Lord for the kindness and
gracious love shown to us by the
clergy and people of the Diocese
of Bathurst.
Phil. 1: 3-11
With kindest regards
+Richard Hurford.
Kelso.
Death of Fr Warren Croft
The Reverend Canon Warren Croft, well-known in several
parishes in Bathurst Diocese, has died in hospital as a result of
injuries he sustained in a car accident near his home at Wamberal
in late October.
He was surrounded by his children, Stephanie, Ben and
Damien, and his Parish Priest Fr Brian Gibbs, Rector of Terrigal,
was present to offer the commendatory prayers.
Warren served with ABM in NSW for many years, and in his retirement conducted many locums, some for prolonged periods in the
Diocese of Bathurst. Fr Warren’s Requiem Eucharist was held at
Holy Trinity Terrigal on Monday, 26th November. Bishop Richard
Hurford represented the Diocese of Bathurst at the funeral.
Anglican News
3D
The newspaper of
the Covenanting
Dioceses of Canberra
& Goulburn, Riverina
and Bathurst.
Editor: Lewis Hitchick
Address: PO Box 23
Bathurst NSW 2795
Phone: (02) 6331 1722
0427 373 446
Email:
anglican.news
@bathurstanglican.org.au
Advertising:
enquiries to the editor
Deadlines:
Editorial & advertising
12th of the month prior
to publication.
Anglican News 3D is
printed by Capital Fine
Print,
Fyshwick, ACT.
Diocesan Offices
Riverina:
Diocesan Registry
58 Arthur St
PO Box 10
Narrandera
NSW 2700
Phone: (02) 69591648
Fax:
(02) 69592903
Bathurst:
Diocesan Registry
3 Church St
PO Box 23
Bathurst
NSW 2795
Phone: (02) 6331 1729
Fax:
(02) 6332 2772
Canberra-Goulburn:
Diocesan Registry
Level 9
221 London Circuit
Canberra City
PO Box 12632
ACT 2601
Phone: (02) 6232 3600
Fax: (02) 6232 3650
Opinions expressed in this
publication do not necessarily
represent the policies or
practices of the Anglican
Dioceses of Riverina, Bathurst
of Canberra-Goulburn, or the
Anglican Church of Australia.
December 2012
Page 7
TRI-DIOCESAN NEWS
Prayer links to strengthen Covenant
 Bringing Tri-Dio
relationship to grass
roots level
To help make the Tri-Diocesan Covenant relationship more
meaningful to people in our
congregations, a recent meeting of the Growing Missional
Ministries group has suggested
that each parish in the Dioceses of Bathurst, Riverina and
Canberra-Goulburn develop a
prayer link with a parish in one
of the other dioceses.
Convenor of the group,
Bishop Genieve Blackwell,
said the members of the group
had been inspired by the parish
partnerships that have already
been formed between congregations in Riverina Diocese and
a number of coastal parishes in
the Dioceses of Sydney, Newcastle and Grafton.
Likewise, within the Diocese of Canberra and Goulburn, a number of city/country
CONVENOR: Bishop Genieve
Blackwell.
connections were forged during
the drought years to encourage prayerful support between
parishes in Canberra and their
counterparts in rural parts of the
diocese.
“We’re not asking parishes
to replace their existing connections with something new,”
Bishop Genieve stressed. “We
are just suggesting that each
parish begin to regularly in-
clude their ‘link’ parish in their
prayers each week. Initially, it
might be helpful for someone
in each parish to make contact
with their link parish to ask
whether there is anything they
would specifically like included
in these prayers.”
She suggested that in time,
the connection might lead to
inter-parish visits or other more
tangible forms of support, but
the main purpose is simply to
pray for one another.
“As one member of our
group said at our last meeting, if
there is one thing that will make
a difference in our Tri-Diocesan
partnership, it will be through
praying for one another,”
Bishop Genieve added.
She said that she would be
writing to each parish priest in
the three dioceses, to explain
the concept and suggest a link
parish.
A list of the suggested links
is shown in the box on the right.
Aspinall supports Royal
Commission on child abuse
 Primate calls
Royal Commission an
‘historic opportunity
to protect Australian
children’
The Primate of the Anglican
Church has said that the royal
commission called by Prime
Minister Julia Gillard offered an
historic opportunity to protect
Australian children.
Archbishop Phillip Aspinall
commended the Prime Minister
for her decision to establish
a royal commission. He also
urged that the commission’s
terms of reference should be
full and fearless and called for
the commission to be properly
resourced.
He said a truly federal process was warranted given child
sexual abuse crosses State and
territory borders, infecting all
places where child live, learn
and play, including churches,
schools, sporting clubs and
families.
Archbishop Aspinall acknowledged that the royal
commission would address
shameful failings on the part of
institutions, including churches.
But a comprehensive, independent examination would
also give ordinary Australians a
chance to see for themselves the
results of a decade-plus reform
COMMENDATION:
Archbishop Phillip Aspinall
has commended the Prime
Minister on her decision
to establish the Royal
Commisssion.
process instituted across many
Anglican dioceses.
In Archbishop Aspinall’s
Brisbane diocese, every allegation of child sexual abuse is
reported to police; the diocese
assists police; and victims of
historic abuse have been actively sought out multiple times
via media calls and advertising.
Ms Gillard’s announcement
of a royal commission has come
ten years after Archbishop Aspinall requested the then Prime
Minister to hold a royal com-
mission into child sexual abuse,
which was declined.
Archbishop Aspinall at that
time had sought to have a royal
commission into this matter in
Queensland. When that was request was also unsuccessful, he
established an independent inquiry into the handling of abuse
complaints across Brisbane
Diocese, going back decades.
Archbishop Aspinall urged
all members of parliament to
commit to ensuring the royal
commission is well-resourced,
independent and free from
political agendas.
He also reminded the Prime
Minister that all victims of child
sexual abuse would be looking
to the royal commission for answers and validation, including
the vast majority of victims who
are abused in family settings.
“Of the nearly 3.6 million
Australians who call themselves
Anglican, statistically one in
four women and one in eight
men are victims of abuse, so
it is something that affects our
church on many levels,” Archbishop Aspinall said.
He added that he would
write to the Prime Minister
soon to formalise his support
for a national royal commission, to the extent of his powers
as Primate and Archbishop of
Brisbane, and to raise matters
for inclusion in the terms of
reference.
Tri-Diocesan Prayer Partnerships
Adelong
--Orange East
--Orange (Holy Trinity)
Bathurst South --Bourke/Brewarrina/Blayney
Batlow
--Bega
--Berridale
--Binda
--Bodalla
--Boomerang Meeting Place
Boorowa
--Braidwood
--Canowindra
--Bathurst Cathedral
Coolah
--Coonabarabran --Coonamble
--Cowra
--Cudal
--Cumnock
--Curtin
--Dubbo
--Forbes
--Grenfell
--Gilgandra
--Gulgong
--Gunning
--Hackett
--Hawker
--Holbrook
--Holt
--Jamieson
--Junee
--Kelso
--Rylstone-Kandos --Lanyon Valley --Molong
--Mudgee
--Murrumburrah/Harden
Narromine
--Oberon
--Parkes
--Sapphire Coast --Trundle
--Tumut
--Turvey Park
--Warren
--Wellington
--West Wyalong --Weston
---
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Ariah Park/Ardlethan
Queanbeyan & Ashmont
Ainslie
Basement Ministries
Bateman’s Bay
Balranald
Barellan/Weethalle
Barham
Broken Hill
Coolamon/Ganmain
Corowa
Narrandera
Lockhart
Canberra
Goulburn Cathedral
Chapman
Charnwood
Cobargo & Southern Monaro
Cooma
Cootamundra
Crookwell
Colleambally/Darlington Point
Deakin
Bungendore & Tarcutta
Ginninderra
Gundagai & Yass
Gungahlin
Griffith Cathedral
Hay
Hillston
Eugowra
Tocumwal/Finley
Deniliquin
Culcairn/Henty
Kaleen/Giralang & Kooringal
Kambah
Lake Cargelligo
Manuka
Moruya
Moama
North Goulburn
O’Connor
Pearce & South Tuggeranong
The Rock
Taralga
Mulwala/Berrigan/Oaklands
Leeton
Wagga Wagga
Wanniassa & Woden
West Goulburn & Young
Wentworth
Michael and Pauline Lyons,
Proprietors
88 Bentinck St, BATHURST, 2795
Phone: 6331 4265
Providing sensitive and professional care
when it’s most needed
Available 24 hours a day
Page 8
December 2012
CANBERRA-GOULBURN DIOCESAN NEWS
THE BISHOP’S COLUMN
Advent
Beloved in Christ,
It was a joy to return to
the Diocese after a month’s
leave. I am most grateful to
Bishop Trevor, my Episcopal
and Archidiaconal colleagues
and the team at 221 for their
fine work and support in my
absence.
Recently I attended the
Standing Committee of the
NSW Provincial Synod. At that
meeting we formally marked
the resignations of Bishops
Hurford (Bathurst), Stevens
(Riverina), Farran (Newcastle),
Eacott (Defence) and Archbishop Jensen (Sydney). A huge
change in leadership and (possibly) culture. We also noted the
tragic passing of Archdeacon
Howell, formerly of Bathurst.
And that notion of change – or
of comings and goings – has
been further underscored with
elections in the A.C.T., the U.S.,
and the upcoming Translation
of the Bishop of Durham to the
See of Canterbury.
Given this flux – and as
we celebrate this the season of
Advent, Jesus’ words from Revelation 22:12ff are instructive.
He who is in, before and over
all things – the Alpha and the
Omega – is coming soon! This
‘transitory life’ (BCP Church
Bishop
Stuart
Robinson
Militant) is just that, transitory and passing. Those who
are washed and cleansed will
be granted access to the tree of
life and numbered among those
who comprise the New Jerusalem.
That is our hope, beloved.
Yes, we continue to cooperate
with Christ in living out the
values of the Kingdom (and
in so doing serve as agents of
reconciliation and transformation) as we await that Day when
the Lamb at the centre of the
Throne will lead his people to
springs of living water; when
God will wipe away every tear
from their eyes. Maranatha!
On behalf of my wife, Jane,
and my Episcopal colleagues
and their families, I bid you a
holy and joyous Advent and
Christmastide.
Warmly in Christ.
Cursillo notes
for Canberra and Goulburn Diocese
by Steven Daniels,
Diocesan Lay Director
In 2013 four Cursillo ThreeDay Weekends are planned,
two on the Coast and two in
Canberra.
The dates for the Cursillos
on the coast have now been
confirmed and are, Women’s
61 from 30 May to 2 June 2013
and Men’s 61 from 20 Jun to
23 June. Bookings have been
made for both at The Pines
Education and Retreat Centre
Tuross Heads.
In Canberra during October
Women’s 62 will be held from 3
to 6 October and Men’s 62 from
24 to 27 October 2013 at the
Greenhills Conference Centre.
Now that the bookings
have been made and confirmed
candidates are needed, so all
Cursillistas are asked to speak
to members of their parishes.
Speak to them of your Cursillo
experience; what it means to
you; encourage them to experience a Cursillo Weekend.
Tell them what happens on
a Cursillo Weekend, the fellowship and challenge of an
opportunity to explore Christian
living.
On 25 August a Fourth Day
Transformation Gathering was
held at Christ Church West
Goulburn. The Transformation
Day was especially significant
as it provided the opportunity
for Cursillistas to discuss our
vision for Cursillo in 2013.
Those who attended the day
discussed the impact of Cursillo
on their lives and how Cursillo
could be made more visible
within the Diocese. A critical
part of Cursillo is music, and
the discussion was energised by
a band from Crookwell parish.
Their music drew us together in
song to celebrate as part of the
Christian community.
We will build on the experience gained from the Transformation Day in the future as a
way to support and encourage
Christians in following Christ.
Woodbury dedication
 Service of
Celebration,
Commemoration
and Dedication of
Woodbury Homestead
by Jill Gregory
Nestled in a postcard pretty
valley in the sheep studded rolling hills of Sutton, just outside
the ACT border, is Woodbury,
an historic homestead that has
been in the Cartwright family
since the 1860s.
Fifth generation Peter Cartwright lives there today with his
wife Chris, and on the September 9 an Anglican service of
“Celebration, Commemoration
and Dedication of Woodbury”
was held in the front parlour of
the homestead where the first
Anglican service in the district
took place over 130 years ago.
Reverend Clem Watts led a
service of evening prayer from
the Book of Common Prayer
used in the original services
at Woodbury. The Bishop of
Canberra and Goulburn, Stuart
Robinson, was present and dedicated ‘Woodbury’ as a place of
‘Healing and Wholeness’
The original home, built by
William Guise in the mid 19th
century, of bricks made on the
property, was occupied by his
daughter Elizabeth on her marriage to Henry Lintot. Peter’s
great-great-grandfather, John
William Cartwright, and his wife
Eliza, moved in around 1860 and
their descendants lived in the
homestead until 1985.
For the next 20 years the
house remained empty, and with
the passage of time and the assistance of rising damp, rot, rats
DEDICATION: Clem Watts leads the Evening Prayer service,
during which Bishop Stuart dedicated ‘Woodbury’ as a place of
healing and wholeness. The building has been carefully restored
by Peter Cartwright.
and white ants, it fell into a sad
state of disrepair. However, Peter nurtured a childhood dream
that one day he would restore it
and faithfully resurrect its place
in local and family history.
His farming father, Bill, had
always felt that he was only
ever a custodian of the place.
Peter said we need to “hold
on to things loosely that God
has given us”. During this time,
Peter, Chris and their young family spent many happy holidays
at Woodbury, camping in the
tumbledown, rustic building and
absorbing its peace and listening
to the voices of its heritage.
Peter believes his sense of
spiritual connection to Woodbury gives him some understanding of the connection to
“country” so important to our
Aboriginal people.
Following his retirement
from a career as a fire fighter,
Peter found himself in a position, “prompted by God”, to
fulfil his vision. He, with Chris
at his side, has used his multiple talents to faithfully restore
Woodbury, and in addition,
create a “place of healing and
wholeness”, where they simply
remain the “caretakers”.
Today Woodbury serves as
Peter and Chris’ home but also
offers both a venue for Victorious Ministry Through Christ
(VMTC) prayer ministry training, through Peter and Chris’
long association with VMTC
and a place for people to come
for solitude, peace, reflection
and prayer.
For further details on VMTC
go to www.vmtc.org.au and follow the links to contact us.
CLERGY MOVES and APPOINTMENTS
(Canberra-Goulburn Diocese)
 Congratulations to the Reverend Geoff
Deutscher who has been licenced Area
Dean for South Canberra following his
election by his peers.
 The Reverend Chris Golding has
resigned to take up a position within the
Diocese of Brisbane as Priest-in-Charge
Parish of Morningside.
 The Reverend Dr Sarah Macneil has
been appointed Senior Associate Priest,
part time, at Holy Covenant Jamison.
Sarah has also been elected to the
Standing Committee of the international
Anglican Consultative Council.
 The Reverend Dr Brett Morgan is locum
at Weston Parish while the Reverend
Jason Page is on sick leave.
 The Reverend Joan Smith has been
granted an Authority to Officiate.
 The Reverend Howard Smith has been
granted an Authority to Officiate.
 The Reverend Colin Walters whilst
continuing as Assistant Minister at
Batemans Bay has also has been
appointed the National Director of SOMA
Australia (Sharing of Ministries Abroad).
 The Reverend Glen McDonald has been
ordained Priest and appointed Assistant
Priest Lanyon Valley until the end of 2012.
A new appointment for Glen for 2013 will
be announced shortly.
 The Reverend Sallyanne Hart has been
ordained Priest and appointed Assistant
Priest West Goulburn.
 The Reverend Jason Clift has been
ordained Priest and appointed Assistant
Priest Gunghalin.
 Lieutenant Samuel Gregory will be
ordained Deacon by Bishop Len Eacott
under Letters Dimissory by Bishop Stuart
on 30 November 2012. Sam will then
serve as Deacon Assistant in Wanniassa
Parish.
December 2012
Page 9
CANBERRA-GOULBURN DIOCESAN NEWS
NSW Police Band to
play in Cathedral
by Graham Holgate
The New South Wales Police Band will be performing in
St Saviour’s Cathedral, Goulburn on Tuesday 11 December
2012 at 7.30pm.
The band is the longest standing concert band in
Australia serving the state and
people of New South Wales
since 1895. Come and enjoy the
combination of the grandeur of
the sound and the setting that
this concert will offer.
The band engages in high
profile activities and has performed for many royal occasions, two papal visits, presidents of the USA and China
as well as heads of state and
dignitaries from virtually every
nation in the world.
The band functions as a
marching band for ceremonial
and parade activities and regularly visits Goulburn for Police
College Attestation parades.
This year New South Wales
Police are celebrating their
150th anniversary and this concert could be seen as a fitting
end to their special year. This
coming concert could also be
viewed as a prelude to our year
celebrating the 150th anniversary of the formation of our
Diocese and the City of Goulburn’s proclamation as a city
beginning 14 March 2013.
This concert has been arranged by the Friends of St Saviour’s Cathedral. The Friends
are indebted to the Police Band
for giving of their time, effort
and very professional musicianship, especially commander
Mark Huntington.
The concert is free, but
retiring donations will be gratefully received to recover costs
promoting this event.
Graham Holgate serves as
Secretary of the Friends of St
Saviour’s Cathedral.
New ‘coffee-table’ book
on St John’s, Canberra
A new coffee table-style book has just been published on Canberra’s historic St John’s Church.
Sanctuary in the City - St John’s Church Canberra presents the
story of the church
from the mid
nineteenth century
to today. It shows
how the naming
of Canberra as the
national capital significantly
changed the mission of St John’s
– from serving the
spiritual needs of
a small pioneering
rural community
to helping to meet
the spiritual and
diverse pastoral needs of a city of more than 370,000 people.
Authors Randall Wilson and Rodney Garnett have lived in Canberra since the mid 1970s and are both very familiar with St John’s.
They say publication of a new book on the parish was prompted by
continuing interest from both visitors and locals in the story of the
church and its churchyard together with the nearby Schoolhouse
Museum. The upcoming centenary of Canberra in March next year
was also an important consideration.
As well as including many historical photographs of the church
and the district, their book provides extensive pictorial coverage of
current day happenings in the parish, including Christmas and Easter, weddings, significant memorial services, music, Royal visits,
and fairs and festivals. A time line has been included which gives
the names of the Church’s rectors since its consecration in 1845.
Sanctuary in the City will be formally launched at 6.30pm on 5
December by Alex Sloan of 666 ABC Canberra at the National Library of Australia Bookshop. Those interested in attending should
register online at www.nla.gov.au/bookings or ring (02) 6262 1424.
Copies of the book are available from the St John’s parish office (02) 6248 8399 or email at [email protected]. The
recommended retail price is $40 (including GST) plus packing and
postage.
ATTRACTION: The internationally-acclaimed NSW Police Band will be a strong attraction when
it plays in St Saviour’s Cathedral, Goulburn, on December 11.
Inaugural REAL12 teaching weekend
from Temora parish
A wonderful time of teaching and
encouragement was experienced by
all who attended the REAL12 conference at St Paul’s Anglican Church
in Temora on the weekend 20-21
October.
Visitors from Temora churches
and surrounding towns joined with
the local church family to hear Bishop Trevor Edwards (Assistant Bishop
Canberra/Goulburn Diocese) deliver
four powerful explorations (based on
Paul’s letter to the Philippian church)
on the connection between belief in
Jesus and daily living: trusting in a
REAL God leads to REAL faith and
REAL transforming relationships.
Downloads of the teaching sessions can be found on the church
website www.temoraanglican.com
Planning for REAL13 in 2013 is
already underway!
On Sunday afternoon the parish
had the first of its mainly music family days.
The day was held on Sunday so
that those who work during the week
could join in. Ten of our families
came, which was wonderful.
We ran a mainly music session and then had family activities
creating family cars out of recycled
materials - great fun for all.
REAL TEACHING: (top) Bishop Trevor Edwards with
some of the Temora REAL12 conference delegates. Bishop
Trevor taught on connections between faith and daily living.
CRAZY CARS: (above) Parents and kids joined in the fun
of making cardboard cars at the mainly music family day.
Page 10
December 2012
CANBERRA-GOULBURN DIOCESAN NEWS
Interfaith dialogues at Holy Covenant, Jamison:
Buddhism
by Judith-Ann Daniels
In the fourth instalment in
a series of conversations on
world faith traditions at Holy
Covenant Church, Jamison,
The Most Venerable Thick
Quang Ba, the Abbot of the
Buddhist Temple in Lyneham,
presented an overview of Buddhism.
The Abbot described himself as a ‘boat monk’ coming
to Australia from Vietnam.
Deemed ‘unsuitable’, he had
been watched for years by
security men in Vietnam and
imprisoned as a ‘dangerous
fugitive’ under the Communist
regime.
During this time ‘many
Buddhists left Vietnam and
many thousands died on the
way’. Thick Quang Ba said
that he found it ‘hard to talk
good about Communism’.
He came to Canberra in 1984
and established the Temple in
Lyneham.
While he said that Buddhism was ‘wrongly classified
as a religion’, a western word
from the Greek that meant ‘a
system of worship in God’,
Thick Quang Ba found it hard
to define Buddhism as anything else.
Buddha was a prince in
a small kingdom near Nepal
who rejected the ‘heavy class
system with its superior/inferior class structure’. He
became ‘a person aware of his
own inner life’ he spent his
life walking in Northern India
teaching students both lay and
those who wanted to join the
‘Inner Way to Enlightenment’
as monks and nuns.
Over the next 15 centuries
his followers spread the Buddha’s teachings to those who
were seeking to join the inner life. Buddhism makes no
distinction between monks
and nuns. They are ‘the
same in authority and power
and have the same rank
whether male or female’.
As it spread throughout the
world Buddhism diversified.
It is expressed differently in
different nations and is vast
in terms of philosophy. Buddhism was introduced to Vietnam 2000 years ago where
it developed its own distinctive tradition and language.
There is no formal recognition system to enter a monastery or to become a monk or
nun. A person is normally ‘a
prepared Buddhist’ and can
have membership; or can ask
to become a monk or nun. In
rural Vietnam certain poor
people will send their boys
and girls to the monastery for
education. Some who wish to
become monks will stay on.
To be accepted as a novice
the child needs to demonstrate
‘strong aspirations’ and the
community ‘requires parental
consent’. For an adult to be
accepted they must have their
partner’s consent.
There are several levels of
ordination. A novice spends
five years training with a
Master and must be at least 20
years old at the first ordination
by the Master. After five years
the Council of Ordination,
comprised of ten senior monks
or nuns will decide on the next
level of ordination.
The temple in Lyneham is
an independent unit set up in
1984 and is wholly responsible for the supply of everything relating to the temple.
There is no hierarchical
system and ownership is held
in trust and administered for
the benefit of all. Monks and
nuns live in community as
modestly and poor as possible, their only possessions
being their clothes and bowl.
They do not have a room
of their own but share as
needed.
The day does not begin at
a fixed time. At Lyneham a
bell rings at 5.45 for communal chanting and then
breakfast. This is followed
by temple work, study and
learning. Until the mid 20th
century all training was
within the monastery itself
but now the Abbot can invite
masters to teach classes.
Monks and nuns can join
classes at any level and lay
people are welcome to join
classes as ‘friends’.
In explaining the difference between Buddhism and
the religious practice of liturgy and prayer Thick Quang
Ba said that Buddhism was
not doctrinal. A Buddhist
chooses his or her own way
‘seeking wisdom and enlightenment and hard work of
monks and nuns’ and is also
free to change that way. For
the Buddhist, memory ‘is a
part of practice, edifying the
mind’ and not ‘relying on
books and pens to practice
using the mind’.
In response to a question
regarding diet The Abbot explained that the widely held
belief that all Buddhists were
required to be vegetarian
is not so. It is true that in
CONVERSATION: Holy Covenant parish priest Susanna Pain in conversation with the Abbot of
the Buddhist Temple in Lyneham, ACT, Thick Quanq Ba. The Abbot said Buddhism was “wrongly
classified as a religion”, but admitted it was hard to define it in any other way.
China and Japan, Buddhism
is purely vegetarian but this
is not so in the Vietnamese
tradition. Respect for life
including all animal life is
a very important feature
of Buddhism. Meat that is
killed as a gift to the temple is acceptable, but meat
from the marketplace which
is sold for gain is not. This
raised the question of knowing whether it was purchased
or not and Thick Quang Ba
responded that in his tradition, in Vietnam, a Buddhist
practitioner would not do
such a thing.
It was a very informative
presentation, more a lecture
that a dialogue. Over refreshments some members of the
audience spoke at length on
a more personal level with
Thick Quang Ba.
Taralga introduces ‘Open Church’
from the parish
A new venture at St Luke’s,
Taralga, called Open Church,
is off to a good start.
People are meeting fortnightly on Wednesday evenings to explore Christian
Spirituality, in a relaxed and
inclusive environment. In the
first few meetings they have
been exploring ideas about
creation.
They have read and experienced the creation story
from Genesis, thought about
science and creation and about
who we are as God’s precious
creatures.
Parish priest Roberta Hamilton said that the people who
gathered were greeted with
drinks and nibbles.
“They then enjoy activities
geared for all ages including
making wreaths out of toilet
rolls or gardens out of play
dough, painting a beautiful
banner and making paper gardens,” she said.
“People then sit together
to sing, read the Bible, hear
INVOLVEMENT: All ages joined in making paper wreaths or
paper gardens, banner making or play-dough activities, which
helped people to feel comfortable in the church environment.
a story or ask questions and
pray.”
The evening concludes
with a family meal, which
has been enjoyed by all those
present.
Roberta Hamilton said that
the aim of Open Church was
to reach out into the wider
community, particularly targeting those who have a loose
affiliation with the church, and
to create a community of faith.
December 2012
Page 11
CANBERRA-GOULBURN DIOCESAN NEWS
St Peter’s student launches first CD
 Holly Sweeney’s
CD launch receives
standing ovation
from the College
When Holly Sweeney, a tenyear-old student at St Peter’s
Anglican College, Broulee,
publicly launched her first CD
on Sunday, October 21, the
70 members in the audience
applauded her with a standing
ovation.
This gifted young musician
started piano lessons at the age
of four with well-respected
local piano teacher Mrs Marina
Bell, beginning a relationship
that continues today.
Holly’s first CD, entitled
Stepping Forward and consisting of 14 “outstanding tracks”,
was officially launched by Mrs
Merinda Hurren, a long-time
friend of the Sweeney family
and a fine musician herself.
At the CD launch Holly
performed eight compositions
with titles such as; Storm, Deua
River Journey, Ole, Medley of
Shed House and Sneaky Rag,
Celebration, Reflection, and
Faith Courage Excellence.
These compositions were
also complimented with a piece
entitled Harmony of the Angels
which was dedicated to Mrs
Bell, along with a composition
entitled Hope that featured Mr
Eddie Bray on Soprano Saxophone, where the two instruments blended perfectly with
glorious harmonies and shimmering dynamics.
Eddie Bray said, “It was a
sheer pleasure to perform with
such a gifted young composer
who displays astonishing talent,
a prodigy in the making.”
The audience were informed
that Holly started playing the
piano at the age of four on her
mother’s old pianola. She used
to listen to what her sister Georgia was playing on the recorder
and then work it out by ear on
the pianola.
She composed her first song
in year 2, and has now compiled 19 compositions. In the
last month Holly has performed
gigs all over the Eurobodalla
Shire such as; Moruya Markets,
Moruya Jazz Festival, Formal Dinners, St Johns Church
Moruya and with the St Peters
Junior Band.
Recently Holly auditioned
for the local St Cecilia Scholarship and has been informed that
she is a recipient, and will find
out what she has won at the
finalists concert in November.
Bishop George Browning
and Reverend Linda Chapman
were in attendance, along with
Executive Principal of South
Coast Anglican Schools Mr
Tony Horsley, St Peter’s Head
of School Mr Alan Russell and
Ms Faye Roxburgh.
This gifted young composer
is one to watch in the future;
Holly Sweeney’s talent is immense. There seems little question that she has demonstrated a
remarkable facility for writing
accomplished music.
Jazz Festival
Meanwhile, the St Peter’s
Jazz Band proved to be a big hit
at the 2012 Moruya Jazz Festival
St Peter’s Anglican College
Director of Development Eddie
Bray and the College Jazz Band
played through a two-and-a-half-
LAUNCH: Composer Holly
Sweeney launching her debut
CD entitled Stepping Forward,
with a very proud piano
teacher Mrs Marina Bell.
hour performance in the park.
It was a marathon of Jazz
and Blues, featuring the smooth
vocals of Claire Howells and
the “Bluesman” Nathan Volf,
who delighted the audiences with
his his jaw-dropping ability to
ignite the fretboard and vocals
which has earned him acclaim in
the local music scene.
This was followed by another exhilarating performance
at 6.00 the same evening.
JAZZ BAND: St Peter’s Director of Development Eddie Bray,
John Fraser, Jayden Mitchel, Claire Howells, Mason Appleby,
Nathan Volf, Harry Mayo and Shaun McPherson.
Growing community connections in Moruya
from the parish
September was a very active
month for the Parish of Moruya
commencing with “A Spring
Affair and Garden Expo”
followed by a Twilight Bush
Dance in mid-September.
The Fair and Expo, held in
the grounds of St John’s Church
and Rectory, was a really enjoyable occasion attracting many to
hear Margaret Sirl (South-East
gardening guru), see composting, worm and bio-dynamics
workshops, browse plant, book
and food stalls whilst enjoying
the music of various bands from
St Peters College and a local
Ukulele group.
The Fair was followed by
a bush dance on the lawns of
the Rectory on a perfect spring
evening. The following morning a service was held at St
John’s to celebrate the 10th An-
niversary of St Peter’s Anglican
College in Broulee.
The Rev David Hill, a previous Rector of the parish and instigator of the school, spoke of
the early seeds of SPAC. Many
others of the founding committee were present at the service
together with the present Head
of School Alan Russell, Executive Principal Tony Horsley,
Bishop George Browning and
Chaplain of the school Rev
Mark Sweeney.
The service included the
confirmation of six SPAC students. Bishop Ian Lambert confirmed these young people who
had been journeying together
through the year.
Other services this past
month include our Emergency
Services Sunday, Blessing of
the Animals, Blessing of the
Shoe Boxes and Jazz Service.
Meanwhile we recently celebrated the first anniversary of
St John’s Way Cafe. This community meal that began with
a Partnership in Funding with
Anglicare now serves 40-50
meals each Tuesday lunchtime
in the parish hall.
The Cafe not only serves
really delicious food it has also
become a place of growing
community with a warm spirit
of friendship and acceptance.
A kitchen garden next to the
hall, built as part of the Eurobodalla Shire Council’s ‘Live
Life’ program, helps feed the
kitchen and the kitchen scraps
feed the compost heap. The
council program also runs a
Community Kitchen at the hall
with some of our own parishioners as leaders.
The parish continues to
coordinate the School Breakfast
SPRING AFFAIR: Glorious Spring weather helped boost the
crowds at the Moruya Spring Affair and Garden Expo.
program offered at the local
primary school and the oncea-month Red Rose dinner at a
local cafe.
Food seems to be a theme
here, suggesting that we are at
heart a eucharistic community!
Page 12
December 2012
CANBERRA-GOULBURN DIOCESAN NEWS
Parish dinner and dedication
2013: opportunity
for rededication
by Gill Varcoe
2013 is almost upon us!
As I write, final preparations
are underway for diocesan and
Goulburn-based events, along
with many local plans and
initiatives for serving our communities, making Christ known
among us, and celebrating our
history, our present opportunities and our hope in God for the
future.
Two weeks ago, St Andrew’s
Braidwood celebrated the 175th
anniversary of the first ‘official’
worship in the district with a
parish dinner and a service of
rededication (of buildings) and
recommitment (of people) to
God’s plan and purpose for the
Braidwood region.
The service was marked by
thanksgiving, penitence, and
personal (re)commitment; we
were blessed with joy and hope,
and a sense of God’s presence
and love.
My hope is that such services will be held across the
diocese in 2013 and 2014, as
ministry units are visited by
their bishops or archdeacons for
anniversaries or other special
occasions.
Template liturgies will be
prepared, easily adjustable to
local traditions and circumstances. There is much for
which to give thanks, there is
much to hope for, and much to
celebrate as we see what God is
doing among us.
But in the midst of celebration and thanksgiving we are
also confronted with the reality
of human sin: broken relationships within our Christian and
wider community, fear of yielding to one another and to God,
harm done by those who have
carried the name of Christ (lay
and ordained).
Some will be known to us
and to our local communities.
Some are known only to God.
But as we are allow the light of
God’s holy love to shine, let’s
prepare to be amazed once more
by his healing grace.
Canon Gill Varcoe serves as
Chair, Anglican150 Taskforce
[email protected].
au
 Celebrating 175
years of Anglican
service in Braidwood
from the parish
What an outstanding success! 80 guests gathered at the
wonderful Garan Vale woolshed
for a celebratory feast.
Kit Tischler, Di Izzard and
Georgina Byrnes did an outstanding job of organising the
excellent catering, and many
thanks to our terrific local
butcher, Mick Clark, for baking and carving the succulent
meats.
Parish Councillors outdid themselves in supplying delicious hors d’oeuvres
and enough pudding to feed
an army! Our thanks to the
generous donation of a bottle
wine for each table by Marjorie and Randall Lemin. And
superlatives for the table decoration and floral arrangements
to Marjorie Lemin, Helen
Goddard and Fran Rankin.
Parish Council Chair,
Cathy Owen, welcomed the
guest speaker for the evening,
historian Dr Christine Wright,
whose specially researched
presentation celebrated 175
years of Anglican service in
Braidwood. Her history of the
parish examines the life and
work of two prominent clergymen, the Rev’d James Allen
and the Rev’d Joseph Dobson.
The outline of their respective
biographies was covered in the
October edition of Anglican
News.
SPEAKER: Dr Christine Wright presented a fascinating
overview of the history of Braidwood parish.
Both Rev’d James Allen
and Rev’d Joseph Dobson
were the remarkable parish and church builders of
St Andrew’s. They made an
extraordinary contribution
to the parish of St Andrew’s
Braidwood, giving a combined
48 years of their lives.
Their life stories also
provide fascinating glimpses
into our colonial history, not
the least as each minister came
to the Anglican church from
another denomination: Rev’d
Allen from the Presbyterian
Church and Rev’d Dobson
from the Primitive Methodist
Church.
The Parish Dinner was a
very well-run event with lots
of new faces. And our thanks
as ever to John Maddrell for
his contribution of the use of
Garan Vale - a perfect venue
for such a friendly gathering.
And to top it off, Bishop Stuart Robinson was welcomed
to St Andrew’s on Sunday 18
November by a bevy of ladies
in hats, frocks and gloves!
There may have been a bit
of one-up(wo)manship here
- a challenge to out-mitre the
bishop in his finery. It was a
wonderful service of rededication and renewal for parishioners and the church building
alike with the Bishop assisted
by Canon Gill Varcoe and
Rev’d Des McGuire.
Given the foundational historical presentation the night
before, at the Parish Dinner,
this was a most apposite gesture and intention.
First Confirmations for Bishop Genieve
from YDAM
It was an historic occasion
for the people of Young District
Anglican Ministry on 28th October as they welcomed Bishop
Genieve to the parish to preside at
her first Confirmations since her
consecration earlier in the year.
A large congregation gathered in the morning at St John’s
Church in Young for the confirmation of seven young people.
The service was led by the
Rector, the Reverend John
Thomas who presented the
candidates and their sponsors
to the Bishop before the professions of faith and the laying on
of hands.
During the service Bishop
Genieve challenged the confirmees and the congregation to
see that they are all instruments
of the mission of the Good
News of Jesus Christ into the
local community and beyond.
After the service a celebratory morning tea was hosted for
the confirmees, their families
HISTORIC: The recent confirmation in St John’s, Young, was the
first to be conducted in NSW by a female Bishop. Bishop Genieve
followed this service with another confirmation at Quandialla.
and the congregation.
In the afternoon a service
of confirmation was held in the
out-centre church of St Mark’s
in Quandialla. It was a joyous
occasion as Bishop Genieve
confirmed one adult and four
young people in the first confirmation service held in Quandi
for around 20 years.
A delicious afternoon tea
followed the service, bringing
to an end what was a great day
of celebration in the parish.
December 2012
Page 13
ST MARTIN’S COLLEGE
Saint Martin’s College: 2012 in review
 Floods, Fun, Fellowship, Food, Fashion, Fanfares, Faith,
‘Filanthropy’ and
‘Filosophy’
from the College
How do you briefly describe
the adventure of life in St Martin’s College to students preparing for University and looking
for a place to live whilst they
are studying, or to family and
friends of those living in the
College?
Let’s give it a go by looking
back over the past year for St
Martin’s College – the Anglican
Residential College on Charles
Sturt University’s Wagga
Wagga Campus.
After an exciting and very
intense O-week of welcoming 33 first years to the college
and helping them to settle in
to university the year can be
summarised under the following
headings:
Fun, Fellowship, Food
and Fashion
Student life is definitely fun!
The year began with a Trivia
night, Toga party then progressively included other social
gatherings that built fellowship such as BBQs, day to day
pranks, a champagne breakfast
for the Ag Race Day and of
course the Annual Saints’ Ball
with Saint Francis College.
The fellowship continued
with sporting activities against
the other CSU residences in
ultimate Frisbee and mixed soccer. Then there was the annual
Saints Cup challenge. This saw
Saint Francis College win the
‘mixed touch’ for the first time.
The girls’ netball was then won
by Saint Martin’s for the first
time which set the scene for
a cliff hanger with the boys’
rugby league being the decider.
It was definitely a rough game
as Frannies imported quite a
few players from the local first
grade teams whilst the majority of the Marties team were
from the college. Marties was
definitely at a disadvantage as
they had only one chance in
training to practice scrums and
only three people were at that
practice – so the first scrum was
definitely amusing. However,
with amazing teamwork and
persistence Marties were triumphant and retained the Saints’
Cup for another year.
There were two new events
added to develop fun and
fellowship in 2012. Firstly
St Paul’s Anglican Church in
Turvey Park hosted a “Welcome
Back Dinner” for St Martin’s
College students each term.
This was an excellent evening
each time with great fellowship
and amazing food. With about
20-30 people from St Paul’s and
about 30-40 students for each
meal there were some excellent
friendships formed and the students appreciated the ministry
and prayer offered by St Paul’s.
Wednesday nights also saw
the formation of the “Marties
Gaming Group” – an alternate
Wednesday night activity for
those who aren’t attracted to
CSU’s band night at the Crow
Bar. It was a night of computer
gaming – Halo and Minecraft
were the favourites - and also
developed into Board and Card
games. Pizza was provided each
night and by the end of the year
a core of about 20 students were
attending this event.
“Ministry to the Interior”
was again offered by the local
parishes of St John’s Wagga, St
Paul’s Turvey Park and Community of the Redeemer Ashmont, who provided welcome
meals for the students during
their final exams.
Floods and ‘Filanthropy’
MISS ST MARTIN’S: A social highlight for the year was the “Miss Saint Martin’s” Contest,
with cottages vying for this new but coveted title. The female students were the support staff for
their male entrants who strutted down the catwalk in extremely fashionable “op shop” gear.
Life in St Martin’s isn’t all
about fun. Much of the college activity also has a focus on
reaching out to others. Some
students are involved in tutoring
refugees at Wagga High School.
Students are also involved in
Relay for Life, Jeans for Genes
and Biggest Morning Tea.
The floods in Wagga in
March not only gave students
a day off uni when the campus was closed but also saw
students helping in many and
varied ways – some filling sand
bags, sharing accommodation with stranded friends and
helping with the clean up at St
Mary’s Anglican Playgroup at
North Wagga
During the mid-year break
four students again accompanied the Head of College,
Rev’d Jenny Willsher, to Fiji to
volunteer their time at St Christopher’s children’s home. The
students assisted the children
with homework, mentored the
High school girls, helped in the
Preschool, led the daily Family
prayer time, painted outdoor
furniture, repaired computers,
cleaned and sorted the library
and dispensary and made some
amazing cakes to celebrate the
“July Birthdays” in the home.
This experience is always a
challenge and the students appreciated the financial support
they received from the St Paul’s
Trust and CSU Global.
‘Filosophy’ and Faith
VICTORIOUS! The St Martin’s Rugby League Team scored
an amazing win over the St Francis’ College side, despite very
limited training opportunities, to help retain the Saints’ Cup for
another year.
In the midst of all these
activities students also found
time for study and faith development. The students receive
academic support from the
Head of College who regularly
reads essays, brainstorms as-
sessment tasks and often acts as
an advocate for students when
they are experiencing difficulties with university staff. There
is also a “peer tutoring” program in operation that is having
excellent results.
Two Occasional Seminars
were hosted during 2012 with
Michael Hardin speaking on
“Non Violent Atonement”
and Dr Graeme McLean, a
Philosophy lecturer with CSU
speaking on the topic “Hating
God – How emotion is overtaking reason”. Attendance at
these seminars grows each time,
drawing from the student body,
local parishes, the university
community and other denominations.
St Martin’s provides a range
of opportunities for students
to “live and grow” their faith.
Worship includes the Eucharist,
Muffins & Meditation and a
Holy Week Seder meal. This
year the Bible study has been an
introduction to the New Testament and was even “skyped” to
a student on leave. The Dinner,
Movie and Discussion nights
have not only given students
an opportunity to enjoy good
food but also the opportunity
to explore faith issues as they
viewed a range of movies including Up, Bran Nue Dae, Life
of Brian and Salmon Fishing in
the Yemen. The renovation of
the chapel and the new prayer
garden that was completed at
the start of the year has also
seen students taking the opportunity to use these sacred
spaces for personal prayer and
reflection – the students feel
that there is something deeply
spiritual about the goldfish in
the prayer garden pool seeking
shelter under the altar.
Fanfares
The year ended with a
celebration of college life and
achievements at the Annual
dinner. A number of awards and
achievements were acknowledged at the dinner. The Charles
Houen Citizenship award was
presented to Hazell Johnstone,
a final year Agricultural Science
student who was one of three
Australian students chosen to
attend the 2012 International
Livestock Congress in Calgary,
Canada.
The Marie Thompson Award
for Outstanding excellence was
presented by Ms Pat Stephenson to Katelyn Braine, a 4th
year Veterinary Science student
who excels in the area of meat
judging and was part of the
2011 CSU team that participated in the National Competition.
Other award winners included Clare Ferris who was the
College Dux and was presented
with her award by Henrietta
Dennison of the Australian Bedding Company, and Scholarship
recipients – Ann Frizell, Hayley
Maguire, and Emily Tilden. The
dinner also gave the opportunity for Dr Bill Anscombe the
President of the College Board
to announce that the college
had been left a bequest from the
estate of Mr James Faulks to
establish another scholarship.
Applications for residence in
2013 are now open and information about the application
process as well as about the college in general can be found on
the St Martin’s College website
www.stmartinscollege.org
Page 14
December 2012
RIVERINA DIOCESAN NEWS
THE ADMINISTRATOR’S COLUMN
A time of mystery
Those of us who take it
for granted that Christmas
Archdeacon
is about the celebration
of the birth of our Lord
Ed
and Saviour often have a
hard time of it through the
Byford
weeks leading up to the
festival.
All around us is mass
whole sky. Thunder is someadvertising for over consumpthing that crashes and rolls. It is
tion that promotes the almost
not difficult to understand why
complete sentimentalisation of
all this power can be terrifying.
the season. It has become comAnd it is just this power that
mon to send “Season’s Greetwas released on the night that
ings” and in many quarters the
Jesus was born in Bethlehem of
use of the word “Christmas” is
Judea.
frowned upon.
The Saviour of the world,
But it need not necessarily
the Lord of all creation lay in
be an occasion for Christian
the arms of the Blessed Virgin
defensiveness.
Mary, was wrapped in swadEspecially out on the westdling cloths, and laid in a manern plains of New South Wales
ger. Out in the hills nearby there
there are all the natural signs
were shepherds. When the baby
of how truly mysterious are the
was born the sky lit up and the
events that surrounded the birth
shepherds were terrified — a
of the baby, Jesus, in Bethlehem hardly surprising response.
of Judea. These very phenomIf they had had the correct
ena can be the occasion for
sheep graziers’ alert they would
telling our Christian story with
not have been out there at all.
great excitement and convicBut on this night the lighting up
tion.
of the sky did not bring either
Everything about the plains
the crash or the roll of thunder.
is huge. A decade or so ago I
The heavens burst into song.
was driving across the plains
Gloria in Excelsis Deo rang
between Wilcannia and Broken
across the sky. At one and the
Hill as night fell upon us. With
same time nothing made sense
me was a friend from Sydney
and everything made sense. The
and as the light turned to darkworld was changed for ever ness my friend, with a lot of
even lightening was now the
expletives, commented on how
herald of good tidings.
gigantic was the sky.
If we take the sacramental
He had never seen anyprinciple seriously then we can
thing like it. I stopped the car
see how it is that God transso that he could get out and
forms the most mundane of
look around three hundred and
physical realities into vehicles
sixty degrees of space and 180
of his grace. As summer begins
degrees of sky. He was literand the summer storms begin
ally terrified by what he saw
to roll across the plains and the
and experienced. I have no idea
mountains of this portion of
what would have happened for
God’s world then those of us
him if we had been out there in
with ears to hear can be like the
a storm.
shepherds and hear glad tidings
If the plains are huge then
when the sky lights up.
storms on the plains can be
Storms and lightening can
nearly apocalyptic. Lightening
be the occasion for telling of
comes in streaks and flashes and the only reason for a holiday on
in great sheets that light up the
Christmas Day.
Corner Country ‘pilgrimage’
Broken Hill priest Brian
Ford, who moved to his present
role from Narromine in the
Diocese of Bathurst a bit over a
year ago, hosted a group of his
former parishioners on a 4WD
trek to Cameron’s Corner several
months ago.
En route, the ‘Tagalong Tour’
visited White Cliffs (two nights),
Milparinka, Poole’s Grave and
Mt Poole, Broken Hill and the
Mutawingi National Park.
Three families from Narromine, comprising six adults
and two kids, joined Brian and
Kara Ford at White Cliffs.
While the visitors listed
unending dirt roads, incredible
sunsets and campfire cooking as
highlights, an unusual feature
of the trip was the opportunity
to celebrate the Eucharist on an
improvised ‘altar’ at Cameron’s
Corner – where the states of
New South Wales, South Australia and Queensland meet.
TAGALONG: (above) The
four 4WDs in convoy in the far
north-west of NSW.
ALTARED STATES: (right)
Holy Communion at Cameron’s
Corner
Inspiring RAMS Conference
 “Yes, we can”
It is a shame that Barack
Obama stole these words before
RAMS 2012 was ready to use
them!
The annual Riverina Anglican Ministry School held in
Deniliquin in early August was
designed to be an encouragement to parishioners in that the
means of church life, activity
and growth are already amongst
us.
From Matt Brain’s keynote
addresses to the sharing of ideas
and the presentation of new
things from around the globe,
the emphasis was on each participant taking home something
that they could adapt to their
own situation.
The participant response was
fabulous. More than 70 people
participated in some part of the
weekend’s programme, with 50
being present for everything.
There was a positive feel
PRACTICAL: As well as helpful presentations and discussions,
the RAMS Conference included practical ‘hands-on’ activities.
to the weekend, and presenters
were held back afterwards as
interested people quizzed them
more on what they had to offer.
There have been people
returning to their parish and
committing themselves to new
endeavours because of their
Registrar says ‘thank you’ to Riverina Diocese
from Clive and Merri
Jones
Wow, what a journey 2012
has provided! It certainly has
been a year to grow in my faith
in the Lord. I have learnt to
praise Him no matter what the
situation and by his mercy I am
able to sit here and write to you
all today.
It is with the most humble
heart that I wanted to express
my thanks. I thank God for you
all; for your constant prayer, get
well cards, flowers, messages
and support for my family. No
words can really express my
heartfelt thanks for the support
many of you have provided as I
return to good health.
Life changed dramatically
in June 2012 when I became
critically unwell with a heart infection. Things got worse when
my wife was admitted days later
also with a severe infection. I
should admit that the first few
weeks following the admission
are a blur but we were aware of
your prayers and support.
It was a very difficult time
for our family but the love
and support you showed once
again reminded each of us how
blessed we are to be part of the
Lord’s kingdom. It has been
a long road to recovery but I
am growing stronger in health
every day.
This journey, though often
difficult, has reminded me of
the Lord’s promise: “So do
not fear, for I am with you; do
not be dismayed, for I am your
God. I will strengthen you and
help you; I will uphold you with
my righteous right hand”. Isa
41:10.
RAMS experience.
A feature of this year’s
RAMS was a move away from
workshops and the introduction
of panels. Most panellists were
Riverina parishioners sharing
something special that they
were doing in their own parish – with the very young, in
liturgical celebrations, through
to family contacts.
There was an awareness that
God has poured out many gifts
amongst us, and that he calls,
challenges and equips his people to build his kingdom.
The Deniliquin parishioners
were again amazing hosts, and
they and Broken Hill inspired
the group with creative worship
services.
It was a great celebration of
the energy for growth that is in
Riverina.
RAMS 2013 will be in Finley on the 2-4 August.
December 2012
Page 15
RIVERINA DIOCESAN NEWS
Good invitations made all the difference
In the mixture of outcomes
that were experienced in Riverina’s ‘Back to Church Sunday’ Celebrations, the centre of
Lockhart testified to one of the
best responses.
Parish priest Nola Cox
reported that the congregation
trebled on the day!
And the reason? They invited well.
Initial invitations were followed up with reminders and
phone calls. Children turned up,
a volunteer came forward to restart the Kids Klub, morning tea
was ‘abuzz’, and some people
continued to come to church in
the following weeks.
“It was great to have children in the congregation and
even better for them to have
their photo taken for the newspaper!” Nola Cox said
Other centres around the
Diocese also had some positive outcomes – extra numbers,
great worship and rich fellowship, and continuing attendees.
Over the years ‘Back to
Church Sunday’ has encouraged
our parishes to think about the
image we project to others, to be
more welcoming, and to be positive about inviting neighbours
and friends to our activities.
Now is a good time to stop
and review the journey so far,
and see where God may be
leading us in the future as we
seek to share his love and gospel with those around us.
ARTISTIC: (right) Syd
Brockwell and Michael
Greening display their morning’s
art work, with Rev’d Nola Cox
and Deacon Barbara Veneris.
(Photo - Lynette Hunt).
Turning on the tap
The duties of Griffith Cathedral Associate Priest Louise Osborne
include Special Religious Education (SRE) classes at some of the local
schools. During third term, she showed Year 5 children at Grifith East
Public School a short video from the Christmas Child DVD.
The video clip explained that for a family in Vietnam, having
dirty water can cost a whole month’s wages in doctor’s bills. The
children in this family were often sick from drinking dirty water.
Samaritan’s Purse (well known for the Operation Christmas
Child shoe boxes) has a project called “Turn on the Tap”: the aim is
to fill a water bottle with gold coins to help finance the digging of a
well or the purchase of a sand filter for a family (about $60).
Louise Osborne said her aim was to give the students some
understanding that we in Australia have much to be thankful for,
especially since we can readily access clean drinking water.
“I gave each child a copy of the “Jack and Jill” booklet which
contrasts Jack in Australia with clean, readily available water, and
Jill in a country with only dirty water available sometimes,” she
explained. “As well, they received a label for a water bottle to challenge them to think about giving to others.”
Louise said that the class teacher showed great interest and
asked if she could borrow the DVD to show the SRC (Student Representative Council).
As a result each class was given a water bottle at the beginning
of fourth term and children were encouraged to bring in gold coins
to put in the bottle.
“After six weeks the money was counted and I was given $777
in gold coins to send to Samaritan’s Purse,” she said.
LIQUID GOLD: Louise with SRC student representatives from
Griffith East Public School, holding the water bottles filled with
gold coins to help provide clean water in developing countries.
Riverina youth support Japan
Last June, Anglicare Coordinator for Riverina Diocese Paul
Kumasaka and Griffith deacon
Sue-Ellen Chilvers led a group
of four young people from
Riverina Diocese on a brief
mission of support and encouragement to the Japanese city of
Kamaishi, still recovering from
the devastation of the tsunami
of March 2011.
Riverina Diocese has a link
relationship with the Diocese
of Hokkaido in northern Japan, and while that region was
barely affected by the tsunami
the link helped Paul Kumasaka
to establish connections with
the Anglican Church in the
Kamaishi region.
Paul visited Kamaishi in
July last year and developed
a relationship with the ‘Let’s
Walk Together’ project which
was establishing the Kamaishi
Recovery Centre.
From this relationship, Riverina Diocese sent a shipment
of more than 1,000 scarves
and beanies to be distributed
through several kindergartens in
the city late last year, in time for
the Japanese winter.
Leading the team of young
volunteers to spend time living
and working with the affected
communities was a ‘next step’
in the support project.
After the visit, team co-leader Sue-Ellen Chilvers reported
to her home parish of St Alban’s, Griffith, that the experience had been “life changing”.
“In just a few short days I
have learned so much about
the gifts God has given me,”
she said. “This realisation will
LIFE-CHANGING: Sue-Ellen Chilvers (centre) with the
team of young volunteers in Kamaishi. All reported that the
experience had been ‘life-changing’.
certainly influence my ministry
to others both here in Griffith
and in other areas that God will
call me in the future.”
In Kamaishi the team visited
childcare centres and a Kindergarten where they played with
the children, shared western
songs and danced with them,
which the children all loved
despite the language barrier.
Sue-Ellen said they also
visited a number of temporary
housing facilities where they
met people who had lost everything, including family members and friends.
“They were incredibly
gracious and so appreciative
of our visit, especially young
Australian teenagers who had
come across the world to listen
to their stories and spend time
with them. For myself, although
I found door-knocking a chal-
lenge in the beginning, I have
discovered that a kind touch and
a compassionate expression can
break down language barriers
and that I am able to show my
care towards others.”
This is a gift given to me by
God and I have been challenged
to take risks to share with others. I would like to publically
thank the Diocese of Riverina
and Anglicare Riverina for this
opportunity to visit Kamaishi
and meet so many special people. I would also like to thank
you for your prayers for our
safety whilst Elizabeth and I
were travelling in Japan.
Young people in the delegation were Luke Bennett (Broken
Hill); Kelsey Deeves (Leeton);
Elizabeth Chilvers (Yenda/Griffith); and Katy Quinn (Lake
Cargelligo).
Page 16
December 2012
DISCUSSION
Same-sex marriage:
Will the church say ‘yes’?
 Former High Court
Judge Michael Kirby
believes it’s just a
matter of time.
by Graham Downie*
A committed Anglican, particularly relating to the Diocese
of Sydney, former High Court
judge Michael Kirby has said
that the Anglican Church will
be among the first churches to
be reconciled with homosexual
and bisexual people.
He said acceptance of samesex marriage will be sooner
rather than later. It seems the
Anglican Church, in a rather
Anglican way, would prefer it
to come first from the state. It
may then in time become easier
for the Church.
Michael Kirby said there
had always been gay and gayfriendly priests in the Anglican,
Roman Catholic and indeed in
all churches.
“That is why I go around
and point out there is a real
debate about the meaning of the
Scripture.”
He maintained that scriptural passages must be read
in the context in which they
were written, and acceptance of
homosexual people was something the churches would have
to come to terms with.
“There is something about
spirituality which attracts
people who feel excluded,”
he said. “It is a comfort and a
support during the exclusion.
Therefore, it is a natural thing in
due course when the exclusion
is finished the churches will be
reconciled with homosexual and
bisexual people and minority
sexuality. I think the Anglicans
will be first, or amongst the
first, because of the fact they are
an inclusive Church and have
been since the foundation.”
Meanwhile, denying in a
secular state under a secular
constitution the equal rights
of fellow citizens on religious
grounds is just not right and has
to stop.
“The churches will follow in
due course and I expect the Anglican Church to be the first.”
Though he believed there
would be a change he said, “not
yet Josephine.”
Among other prominent
roles, Justice Kirby served on
the High Court of Australia
from 1996-2009. Johan van
Vloten has been his partner
since 1969.
Despite the present general
ban by the Anglican Communion against same-sex marriage,
Justice Kirby said he did not
feel excluded by his Church.
“I feel they have a point
of view. I disagree with that
point of view and I am arrogant
enough perhaps to know that
my view is the right historical
and ultimate view. Therefore, I
don’t feel hurt. I just think they
are wrong. I do that respectfully
but with certainty; I have that
Lutherian streak. “
He said he was sure there
were many people in the Anglican Church privately supporting
same-sex marriage, people who
read the Scriptures in the context of the social circumstances
in which they were written.
“For example, there is an
awful lot in the Scriptures about
slavery. It doesn’t, as one might
have expected, stand against it.
It simply says you have to be
nice to your slaves. Nowadays
Can you see
change?
The Anglican Parish of
St Bede’s Semaphore, Adelaide, South Australia seeks a
part me Priest (0.6).
Semaphore is a seaside ‘urban village’ eclec c culture
reflected in the St Bede’s faith community.
Worship is relaxed and inclusive. Community outreach
projects operate in co-opera on with Anglicare SA.
Venerable church buildings close to the busy main street
promenade.
There is a plan for mission and a recognised need for a
Priest to nurture Chris an leadership and innova on.
Contact Archbishop Jeffrey Driver to express your
interest: bishopsoffi[email protected]
Visit the St Bede’s Semaphore Parish Website at www.
stbedessemaphore.org.au
we regard that as something
barbarous.”
Despite this it had been the
Christian Church including Anglican parishes in England which
had fought against slavery.
“It is a wonderful story actually of the way ordinary people
rose against the offensiveness
of it and ultimately convinced
the British government to
instruct the Royal Navy to stop
any British ships and ultimately
to intercept any ships carrying slaves across the Atlantic.
That brought the whole shabby
business to an end. Well, I hope
I will live to see the whole
shabby business of hatred of homosexuals come to an end.”
In this year’s Barry Marshall
Memorial Lecture at Trinity
College University of Melbourne, Religion and Sexuality:
Uncomfortable Bed Fellows,
Justice Kirby outlined his
Christian heritage.
“I feel that I need to explain,
at the outset of this lecture, that I
hold the perspective of a member
of the Anglican denomination
of Christianity, adhering to the
Protestant tradition within Anglicanism. If one is raised in the
Sydney Diocese of Anglicanism,
one becomes comfortable with
the Protestant tradition.”
Almost at the conclusion
of the lecture, he said, “I believe
that the Christian churches must
reassess their traditional attitude
to same-sex attraction and to
forms of committed relationships
between people of the same sex.
“I am here to say these
things, not despite the fact
that I am a Sydney Anglican,
but because of that fact. Not
despite the words of Scripture,
but because those words, read
in context and with the light
of reason and love provide no
impediment. Not despite my
upbringing in the Anglican
tradition of Christianity, but
because of it.”
Interviewed more recently,
when reminded the Diocese of
Sydney does not accept women
as priests and is strongly opposed to same-sex unions, he
said, “You can’t look just to the
immediate and the short-term.”
He was clearly buoyed by
the acceptance speech of reelected US President Barack
Obama who declared a person’s
fate is not preordained whether
they were man or woman, black
or white, straight or gay.
“It may be that what President Obama did was a strategic
and deliberate step. I don’t think
he would have done anything
in those months leading to the
PATIENT: Michael Kirby says that the church will eventually
accept same-sex marriage, but it will take some considerable
time: the 20 to 30 years the topic has been debated so far is ‘just
a blink of the eye in the history of the church’.
election without having thought
through the political implications of it. I just wonder whether those implications have been
truly judged in this country.”
Justice Kirby said that the
20 or 30 years over which this
matter has been debated was
just a blink of an eye in the history of the Church.
“You just have to keep
battling away and do it politely,” he insisted. “That is
certainly the way of the Angli-
can Church. No more burnings
but politeness and argument.
And that is a very Protestant
way of resolving matters. Not
just accepting the authority but
arguing about it. That is what
Luther came to demand and that
is what the Protestant churches
will continue to do.”
*Graham Downie is a Canberra-based freelance journalist
with many years of experience
in reporting on religious matters.
TURKEY ‘THE OTHER
HOLY LAND’ TOUR
Escorted by
The Rev Paul Black
Rector, St John’s, Canberra
21 September 6 October 2013
Many Christians are unaware of Turkey¹s unique
role in the Bible. During much of the first century it
was the centre for the young church. Join me as we
explore the world of the apostles and the early Christians as they lived out and spread the good news. We
will also visit Gallipoli, Cappadocia and discover the
delights of Turkey.
TOTAL PACKAGE PRICE TO TURKEY
FLYING SINGAPORE AIRLINES:
$5,330.00
Single supplement: $650.00
For an itinerary and more information contact Rev Paul on
0416159814 or Olive Tree Travel 1300 55 08 30
December 2012
Page 17
BATHURST DIOCESAN NEWS
Anglican Women of Australia
Diocese of Bathurst
An umbrella movement for all women
of the Anglican Church
Greetings AWA Friends
FROM
It is hard to believe that
we are coming to the end of
CECILY
another year, so I do wish
BUTCHER
all our AWA friends a very
happy and holy ChristAWA DIOCESAN
mas. As we are all a little
COORDINATOR
more fragile each year, it is
important that we celebrate
occasions like this with our family and friends. Let us also remember the friends we have lost during the year, and those who
are confined to their homes, and the many happy times we had
together as Anglican women.
The next committee meeting will be held in Wellington on
11th February when arrangements will be finalised for the AGM,
including a date. With the National and Provincial AWA conference being held in April, it might be a little difficult to find a date
for our AGM in that month.
If people have not made a booking for the conference, time
is running out – Conference Secretary, Helen Lloyd, 7 Mokoan
Place, Duffy ACT 2611 would like a $50 deposit before 11th
January, with full payment, $180 before 28th February. Please
let me know, Ph: 6362 6818
if you did not receive a flyer giving full details of the conference to be held in Goulburn, 16-19th April.
ABM Auxiliary News. Our ABM Auxiliary representative,
the Rev’d Thel Maunder, would like everyone to know that because the 2013 Project will be for the Filipino people, a pilgrimage to the Philippines next year is at the planning stage.
Although at exact date, cost and other details have not yet
been announced, it is time to think about taking a trip to that
interesting country. As Canon Trevor Dennis says “When we
make a pilgrimage - we come back changed. Of that I am certain, but of course that is the reason why you go on pilgrimage in
the first place, to find the holy, stumble upon God in action, and
be changed forever by the experience.” A visit to that country
will be an experience to remember for a long time.
Living theology in wood
 Unique gift blends
symbolism from Old
and New Testaments
The small altar presented to
Bishop Richard Hurford at the end
of the service in which he laid up
his pastoral staff two weeks ago,
was made by two inmates from
the Bathurst Correctional Centre
under the supervision of Kelso
parish priest Roger Dyer.
The two men, Daryl and
Simon, work at the Kelso church
several days a week under the
Community Partnerships Program.
“They have put in many hours
cutting, shaping, laminating and
sanding specially selected timbers
to create a beautiful piece of
furniture,” Roger Dyer said.
Darryl’s work included the
band sawing, machining and
laminating. Simon made the
Celtic Cross that was carefully
inlaid into the top surface. Roger
Dyer said he had done the design,
inlay, joinery and finishing, and his
wife June and Christine Hurford
had both “had a hand in the process
with style and dimensions”.
“The project was transforming for the boys, and the fact
that it was made entirely from
salvaged material is something of
a metaphor for their stories, too,”
Roger observed.
He said that the timber
Jesus Racing revs up Bathurst
Correctional Complex
GIFT: Crafted in the workshop of
Kelso priest Roger Dyer, the altar
was a gift from the people of Bathurst
Diocese to Bishop Richard on his
retirement last month.
(Spotted Gum) came from the site
of Bishop Tyrell Anglican College
in Newcastle, and had been milled
and then air dried for eight years.
The inlaid Celtic cross was
made from a “little branch of
Gidgee, which grows in the
North - Western region of Bathurst Diocese”.
He said that the design could
be described as Catholic and
Eclectic, combining inspiration
East and West, and symbolizing
the universal nature of Christ.
“While the coved ends are
Eastern, they may well call to
mind the ‘Horns of the Altar’.
The base has been joined and
strengthened by the two threefold
laminated Arcs, thus symbolizing
the Everlasting Covenant. The
distinct three-foldness of the frontal view represents the Trinity.”
The Celtic Cross has been
embellished with aluminium nails
representing the universal work
of Christ for the Nations, with
four brass pins representing the
Hebrew expression, ‘four corners
of the Earth’ with the cross at the
centre of the ‘New Creation’ thus
combining the two main epochs
of history.
Roger Dyer pointed out that
each piece in the top was different in size and presented all
aspects of the timber’s grain: “I
like to think this represents the
diversity of humanity bound and
knit into one Holy Catholic and
Apostolic Church through the
work of Christ in Trinity.”
He added that the altar was an
endeavour for Bishop Richard “to
have a piece of Living Theology
in Wood”.
by Tony Card
The first week of October is
a noisy one in Bathurst as the
population of the city grows
exponentially and the roar of
V8 Supercars and their support
categories can be heard right
across the city.
Inmates at Bathurst experienced the thrills and spills of
V8 ute racing when one of the
country’s top ute racers, Andrew
‘Fishtail’ Fisher, dropped in for
the afternoon after an eventful
weekend.
This was the first time that
Andrew has spoken inside a
correctional centre, with the
visit being coordinated by the
Centre Chaplains.
‘Fishtail’ spoke to the men
about his experiences in racing, from humble beginnings
in a Daewoo Lanos through to
heading down Conrod Straight
at just under 300km/h.
His presentation wasn’t all
high octane and energy; Andrew
drew on comparisons between
racing and life to speak to the
men about the legacy that they
REV-HEADS: Some of the men from Bathurst Correctional
Centre with Andrew “Fishtail” Fisher and Chaplain, Tony Card.
create through their actions.
“How will you be remembered?” He asked, and spoke
about the tough decisions that he
has had to make in his life; decisions that have literally had life
and death implications.
All were inspired by his example, with many men still talk-
ing about the visit and ‘Fishtail’s
life over a month later!
The Jesus Racing Team is
available year round to talk to
high schools, men’s groups, and
correctional centres. If you would
like to enquire about having them
around to your place go to www.
jesusracing.com.au
CUDAL CONFIRMATION: A Confirmation Service at St
James Church, Cudal on Wednesday 31st October was the
last to be conducted by Bishop Richard, in his capacity as
Bishop of Bathurst.
The Cudal congregation was pleased to welcome Dawn,
Brock, Isabel and Jake who were Confirmees from Cudal; and
Melissa and Timothy who were from All Saints’ College.
Melissa was baptised, and then she and Timothy were both
Confirmed. All Saints’ College Chaplain Paul Woodhart also
took part in the service.
Page 18
December 2012
BATHURST DIOCESAN NEWS
THE ADMINISTRATOR’S COLUMN
LLM Conference
focuses on self care
Looking at the flip side
I recently attended a school reunion with
a lot of other baby boomers who had lived
through the Beatles, the Vietnam War and
Man on the Moon. We asked each other how
much advice we needed from our grandchildren to assist us with technology. The flip
side of change.
In those years, a new student arrived.
He was a gifted, shy person who through
his father’s work and the need to move
regularly, struggled to make friends and find
acceptance. Teenage insecurity plus! Sadly,
he was sometimes on the receiving end of
poor humour and exclusion. Kids.
Someone asked whether we had been
fair to him. The simple answer: not really!
We agreed in our table conversation that in
our brashness and arrogance, the line had
probably been crossed. A flip side of recognition.
Nowadays our behaviour in a similar
circumstance would be very different. Life
experience and maturity does have some
benefits. The flip side of growing up.
Between now and Christmas comes the
season of Advent. Coming home from Bathurst one day I began to think of the green
and red reversible liturgical stoles which we
have at Holy Trinity, Orange. Mostly they
are used with the green side facing out because that is the season of Trinity. The other
side is red for the Holy Spirit or Pentecost.
The flip side of the seasons.
There are also some purple and white
ones for Advent and Christmas. During
Advent, the liturgical colour is purple. It is
a time for preparation for the great event
of Christmas, when white is the symbol of
joy and hope. The flip sides of the two great
festivals.
The difficulty for us is that it is incredibly easy to prepare for Christmas without
facing the need for preparation, repentance,
examining our hearts and our minds to
Archdeacon
Frank
Hetherington
discover the areas in which, by which and
through which we have failed to love God,
our fellow human beings and ourselves. The
pressure of advertising focuses on celebration rather than on preparation. In a time of
great social busyness, it is difficult to step
back about God’s goodness to humanity in
the birth of his Son. There is an imperative
to look at the flip side.
And yet there are so many flip sides that
we need to think about. In the Christmas
season broken relationships can loom larger
because of the pressure to make everything
look good, friendly and happy. Loneliness is
a flip side.
The Christmas Bowl and other charities
remind us that in the midst of abundance
there is also great poverty and need.
While we sing “Peace on earth” we also
pray for peace and places such as Afghanistan and the Middle East which are torn by
war.
The challenge is for us all to look at
the flipside of the Season, to ponder on the
redemption of the world by our Lord Jesus
Christ and the joy that brings them to think
about the reasons why we should share the
great gift that we receive.
The flip side of this season allows for
some honest self-examination and some
deliberate turning so that the love of Christ
child can be born and dwell in us.
Then we can truly better understand
God’s “flip side” as we witness the wonder
of the Word made flesh, dwelling amongst
us in grace and truth.
Have a happy
Christmas.
NORMAN J PENHALL
FUNERALS
ORANGE & DISTRICT
SERVICING- BLAYNEY CANOWINDRA
CARGO CUDAL MANILDRA
MOLONG MILLTHORPE



Clinical psychologist Robin Vines
then dealt with the ‘Body’ component
in the following session on Saturday,
when she offered practical guidance
of self-care.
Retired priest Ian Crooks led a
final session on Sunday morning to
raise awareness of the importance of
spiritual direction and retreats, the
‘Spirit’ component of the conference.
“This session awoke in a lot of
people the need to make time for
spiritual self-care,” Canon Carla said.
“Afterwards, people were asking how
they could make a retreat, and how
they could find a spiritual director.”
During the conference, participants also ‘workshopped’ the draft
version of the LLM handbook, a
36-page document that is, although
not yet finalised, now available to all
Licensed Lay Ministers.
LLMs can obtain a copy by
contacting the Ministry Development
Officer, Canon Carla Archer, on 6331
1722 or [email protected]
or by snail mail, PO Box 23, Bathurst
2795.
SELF CARE: Clinical psychologist Robin Vines offers some guidelines
for care of the body, during the LLM conference which explored self-care
under the topics of Mind, Body and Spirit.




Pre-Paid & Pre-Arranged Funeral Specialists
Norman, Deidre & Susan Penhall
PROVIDING 24 HOUR 7 DAYS
SENSITIVE, DIGNIFIED & PROFESSIONAL CARE
WHEN YOU NEED IT MOST
6361 7777
Acting Ministry Development Officer Canon Carla Archer has said she
was very pleased with the response
to last month’s Licensed Lay Ministers’ Conference at St Barnabas’ East
Orange.
Themed ‘Putting on the Whole
Armour of God’, the two-day event
attracted 55 people on the first day,
and 43 for the second day. As Carla
Archer explained, some were unable
to stay for the Sunday because of
worship commitments in their home
parish.
She explained that the conference
had explored the ‘whole armour of
God’ concept in terms of protecting
mind, body and spirit.
Following an opening worship
service led by host parish priests
Gary and Anne Neville, the first session consisted of a DVD Bible study
presentation by Walter Bruegemann
entitled ‘Finding the Modern Pharaoh’. As the ‘Mind’ component of the
conference, this teaching concerned
setting priorities and maintaining
values while living in the ‘rat race’ of
contemporary life.
6362 3751
OUR FAMILY CARING FOR YOUR FAMILY
INCORPORATING PENHALL FUNERAL SERVICES
& PENHALL LADY FUNERALS
Office & Chapel, 33-35 William St Orange
Owned & Operated By The Penhall Family - Proudly Australian
CLERGY MOVES and APPOINTMENTS
(Bathurst Diocese)
 The Reverend Roger Dyer, Rector of Kelso Parish, has concluded his additional ministry
in the Parish of Oberon, as from November 30.
 The Reverend Canon Margaret Finlay will conclude her part-time ministry in the Parish
of Cudal on 31st December. She will continue as the Associate Priest in the Parish of
Holy Trinity Orange and as Regional Ministry Coordinator for the Cabonne Region. She
has also accepted a new responsibility as Chair of the Professional Standards Committee.
 The Reverend Jorie Ryan concluded her ministry as part-time parish priest in the Parish
of Gulgong on 31st October. She and her husband Christopher will continue to manage
their property and holiday cottages near Mudgee, and Jorie has been granted an Authority
to Officiate.
 The Reverend Tony McMiles has been granted an Authority to Officiate and will be
continuing to lead worship in the Parish of Oberon.
 The Right Reverend Richard Hurford has been granted an Authority to Officiate.
December 2012
Page 19
BATHURST DIOCESAN NEWS
Softball success at Macquarie Grammar
by Miss Belinda
Papworth
The Macquarie Softball
team acquitted itself very well
in the CSSA Primary Softball
Gala in Sydney on Monday
October 22
The team consisted of:
Claudia Ritchie, Lucy Barton, Ally Wheeler, Sheridan
Munro, Eliza Fouracre, Anna
Single, Emily Richter, Katie
Thomas, Phoebe Jones, Charlotte Brander, Lilly Williams
and Katie Rath.
The girls played five
matches with little time in
between, winning the first two
and only losing two of the
next matches due to incomplete innings. I was immensely proud of the way the girls
conducted themselves. Thank
you for making it such a fun
trip, girls!
Year Three
ZoosnooZ
by Miss Rachael Bell
A recent overnight stay at
the Western Plains Zoo turned
out to be well worth the long
wait for Year Three students at
Macquarie Anglican Grammar.
The day was filled with
eager anticipation for the
students, who had been
waiting for three-and-a-half
months for their turn to sleep
over at the zoo. Finally
5:30pm arrived and the air
was filled with shouts of joy
and excitement as we gathered
outside the zoo and said
goodbye to parents.
We settled in at the Education Centre and then enjoyed a
delicious dinner together, complete with singing the fantastic
Superman grace before eating.
The night walk that followed proved to be a success, if not a little long
for our tired students who
were longing for their beds.
Interestingly, on return to
their accommodation sleep
was not eagerly sought after
and it took a little while for
all eyes to close and tents to
become quiet.
To the dismay of teachers
and trusty parents who were
brave enough to come along
for the ride, some eyes were
open again at 4:00 am! By
STRONG PERFORMANCE: The Macquarie Anglican Grammar team put in a strong
performance at the recent CSSA Primary Softball Gala in Sydney.
5:30, all eyes were open and
students were up and dressed
and beyond ready to help set
mainly music’s second birthday
For two years, a weekly
gathering of pre-school children
with their parents, grandparents or carers has met in the
St Barnabas’ Church Hall in
Orange East for an hour or so of
singing, dancing, and enjoying
a happy mix of music, food and
friendship.
The gathering is the mainly
music group, and early in
November they held a special
celebration to mark their second
birthday.
Parish priest Gary Neville said he and his wife Anne
originally saw mainly music as
a way of staying in touch with
baptism families. But with support from their daughter Sharon
Chown and several parishioners, they have developed a regular connection with dozens of
families – many of whom have
no other link with the church.
“We’ve had several parents
from the group ask us to baptise
their children,” Gary said, “as
well as parents asking to borrow
books or resources they can use
to help teach their kids more
about special occasions such as
Easter and Christmas.”
While Anne Neville admitted the 60-plus people attending
the birthday party was a “few
more than usual”, the group
regularly attracts over 25 chil-
ACTION: Sharon Chown (right foreground) leads the preschoolers through a variety of action songs during the mainly
music session at St Barnabas, Orange East.
dren and 15 to 20 adults.
Each week’s session begins
with a selection of simple songs
with actions the kids can easily
join in, running for about half
an hour. The adult helpers then
supervise the kids for morning
tea, allowing their parents and
carers to enjoy a relaxed cup
of tea and a conversation at the
same time.
Anne Neville said the
mainly music program is bought
as a complete package, including all music resources needed
for each week’s activities and
simple guidelines for running
the group.
“Each week’s selection of
music includes at least three
‘God’ songs, so everyone just
accepts that as a natural part of
the session,” she explained.
“We obviously don’t get
everyone each week, but there
are always plenty of people
here. There’s never been a day
when we’ve asked, ‘where is
everyone?’- except perhaps the
day when the Wiggles were in
town!”
For more information on
mainly music, check out http://
www.mainlymusic.org.au/
up breakfast.
After packing up beds we
enjoyed meeting some new
friends, including snakes, lizards and a very shy echidna
The morning walk was a
great way to expend pent up
energy before setting out on
our own for the day.
By the time we collected
our bags and returned to
school, many were ready for
another rest and were eager to
see their families to share their
exciting experiences.
Page 20
December 2012
BATHURST DIOCESAN NEWS
Diocesan Cursillo gathering at Kelso
 Movement says
‘farewell’ to Bishop
Richard Hurford
More than 60 people met at
the Holy Trinity church hall in
Kelso on Saturday November 3
for the final Diocesan Cursillo
gathering of the year.
The Diocesan Ultreya, a day
of encouragement for those who
have attended a Cursillo weekend or are interested in doing
so, also gave the Cursillo movement an opportunity to farewell
Bishop Richard Hurford. The
event was just a week before
the Bishop formally laid up
his pastoral staff in All Saints’
Cathedral.
During the morning, Bishop
Richard commissioned three
new members of the Diocesan
Cursillo Secretariat: Wendy
Davidson and Fay Ridley from
Orange, and Wayne Stewart
from Parkes. He also thanked
retiring Secretariat members …
and acknowledged the conclusion of their term of office.
Bishop Richard also reflected briefly on his experience of Cursillo over almost 30
years, from his initial weekend
at Bishopsthorpe in Goulburn
through a number of weekends
in Grafton Diocese and then
attending most of the closing
ceremonies at Cursillo weekends in Bathurst Diocese over
the past eleven years.
The open space of the Kelso
hall gave an opportunity to try a
different approach to the usual
Ultreya format. Instead of seating the group in rows, people
were asked to form small ‘table
communities’ of five or six –
similar to the arrangements on
a Cursillo weekend. By then
engaging with the same group
for discussions throughout the
day, they had the opportunity
to develop deeper connections
with a few people they might
not have known well at the start
of the day.
Carina Card gave a challenging witness talk on the
theme of ‘transformation’, and
newly-ordained priest Anne
Neville offered a spiritual reflection on Carina’s address.
Diocesan Lay Director Liz
Smith announced that Carina
Card will be leading the team
for Women’s 45 Cursillo on the
June long weekend next year,
and Allan Ridley will be Lay
Director for Men’s 41 in October 2013.
Kelso musicians Mel Gee
and Ben Bignell led the singing
for the gathering, drawing on a
selection of theme songs from
recent Cursillo weekends.
Thanks must go to Colleen
Robins and Sylvia Hitchick,
who spent most of the day in
the kitchen, and to all who
brought lunch or morning tea
to share. The spread was quite
diverse, and very generous!
Thanks also to Kelso parish,
and particularly parish priest
Roger Dyer and his wife June,
for their generosity in hosting
the day.
COMMISSIONING: (above) Wendy Davidson,
Wayne Stewart and Fay Ridley (in foreground)
were commissioned by Bishop Richard as new
members of the Diocesan Cursillo Secretariat
during the Cursillo gathering at Holy Trinity
Kelso. Diocesan Spiritual Adviser Gary Neville,
Secretariat member Fiona Nott, Bishop Richard
and Diocesan Lay Director Liz Smith lead the
round of applause.
SPEAKER: Carina Card delivered a challenging
witness talk on the theme of ‘transformation’.
Carina has also been invited to lead the team for
the Women’s Cursillo in June 2013.
Orange Grammar wins Business Award
For the second year in
succession, Orange Anglican
Grammar School has won the
Education and Training section
of the annual Orange Outstanding Business Awards.
The school was one of five
local educational and training
organisations nominated in the
category this year.
“We are very honoured to
receive the award, which demonstrates the strong support of
the Orange community for the
way in which Orange Anglican
Grammar has developed in just
a few years, to become one of
Orange’s premier educational
options,” said the school’s Enrolments and Marketing Officer
Carolyn Egan.
In total, over 100 businesses
were nominated in 21 categories
for this year’s awards, which
were presented at a formal dinner which hosted more than 550
guests at the Orange Function
Centre on Saturday evening,
November 10.
Business awards committee chairman Mark Monaghan
described the night as a “huge
CHANGING OF THE GUARD: Recently-appointed Principal
of Orange Anglican Grammar School Len Elliott with Founding
Principal Ann Brown, who retires at the end of this year. Len
Elliott takes up the reins in January.
success”.
Sponsored once again by
CGU Insurance, the awards
celebrate the achievements of
local businesses in the Orange
community.
The event also raised funds
for the Max Hazelton Aero
Centre Medical Interchange,
with a live auction and a lucky
envelope draw bringing in over
$6300.
December 2012
Page 21
BATHURST DIOCESAN NEWS
West Wyalong worship
takes to the streets
The Anglican Church in West Wyalong used the community’s Paris in the
West celebrations in October to showcase their youth group.
The young folk embraced the idea
and worked out how to put the display
together in two working days. They
built a float on a ute covered with calico,
with flowers and cards and featuring
two large butterflies.
The children wore their orange tee
shirts and handed out balloons and lollies.
They looked good and had a great time.
As part of the celebration, the Minsters’ Fraternal was asked to arrange a
community church service, and this was
led by Cameron Webber from the Community Church. Nine churches were
involved, each contributing a part of the
service.
ON DISPLAY: Members of the youth group in West Wyalong joined in the
fun of the town’s ‘Paris in the West’ celebrations.
The music was great with two lead
singers, an organ and guitar, and the
Salvation Army did an item with their
tambourines and drum.
The service was held in the bush setting of Cooinda Park, half way between
Wyalong and West Wyalong. People in
Wyalong said they could hear the music
and singing, “and it sounded fantastic”!
It was very moving being present
for the service: the hymns chosen were
modern and uplifting, and the service
included a section for children as well as
a sermon.
The worship service was well supported and even a drop of rain didn’t
deter the people. A few travellers who
had been passing through West Wyalong
pulled up at the park and some of them
joined the service.
All Saints’ College farewells Chaplain
from the College
After nine years of faithful
service, beloved Chaplain, Father Paul Woodhart retires from
Bathurst’s All Saints’ College at
the end of the school term.
To mark the occasion,
students, parents and friends
recently attended Father Paul’s
final Junior School Chapel
Service which was held in the
beautiful College grounds.
Addressing the outdoor
gathering, Father Paul said the
College had a Christian heritage
and he had “been proud to be a
small part of that heritage”.
Appointed College Chaplain
to All Saints’ in February 2004,
the 130th anniversary of the
founding of the College, “FP”
as the students address him has
been revered by his community
as the much loved ‘Father’ of
the school.
Father Paul’s official duties
included teaching Christian
Studies in both Junior and Senior Schools and celebrating the
many College Chapel Services
and liturgies each week in both
the historic College Chapel and
at All Saints’ Cathedral.
Over the years Father
Paul’s Saturday afternoons and
Sundays have frequently been
filled with the celebration of
baptisms and weddings in the
Chapel. He has also been an invaluable mentor, assisting with
the funerals of members of the
All Saints’ family.
An unwritten contract for
a Chaplain is to offer a listening ear, and Father Paul could
be often seen on the campus
walking with students or staff
offering attention to their causes
or concerns. He was also a
regular hospital visitor to staff
or students and members of the
PARTING GIFT: As a gift to the school, Father Paul crafted
a board to list the names of the School Chaplains from 1910 to
the present. Year 6 student raised the money to fund the project,
while Fr Paul spent many hours researching the details.
extended College family.
Father Paul and wife Jenny
are well-loved by the students,
regularly opening their home
to the All Saints’ boarders
who have enjoyed Chaplain’s
dinners, Sunday lunches and
special breakfasts.
Father Paul is a man of
many parts. He has recently
gained a postgraduate Certificate and a Master’s Degree in
Religious Education.
He is also a gifted artisan,
assisting the College with many
practical projects. With the closing of Marsden Church of England Girls’ School in 1977 and
incorporation with All Saints’
College, the historic Marsden
Chapel pews were gifted to
St Barnabas’ Church in South
Bathurst, where Father Paul was
Parish Priest.
On commencing his Chaplaincy, he employed his excellent cabinet-making skills and
transformed these into an altar
table which now sits in the All
Saints’ Chapel.
While school term activities took up much of his time,
during the vacations Father Paul
continued his more practical
projects and made four large
leadlight windows for St Andrew’s Church at Russell Lea.
Indeed, not content with
just preaching and teaching the
Bible, Father Paul has taken a
more ‘hands on’ approach on a
number of occasions by planning and leading tours of the
faithful to the Holy Land.
Father Paul and Jenny
Woodhart join a select few who
have, through their selfless contribution and service over many
years to All Saints’ College,
been honoured with life membership of the College Parent
and Friends Association. Their
loyal devotion has been ‘above
and beyond’ and is a testament
to those who hold the College
so close to their hearts.
Trinity Certificate course
Eight Bathurst students have recently completed the Trinity Certificate in Theology and Ministry.
Under the tuition of Canon Carla Archer, the group began the
course in April 2010 and managed to wrap up what is normally a
two-year program by the end of October this year.
The group consisted of Maureen Arnold, Agnes Fallow, and Tom
and Catherine Williamson (all from St Barnabas’, South Bathurst);
and Tanya Harvey, Pat Johnson and Anna and Gavin Krebbs from
All Saints’ Cathedral.
Units covered in the course included and introductory topic looking at My Faith; studies in both Old Testament and New Testament;
Anglican Tradition; What We Believe; and a concluding topic on
mission and evangelism, entitled Taking our Beliefs into the World.
Canon Carla described the series, produced by Trinity College
in Melbourne, as “a very accessible course in terms of readings,
responses and affordability”.
There are no exams, but participants submit a response at the
end of each unit. This can be a letter, a piece of artwork, an essay or
something similar.
Page 22
December 2012
HISTORYBYTES
NEWS FROM
THE WIDER CHURCH
Hope for Zimbabwe’s church and people
Matthew Neuhaus,
Australia’s Ambassador to
Zimbabwe, addressed the
Friends of St John, Canberra
9 September 2012 on the
topic, Hope for Zimbabwe.
He told his audience it
was the third time he had
been invited to speak to the
Friends: firstly in 2001 when
he was High Commissioner
to Nigeria, and secondly in
2009 after his return from a
posting with the Commonwealth Secretariat.
The following is condensed from his address:
for the soul of the
Archbishop Koleaders have got to know one
nation as elections
nunga - in the most
another better, will engage more
loom next year and
wonderful and joyous
constructively.
for peace and freeAnglican celebration
There is hope that with dodom in the future.
I have ever attended.
nors like Australia assisting the
For the military,
We saw the church
process we may be able to be
police and intelliin chains as a church
more active in working to limit
gence organisations
triumphant and the
abuses.
are still active, and
Archbishop’s sermon
There is hope that the busiintimidation still eviwas an inspiration to
ness community will insist that
dent. Nowhere more
us all.
their economic activity must not
so is this than the
The next day the
be disrupted.
case of your sister
Archbishop of CanThere is hope that the civil soAnglican Church in
terbury, flanked by the ciety groups and churches may be
Zimbabwe, a church
African Bishops, did
active in preventing and reporting
in chains suffering
meet with President
abuses in even the most isolated
from state persecuMugabe. Mugabe was
local communities.
tion.
courtesy itself, as he
There is even hope that
How did this
is on these occasions,
President Mugabe, who at 88
When I last spoke, I menhappen?
and expressed ignoconstantly calls for peace, may
tioned the issue of Zimbabwe,
During the
rance of the sufferings actually oversee peaceful elecand the efforts being made to
worst excesses of
of the church and
tions where the will of the peobring peace to that troubled
the reaction to the
promised to look into
ple can be reflected as a legacy.
land.
democracy struggle,
it. Of course, nothing
But there is also fear.
Today, as Australian Amten years ago, when
has changed. But the
For those of us who are
bassador to Zimbabwe, I am
farms were being
inspiration and care
Christians, we recall the words
speaking on the subject, Hope
burned and invaded;
that the visit symbolof Psalm 39:7 when David was
for Zimbabwe.
people beaten to
at a low point: And now Lord
Zimbabwe is a church and
HOPEFUL: Australia’s Ambassador to Zimbabwe, ised has lived on, and
death by police and
Anglicans in Zimbawhat wait I for? My hope is in
people in chains, but with the
Matthew Neuhaus, sees signs of hope for greater
political activists and freedom and a more democratic future for the
bwe hope and pray for thee.
hope of real freedom. I recall
others driven from
a better future.
And we see that hope
the words of St Paul in Ephechurch and the people of Zimbabwe.
reflected daily in the many wontheir homes which
At the moment in
sians, where he writes of being
derful Zimbabweans we work
were demolished, a
Zimbabwe the storm
“an Ambassador in chains” but
with, white and black who,
Bishop Kunonga had become
clouds are gathering again as
still boldly preaching God’s
been an inspiration to those
despite beatings, loss of their
Anglican Bishop of Harare and
we look to elections next year.
message and the freedom it
Anglicans under his care. He
homes and their livelihoods,
lauded the worst excesses of the has rallied to meet in schools,
The memories of the violence
promised.
death and hurt, still can forgive
state as a new liberation war.
of the last elections in 2008
There has, over the last
chapels, under trees, sometimes
and work for a better future.
Instead of working for peace he
are fresh in everyone’s minds,
two to three years, been much
in the churches of Catholics or
We see it in the congregations
encouraged conflict.
including in the neighbouring
progress in Zimbabwe under
Methodists.
at the thatched roof chapel on a
In due course he was exSouthern African countries.
the power sharing governHe has endured church
private property where we worcommunicated from the AngliThere is hope though that
ment between President Robert
conferences and meetings being
ship. We see it in the beaming
this time around South Africa
Mugabe and Prime
disrupted by police
face of Bishop Chad Gadiya,
and the other neighbouring
Minister Tsvangarai,
under instructions
the Anglican Bishop of Harare,
countries will be more active in
who recently visited
from on high - peo‘It has astonished me how little
their engagement and in observ- the leader of a church in chains
Canberra.
ple have even been
waiting with hope and faith for
ing these elections.
We no longer have
killed in these attacks.
the persecution of the Anglican
its liberation. We see it in the
There
is
hope
that
in
looking
the high inflation
He
has
also
endured
Church in Zimbabwe is known in
to the future the police and mili- many Zimbabwean Christians
which saw a $100
terrible taunts and
the
wide
Anglican
Church,
preocwe engage with daily.
tary will be more professional.
trillion Zim dollars
intimidation - accused
cupied as it is by lesser issues of of being a western
I ask you to pray, with hope,
There is hope that the
worth only a dollar,
gay clergy, women bishops and
for the peace of Zimbabwe.
various political parties, whose
as we now use the US
puppet, the creature of
dollar as currency.
ageing congregations, rather than homosexuals and perFood is again
verts, even of treason.
the great spiritual struggles and
readily available, and
Orphanages have been
desperate
poverty
of
our
age.’
Australian assistance
taken and children
has helped agri-busimade homeless. And
ness to begin again.
yet he persisted.
 Sensitive Professional Care
Cholera and typhoid
It has astonished
 24 hour service  Chapel
can Communion, but promptly
are no longer rampant, and
me how little the persecution of
declared himself the Archbishop the Anglican Church in Zimwater and sanitation are being
 Office  Function Room
of a new patriotic Anglican
restored to towns, again with
babwe is known in the wide
church. He also kept the catheAustralian help.
Anglican Church, preoccupied
Specialising in:
Textbooks have been provid- dral, the churches themselves
as it is by lesser issues of gay
Pre-Paid and
and other church property.
ed to the primary schools, again
clergy, women bishops and agePre-Arranged Funerals
When the Anglican parishwith Australian help, and basic
ing congregations, rather than
ioners sought to worship in
health services have been rethe great spiritual struggles and
Proudly owned by John & Cathy Murphy
stored. Australian assistance has their churches they were driven
desperate poverty of our age.
Staffed by Doug Sloan, Steven Forbes, Donna Cain
out by police. In many cases
been crucial — we are the fifth
But it was a great day when
largest donor to Zimbabwe- just the building themselves have
late last year the Archbishop
been turned to other uses some
as we are a growing force for
of Canterbury came to Harare.
rented out as schools, or shops
good in Africa more widely —
He was accompanied by the
or worse, others left to rot and
and Australians can be proud of
Archbishop of South Africa, the
e: [email protected]
deteriorate in the sun.
their role.
Archbishop of Tanzania and the
The Church of the Province
But even while Parliament
Bishop of Botswana amongst
SERVICING: ORANGE  BLAYNEY  CANOWINDRA
of Central Africa — covering
is again able to meet, there are
others. We joined 6000 other
CARCOAR  CARGO  CUDAL  MOLONG
Zambia, Malawi, Botswana and
independent newspapers and
worshippers in packed indoor
MILLTHORPE & SURROUNDING AREAS
Zimbabwe -elected a fine new
lively debate and Harare is at
sport stadiums - the cathedral
Cnr Cameron Place & Lone Pine Ave ORANGE (next to the Orange Crematorium)
Bishop,
Chad
Gadiya,
who
has
peace, a struggle still goes on
was denied us by the renegade
Orange Funeral Services
6360 1199
December 2012
Page 23
NEWS FROM THE WIDER CHURCH
Climate change impacts Solomon Islands
by Kate Higgins
Standing on a remote
coral atoll in the Pacific Ocean
watching children play, it was
deeply saddening to realise they
will soon have to leave a place
that has been home to their people for thousands of years.
Ontong Java, the most northerly part of Solomon Islands,
is on the frontline of climate
change. The rising seas are eating away the land and growing
food is now almost impossible
as salt poisons swamp taro, the
staple crop.
After 2000 years of settlement, it is increasingly likely
that Ontong Java’s 2000 inhabitants will be its last, and bear
the unenviable label of being
one of the first communities
in the world to be completely
resettled as a result of climate
change.
I recently travelled to
Ontong Java, more than 300
km from the Solomons’ main
islands, as a guest on an annual
trip led by the Anglican Church
of Malaita and a provincial
health team. My aim was to see
if my organisation, Anglican
Overseas Aid, could do anything to support the people of
these islands.
I quickly discovered that
very little can be done apart
from ongoing talks about resettlement between the island
communities, the Anglican
Church and the Solomon Islands Government.
Days after leaving Ontong
Java, I landed in Brisbane to find
The Age newspaper had published details of a leaked climate
change report that predicted $1
billion in damage to waterfront
properties in Victoria over the
next 90 years from severe storms
and rising sea levels.
The contrast was striking.
Clearly climate change threatens seaside communities all
around the world. But here in
Australia we have the luxury of
time to adapt, and we can also
afford it.
The two main ‘waterfront’
communities in Ontong Java Luaniua and Pelau – are facing
increasingly desperate conditions, but it’s happening now,
not in 90 years’ time. Many
people have already moved to
Honiara, the capital city of the
Solomons, and rising seas have
also forced movement within
communities. Families in the
Pelau community have been
squeezed onto one atoll after the
houses on another collapsed as
the sea eroded the land.
Attempts by the Anglican
Church to help communities
have only delayed the inevitable. In Pelau a sea wall was
built to combat the rising tides
but “the sea is eating it” according to one community member.
The church supported innovative permaculture projects to
increase food production but
after a single harvest the plants
were unable to continue producing. There was simply too much
salt.
Though they lack many
things, the people of Ontong
Java are rich with integrity, they
are wise and they are resilient.
And they know they have to
move. As one man from Pelau
said, “We are wasting our time
with adaptation – the sea eats
our attempts at adaptation.” But
finding an alternative place to
move to is an extremely complex process in the Solomon
Islands; there are suggestions
that they might relocate to the
Melanesian island of Malaita,
but it is the most heavily
populated island in the country
and already overwhelmed by
disputes over land.
Families in the
Pelau community
have been
squeezed onto
one atoll after the
houses on another
collapsed as the sea
eroded the land.
The plight of the people
of Ontong Java highlights the
complexities of climate change
now, and the importance of
urgent action to prevent the
need for mass relocations into
the future.
This action means more
investment in helping communities to adapt to the impact
of climate change and, where
necessary, to relocate in ways
that uphold their dignity.
But to prevent more of this
sort of thing happening, it’s
clear that we have to keep pushing forward with measures to
reduce greenhouse emissions.
UNDER THREAT: Rising sea levels are undermining houses and contaminating vegetable
gardens with salt in the low-lying Ontong Java islands, about 300 kilometres north-east of the
main Solomon Islands group.
Anglican Overseas Aid is
doing its part to help people in
the Pacific through the distribution of portable solar lights.
Along with improving safety
and opportunities for night-time
study, these lights reduce reliance on high-pollution kerosene
lamps and also encourage the
green economy as budding
entrepreneurs are taught business skills for selling the lights
to their communities.
The overall impact on greenhouse pollution may be slight,
but it’s a small-scale example of
what Australia’s carbon tax is
designed to do – reduce reliance
on polluting power sources and
encourage a greener economy.
Recent Australian electricity
production figures suggest that
it appears to be working.
It’s too late for the people of
Ontong Java, but there’s clearly
a ray of hope that should inspire
ongoing action to reduce the
impact of climate change.
At the end of November
world leaders gathered in Doha
for the latest round of climate
change talks, where they were
asked to commit to an extension
of the Kyoto protocol – referred
to as Kyoto 2 – that will keep
the world on track to reducing emissions while a more
comprehensive climate change
agreement is being negotiated.
Despite many governments
refusing to sign on, the Australian Government has provided a
great example by going to Doha
with a bi-partisan commitment
to sign up to Kyoto 2.
But it can’t stop there. Kyoto
2 is a temporary measure while
the world negotiates a longerterm climate treaty. It’s up to
our Government to continue to
play its part and demonstrate
to people all over the world,
whether on the Mornington
Peninsula or poor communities
in the Pacific, that we want to
ensure climate change doesn’t
wash away any more lives.
Kate Higgins is based in the
Solomon Islands as Pacific and
Solar Program Manager for
Anglican Overseas Aid. www.
anglicanoverseasaid.org.au
Godfrey Smith
Funerals Pty Ltd
HEAD OFFICE & CHAPEL
182 Piper St
Bathurst 6331 4084
F.D.A. of NSW
FUNERALS
At Need * Pre-Paid * Pre-Arranged
All Districts & Denominations
Available 24 Hrs, 7 Days
BRANCH
32 Adelaide Street
Blayney 6368 2575
Family Owned & Proudly Australian
VULNERABLE: The Ontong Java islands rise only a few metres
above the sea, making them vulnerable to rising sea levels.
Page 24
December 2012
HISTORY
C/G Historical Society visits Diocese of Bathurst
The Anglican Historical Society of the Diocese of
Canberra and Goulburn visited
several churches in the Diocese
of Bathurst over the weekend of
20-21 October.
The first stop was St John’s
in Cowra where the Rev. Bob
Lindbeck, who served for many
years in the Diocese of Canberra and Goulburn, is now the
locum. The original St John’s,
now demolished, was built in
the 1870s but was replaced in
the 1950s by the current magnificent brick building.
The next stop was All
Saints’ in Canowindra which
provides a fascinating model
for ministry in country towns
where it may not be feasible
for all the Christian churches to
maintain full-time clergy.
In Canowindra, the Anglican
and Uniting Church congregations worship together, using the
Anglican and Uniting Church
liturgies on alternate Sundays.
During the summer months
services are held in All Saints’
but in winter services move to
the Uniting Church which is
smaller and easier to heat. The
rector of All Saints’, Jonno Williams, is ordained as an Anglican priest and also a Uniting
Church minister. His enthusiasm for this unique ministry
and his love for Canowindra
were very evident as he spoke
about the church’s ministry in
the town.
Lunch was at the Age of
Fishes Museum in Canowindra and there was time to visit
the museum before driving to
Eugowra. Like many country
towns, Eugowra is facing difficult times but the impressive
brick church of the St Matthew’s, built in the 1960s, is
beautifully maintained.
On Saturday night the
people of Holy Trinity parish in
Grenfell provided a wonderful
dinner which was followed by a
talk on the history of Grenfell.
An equally wonderful morning
tea was provided after the 9.00
Holy Communion service the
next morning.
Holy Trinity is a solid brick
building on a hill in the centre
of Grenfell. It was built in the
late 1870s and has been well
maintained over the years,
including re-roofing a few years
ago after storm damage to the
original roof.
About 20 kilometres out
of Grenfell, set in the middle
of a clump of trees, is the small
church of St Margaret’s at Glenelg. St Margaret’s was originally the Roman Catholic church at
the Wyangala Dam construction
village. After the dam’s completion, the church was bought
by Mr Bert Priddle in 1934 and
re-erected on his property at Glenelg. Services are still held once
a month at Glenelg, conducted by
clergy from Grenfell.
We could have stayed for
hours listening to stories from St
Margaret’s past but lunch, provid-
TOUR: St John’s Anglican Church in Cowra, built in the late 1950s, was the first port of call for
members of the Anglican Historical Society of Canberra and Goulburn on their recent tour of
towns and villages along the southern edge of the Diocese of Bathurst.
ed by the Grenfell Rotary Club,
was waiting back in town.
After lunch there was a bus
tour of Grenfell before afternoon tea, again provided by the
Rotary Club, at the home of
Alan and Jill Hodgson. Jill is
the society’s tours officer and
made all the arrangements for
the weekend.
The warm welcome received
at every church, the delicious
food, the inspiring service at
Holy Trinity on Sunday morning, the hospitality of the Rotary
Club and Loaders Coaches, and
Historybytes
the beauty of the countryside
all contributed to a memorable weekend. Members of the
Anglican Historical Society
from Canberra and Goulburn are
already talking about another
excursion over the border to the
Diocese of Bathurst.
by Robert Willson
Influenza epidemic of 1919
Parliamentarians choosing the site for Canberra
(courtesy National Film and Sound Archive).
This production, to commemorate
the Centenary of Canberra, has been
commissioned by St John’s Schoolhouse
Museum, with the support of the Rector and Parish
Council of St John’s Anglican Church, Reid.
St John’s Church and
Schoolhouse Circa 1845
This month we feature another remarkable photograph from the history of the Diocese. I am deeply
indebted to Elaine McPhie of Berridale Parish for
passing it on to me.
It shows the Reverend H J Gedney, Rector of
Adaminaby from 1917 to 1922. Elaine writes that
the Reverend Mr Gedney was very active within the
community during the Influenza Epidemic of 1919.
He was the only person prepared to help remove
the dead for burial. He is gowned and masked for
this dangerous work. Elaine also possesses a photograph of her mother Emma Pryce – later Mrs
McPhie - who was one of two lay people to care and
prepare food for the sick.
The Flu claimed whole families. In NSW alone
approximately six thousand people died because
of influenza. In some parts of Sydney deaths from
influenza amounted to fifty percent of all deaths in
1919.
This is a fascinating glimpse of a forgotten part
of our history. The Flu Epidemic has been largely
overshadowed by the impact of the War but it
should be remembered.
Historybytes is sponsored by the Historical Society of the Diocese of Canberra and Goulburn. If you
have a photograph or story of our history I would
like to hear about it.
You may contact me at 43 Nathan Street, Deakin
2600 (Ph 62824346) My email address is [email protected]
COURAGEOUS: Reverend HJ Gedney,
rector of Adaminaby from 1917-1922,
showed great courage in removing the
dead from homes for burial during the
great ‘flu’ epidemic of 1919.
December 2012
Page 25
Huntly sees BG chapel 5% shy of target
Over 350 people enjoyed
‘High Tea’ with Bishop Stuart
Robinson at a special fundraising event to build a chapel and
multi-function community
space at Anglicare’s Brindabella
Gardens nursing home.
Guests were treated to tasty
treats and wonderful choral
and musical performances by
students from Radford College,
Grammar, and Girls Grammar
schools. Over $12,000 was
raised on the day for the project.
Paul Baxter, chair of the
Appeal Committee, set the tone
for the event saying “we are
celebrating that the Anglicare
Board has given the go ahead
to the project, trusting that we
will raise the remaining dollars
needed”.
He gave a special mention to
Brindabella Gardens chaplain,
the Rev’d Morton Johnston,
who was the driving force behind the project.
“The common factor in the
Project Team, the Auxiliary,
Anglicare and the Appeal Committee which I lead is Morton,”
he said.
Afterwards, Mr Baxter
reported that thanks to Huntly
event, and on top of the fundraising efforts throughout the
year, they had now achieved
over 95% of their funding
target.
“With pledges continuing
to come in, we are now just
$27,000 shy of reaching the
target goal set at over $600,000.
I am confident we will receive
the final amount by following
up contacts made throughout
the year and at the Huntly
event.”
Bishop Stephen Pickard, Anglicare’s Interim Chief Execu-
FINALE: Canberra Grammar’s Primary School Chorale
delivered a stunning musical finale. Musical items from
Canberra Girls’ Grammar and Radford College also provided
highlights in the program.
tive said he was “excited by the
response from people throughout the Anglican Community.”
Anglicare opens first foster
care office in Albury
In a major step forward for
foster care provision in Albury,
Anglicare has opened its first
Out of Home Care office in the
city. Anglicare’s Out of Home
Care office was officially opened
by the Anglican Archdeacon of
Hume, Peter Macleod-Miller, on
November 14.
Anglicare Riverina has been
providing foster care in NSW for
over 15 years and was contracted
by the NSW Government to service Albury earlier this year.
“I started some conversations with Community Services
in Albury more than five years
ago. Four months ago Anglicare
was asked to extend its Wagga
program into Albury,” Mr Addison said. “Community Services invited Anglicare to move
into the Albury community as
we’ve been a large provider of
foster care in Wagga. We’re on
the ground, we’ve got staff and
we’ve just trained our first batch
of foster carers.”
Anglicare Riverina is currently the only non-Government
Out Of Home Care provider with
an operation in Albury.
“We’re just really excited
about being here and working
with the local community.”
A key part of the development
relates to the fact that Albury is in
the Diocese of Wangaratta. Anglicare in the Diocese of Canberra
and Goulburn will be partnering
with Wangaratta Diocese and its
Victorian counterparts to ensure
“Anglicare” presents a united
front to the general public.
LIAISON: The Rev’d Peter McKeague from St Mark’s, North
Albury, Anglicare Riverina’s General Manager Brad Addison,
Anglicare Victoria community development manager Jill Allen,
The Rev’d Christine Page and Archdeacon of Hume, Peter
MacLeod-Miller.
Mr Addison said that the link
with the local Anglican churches
was a critical part of the strategy
for foster care in the district.
“Both the NSW Government and Anglicare desperately
need more foster carers in this
region and we are looking to
recruit people of all ages, from
all backgrounds, and all faiths
or none,” Mr Addison said.
“However, as we look to recruit
more foster carers, another aim
is to work in close partnership
with the local Anglican parishes
to build networks of support.”
Mr Addison said the Albury
office hoped to recruit a dozen
carers within a year.
“Anyone can become a
carer. We have single people,
couples and families,” he said.
People can easily start as a
respite carer on weekends, with
Mr Addison saying this gives
people the chance to get a feel
for the role before deciding to
become a full-time carer.
“There’s so many kids in our
community - more than most
people would realize - who, for
whatever reason, can’t live at
home with their own family,”
he said. “These kids deserve all
the things our own kids receive
to start their lives.”
Special appreciation, he
said, must go to the three choirs
who entertained the guests,
especially the Radford Year 12
students who were just two days
out from their final exams.
Meanwhile Canberra Girls
Grammar provided a wonderful combination of vocal and
instrumental performances and
the Grammar Primary School
Chorale patiently waited in the
heat to deliver a stunning finale
despite they and their teacher
only just returning from school
camp.
“I am also especially grateful to Huntly estate owner John
Gale for generously opening
his property to us as well as the
team of volunteers who made
the day possible,” Bishop Pickard said.
“Special thanks also to Sue
Jordan, Ken Quilty, Maree
Maher, Kaye Pritchard, Sarah
Hubert, Helen Bennett, and
Claire Lloyd-Jones who all
played key roles in ensuring the
smooth running of the event
as well as our Fundraising and
Events Manager Trevor Capps
for his leadership.”
This Christmas, join the
team that changes lives
Every child needs a caring adult who can take them
to weekend sport or a Sunday
outing. This Christmas why not
give the gift of time.
Johneen Todd did by signing up to provide respite for
Anglicare foster carers. After
a 20 year break from being a
foster carer, she discovered that
a commitment of just two days
a week can change a child’s life.
“I told my friend I did my
charity work back then, so I was
only going to do respite care ...
18 months after finishing the
training I am now permanently
caring for an adorable little
child with autism.”
Twenty years ago Johneen
was a foster carer with the NSW
Department of Community
Services.
“Initially it was meant to
be short term but we ended up
adopting our son after six years.
He is now 26 years old,” she said.
Given the child she is caring
for now has autism, there have
been times when she has needed
advice on managing behaviours.
“I have found the support
provided by the staff totally
amazing. They touch base with
me all time.”
Johneen said her case workers impart the necessary wisdom
“very tactfully” in a way that
builds her confidence as a carer.
“We took on a child with
autism and I didn’t know anyone with autism ... I have run a
LIFE-CHANGING: Johneen
Todd discovered a commitment
of just two days a week can
change a child’s life.
business for 38 years and I am
not easily impressed but [the]
staff from the case workers to
the receptionist - really know
their stuff. I feel like I can say
to anyone that ‘I am having a
very bad day’ and they are very
calming.”
Being a foster carer isn’t
always easy, so is it worth it?
“As empty nesters, we were
able to travel and had a wonderful lifestyle but becoming a
foster care again has enriched
our lives because you know
you are making a difference,”
Johneen said.
You don’t need any qualification to become a respite carer
and Anglicare provides all the
training and support you need.
If you are interested in
applying, please visit www.
anglicare.com.au or phone 1800
367 837
Page 26
December 2012
BOOKS
Disturbing answers to the
questions we all ask
What Anglicans believe in
the Twenty-First Century
By David L Edwards Continuum 119pp
reviewed by Robert
Willson
Dr David L Edwards is a
prolific author on aspects of the
Christian faith and especially
the Anglican Communion.
He is now retired but was
formerly Editor of the SCM
Press, Provost of Southwark
Cathedral, Dean of King’s College, Cambridge, Sub-Dean of
Westminster Abbey, Speaker’s
Chaplain in the House of Commons and Dean of Norwich.
He was also a Fellow of
All Soul’s College, Oxford.
It is astonishing that he was
never consecrated a bishop, but
perhaps he declined any such
approaches.
Edwards is a lucid and gifted
writer and I purchase his books
whenever I see them. Nearly
forty years ago he wrote a book
about what Anglicans believe.
Now he has decided to update
it for a new century and a very
different world, as well as a
very different church.
In a hard hitting Preface
he examines the whole question of belief in this century.
As he has been a priest for half
a century he comments that in
that time almost all the churches
in Britain and Europe have
declined in active membership
and that if the drop continues at
the present rate they will all be
extinguished.
He says churches are always
in danger of dying. They depend
on volunteers who eventually
die, so that the message must be
restated again and again.
How true that is. The active
members and leaders of the Church
when I began ministry in 1961
are almost all dead now and a
new generation has taken over.
Edwards comments that for
many people God has become a
swear-word to add extra drama
to anger: “For God’s sake!”, or
relief: “Thank God!” and when
people say “My God!” they do
not suggest a serious relationship.
He writes that it is a tragedy
that the Churches seem to most
people too dogmatic with outof-date dogmas. But he believes
that it is possible to be a believer in a modern way, learning
from modern knowledge and
modern science and modern
communications and the many
threats to life on this planet
which is fragile but given to us
by our Creator.
He asks a tough question
to the Church. Why don’t they
have a great annual festival, as
big as Christmas or Easter, celebrating the creation revealed to
us by modern science and now
in great danger?
Edwards asks: why don’t the
churches talk less about them-
Woden Christian Bookshop
December: time to prepare for Jesus’ coming.
For nativities, seasonal or other cards, books,
music, jewellery or gifts for all occasions,
visit, email or phone Canberra’s independent
Christian bookshop on Platform 2 of the
Woden Bus Interchange. Every Christmas
blessing from …
Woden Christian Bookshop
Bus Interchange, Woden ACT 2606
Contact us on 6285 1425 (fax 6281 0849)
or email [email protected]
selves and their traditions – and
more about the great hope that
the kingdom or government of
God will be accepted on earth,
to our great benefit? Why do
they often preach that God is in
detailed control of everything
that happens, when science,
history and the tragedies in the
news and in our own lives contradict that claim? Why aren’t
their members more active in
campaigns and why aren’t they
happier?
He admits that these questions are crude and unfair but
they are often asked and the
churches will have no future
unless they are answered. He
says that he asks them himself.
He admits that the modern age
is a time when Christians have
needed guts to make a commitment to Christ, but Christ never
said that following him would
be a joy-ride.
Edwards stresses that truth,
goodness and holiness are
found in many places outside
the Churches – but the heartsearching question is: how is
that fact to be acknowledged
gladly while keeping oneself
loyal to Christ? If a government determined to stamp out
Christianity came to power in
Britain or Australia, and you
were arrested on suspicion of
being a Christian, would there
be enough evidence to convict
and punish you?
This is a vital question for
Australians in what was once
a nominally Christian country,
but is now seeing the rise of
non-Christian religions who
have the aim of making all
citizens into their own religious
mould, whether we like it or
not, and who seek their own legal system. Christians will need
to know what we believe.
He writes that he is delighted
that he has lived to see women
in leadership in the Anglican
church. All through the history of Christianity women have
been more active, more sensible
and more attractive than men in
maintaining the life of prayer and
in drawing others to Christ.
What Anglicans Believe in
the Twenty-First Century is
a book filled with honest and
sometimes disturbing answers
to questions we all sometimes
ask. We may not agree with
Edwards but he will make us
think. This little book would be
ideal for study groups.
I found my copy in Academic Remainders in Fyshwick in
Canberra priced at about $7.95.
Christian booksellers should be
able to secure a copy.
Cathedral history makes a
fascinating Christmas read
A Christmas gift for the
historically-minded bookworm
could be a copy of Tenant in the
Cathedral, Professor Tony Vinson’s account of the establishment of St Saviour’s Cathedral
in Goulburn and subsequent
‘Cathedral Dispute’.
The Friends of the Cathedral, with other Cathedral supporters, assisted the author with
the cost of publication and for
this they were given 120 copies to sell to recoup the outlay.
Some of these copies are still
available.
‘Tenant in the Cathedral’
was launched by Bishop Stuart
Robinson during the Diocesan
Synod meeting this year.
This book makes very
real the era of Bishop Mesac
Thomas, first bishop of the Diocese of Canberra and Goulburn,
and highlights the huge effort,
opposition, courage and longsuffering involved in the early
use of the beautiful Cathedral
of St Saviour, Goulburn, an
understanding of which adds to
the depth of one’s appreciation
of this hallowed place.
At the launch, Tony Vinson
said, ‘In the moment of his
material crowning achievement,
the completion of St Saviour’s
Cathedral, Mesac Thomas faced
challenges to that very authority of office which had hitherto
been the foundation of his great
achievement during the preceding 20 years. Once fully underway the dispute developed a
2013
life of its own ... and saw Rossi
indeed become an uninvited
tenant in the cathedral.’
By extensive quoting from
his bibliography, Tony Vinson
has ensured that we are reading of the events of the day first
hand as we read directly from
the local press and from letters of the main protagonists,
Bishop Mesac Thomas, Count
Rossi and Archdeacon Puddicombe.
This book was fully and
favourably reviewed in the October issue of Anglican News.
Books can be obtained
from St Saviour’s Cathedral
Parish Office, PO Box 205,
Goulburn NSW 2580. Phone:
02 4821 2206; email: office@
goulburncathedral.org.au Cost:
$30 includes postage. Cheques
should be payable to St Saviour’s Cathedral. Books are
also available in Canberra from
Diana Body tel: 02 6295 8732
Book for the Year
SHEPHERDS IN NEW COUNTRY
Celebra ng 150 Years
of Pastoral Care in the
Anglican Diocese of
Canberra and Goulburn
1863-2013
***
Canberra
the Na onal Capital
1913-2013
Price: $25 Posted: $30
10% discount for 10 copies or more
Anglican Historical Society Diocese of Canberra and Goulburn
Order from W E Wright 266 Sheridan Street, Gundagai NSW 2722
Email: [email protected]
December 2012
Page 27
TRI-DIOCESAN YOUTH AND CHILDREN’S MINISTRY NEWS
Building sustainable family ministry
 Riverina Diocesan
Education Officer
Cheryl Hallinan
reports on a year of
ministry in a parish
Last November I put my
dream plan for developing
a framework for sustainable
family ministry for our aging church down on paper.
We had a thriving Wednesday
Playcentre, successful Christmas Family Service and one
Scripture teacher, but
our Sunday School just
didn’t have any takers.
church we had become.
mainly music
Building on the Playcentre
Families and by word of mouth
we started a Thursday mainly
music group this year, which
provided another avenue for
purposeful friendship evangelism and community building.
It is thriving and almost oversubscribed, with a wide range of
new families including Mums,
Grannies and carers.
of us are able to weekly meet
with students. By teaching the
Gospel in all three state primary
schools, we are able to keep
contact with our families and
use the school news for notices.
We continue to pray for new
SRE teachers to come forward.
Into the marketplace
To fund these outreach
activities by our cash-strapped
Parish, we booked a stall at
our local Farmers Market.
Creative Cupcakes by St Paul’s
Pupil-free day missions
Playcentre and mainly music
New this year, these mission
was launched with
eggs provided by one
of our parishioners and
cupcakes by our young
When a recently bereaved
A fifth birthday
At St Paul’s Deniyoung mum didn’t miss a week mums and our parish
helpers.
liquin our Wednesday
but told us she needed to come
We have now run at
Playcentre turned five
to church, we realised how
three markets and our
this year. It continues
much of a Fresh Expression of point of difference is
to provide witness and
our ‘decorate your own
church we had become.
care to Mums, Dads
cupcake’ table which
and Bubs and joy to
attracts the children,
the five parishioners
while their parents buy
who regularly help out.
our gourmet offerings.
It has generated Baptisms
days reached 15 school age
At the market we are able
and occasional Sunday church
young people, some of whom
to talk to families and hand out
attendance, but generally it
we would only see at Christflyers for our children’s activities
has operated as a separate, but
mas. These days will provide
and invitations to FAMILIES@4.
thriving expression of church.
on-going contact and a resource
When a recently bereaved
for families from our pre-school Messy Church - called
young mum didn’t miss a week
programs.
FAMILIES@4.
but told us she needed to come
Scripture
On Sunday afternoon,
to church, we realised how
Archdeacon Ed Byford
this coming weekend, we are
much of a Fresh Expression of
came on board so now two
conducting our first messy
church with the theme “Advent
– Christmas is coming”. Current
and former Playcentre families,
mainly music and Mission Day
kids and families have been personally invited.
DECORATION: A popular feature of the Creative Cupcakes
stall at Deniliquin Farmers’ Markets is the ‘Decorate your own
cupcake’ option.
While we were gathering new families through the
Playcentre and mainly music
once the children went to school
or pre-school we were losing
close contact and had nothing
to offer that was particularly
culturally welcoming to them.
We don’t expect huge numbers but aim to create a family atmosphere though creative
activities, worship and in sharing a
meal. Through prayer and word of
mouth, in addition to advertising,
we hope to build this worshipping
community into 2013.
We plan next year to run nine
monthly FAMILIES@4 from February to November, with families
invited to Easter and Christmas
services designed for them.
My dream and prayer for this
year was to build on what was
already happening at Playcentre,
Scripture and our well attended
Family Christmas Service and
to outreach into our community.
Thanks be to God, healthy and
viable green shoots are ready to
flower!
All of these initiatives have
been undertaken by a very small
team of volunteers from St Paul’s
Deniliquin, most of whom are
over 60 years young, who feel a
calling or a strong nudge, to build
a sustainable family ministry
through our church.
For information and encouragement please contact:
Cheryl Hallinan, Synergy
Ministry Team
Diocesan Education Officer
Anglican Diocese of Riverina
[email protected]
Five ways to teach the Bible
(continued from page 28)
POPULAR: A cake stall at the Deniliquin Farmers’ Markets
proved to be a popular fund-raiser. Cheryl Hallinan, Ginny Bult
and Annie Rayner display some of the sweet treats on offer.
communicate and fit the lesson
into it and not press it too far. Participants were then encouraged to
come up with an object lesson for
1 Jn 4.7 ‘God is love’.
Each group came up with
creative ways to explain this abstract idea, suggesting a ring for
commitment, an Anzac wreath
for sacrifice and seeds for growth.
The fifth way to tell a Bible
story covered was the simple
Summer School 2013
January 5-11, Katoomba
Be refreshed...
use of dramatic reading where
the tone, speed and volume of
the voice are used to capture the
significance of a passage. It is
important to choose a translation
of the Bible that the people you
are reading to will understand.
If you were not able to make
one of the Synergy Days of
Encouragement in 2012 do not
despair as much of what was covered at these workshops appears
in the DVD based children’s min-
istry training resource ‘Me Too!’
‘Me Too!’ has been distributed to every parish in the Diocese
of Canberra & Goulburn and is
available from Barton Books for
$25 (http://www.bartonbooks.
com.au/books/me2.htm).
Watch out for the Synergy
‘Days of Encouragement’ in 2013
where the focus will be on equipping scripture teachers for their
work in schools. One will appear
at a venue near you!
Vision King
CMS Summer School is a vibrant, week-long Bible and mission conference. Hear from
speakers Vaughan Roberts (Proclamation Trust), Archbishop Stephen Than Myint Oo
(Myanmar), David Seccombe (George Whitefield College), and CMS missionaries.
Come along and be uplifted by God’s mighty word and be refreshed with other believers.
Register at www.nswsummerschool.org.au by December 13
of
the
Studies from Daniel
Page 28
D
De
December
ece
cember 2012
TRI-DIOCESAN YOUTH AND CHILDREN’S MINISTRY NEWS
Soulinthebush invades Jindabyne
by Deborah Stanley*
Jindabyne, in the Snowy
Mountains, was the focus of
a soulinthebush mission early
in November when Ally, Sam
and Deb from Soul Survivor
and a youth group from Ginninderra Christian Church made
up of John(leader), Claire (13),
Josh(13), Kathryn(19)) spent
the weekend serving the local
church.
On the Friday night we arrived and met with Owen Davies,
the Anglican/Uniting/Salvation
Army minister for the area.
They combine all the work
of the region into one role due
to limited funds. Over a cup of
tea we heard about the struggles of the Kingdom work in
Jindy especially due to the
snow season, but were excited
to see how we could encourage
Owen and support him over the
weekend.
Saturday morning everyone
was up bright and early to go
and do two gardening projects,
one at the church and one at the
home of a couple called Rachel
and Basil. Basil had recently
had a stroke and so neither
of them had been able to be
involved in the church community for a while.
Saturday night we had a
worship and prayer night with
some people from Jindy - a
wonderful presence-filled time
singing to Jesus and praying for
both the town and ministry for
all those that came, and particularly Owen and his wife Hazel.
We also shared the
soulinthebush documentary - to
familiarise the Jindy and Ginninderra youth with who Soul
Survivor is.
The following morning we
ran the church service with
Josh and John doing puppets
for the kids, Kathryn sharing
an encouraging word, Claire
and Josh praying, Ally and
Sam leading worship, and Deb
preaching.
We had lots of opportunities to build relationship with
the locals of Jindabyne and
pray for them throughout the
weekend, which the whole
team got stuck into.
The weekend was a wonderful opportunity to encourage
the people at Jindabyne, but
also letting the Ginninderra
youth come along and ‘have a
go’ using their gifts too. It was
definitely an ‘everyone gets to
play’ moment.
Thank you so much for your
MAKING A DIFFERENCE: A soulinthebush team that spent a weekend in Jindabyne found that
while they made a difference by doing a ‘backyard blitz’ for a local resident’s backyard, the experience
made difference in them as well.
prayers and support during
the weekend, they were both
needed and felt! Please keep
Owen in your prayers as he
continues in the Lord’s work in
isolated Jindabyne.
*Deborah Stanley coordinates
soul survivor’s calledtolead
program – a year-long, handson youth ministry training
program for young adults.
Five creative ways to teach the Bible
 Synergy Youth
team offers training
for youth leaders at
Wanniassa Day of
Encouragement
by Brad Lovegrove
The Synergy ‘Days of Encouragement’ are run throughout the tri-diocesan partners
eight times each year and as the
name suggests aim to provide
encouragement for anyone who
ministers to young people.
The most recent Day of
Encouragement, ‘Five Ways to
tell a Bible Story’ was held at
Wanniassa on November 10.
The day began with prayer and
a devotion on Paul’s farewell to
the Ephesian Elders (Acts 20.17)
by Dave Abrahams, the Youth
Minister at St Matt’s. Dave encouraged us to focus on the sheep, not
the tasks; to proclaim the whole
counsel of God, and to keep watch
over ourselves and the flock.
Although children’s and
youth ministry is often seen as a
low priority in the church, God
sees the importance and value of
our work, and it is a privilege to
be involved in his ministry. Dave
reminded us that under God, we
can have a huge impact, because
we can change lives.
After a few songs, Matt Brain
and Libby Horton demonstrated 5
creative methods to teach the Bible:
Drama, puppets, a character, object
lessons and dramatic readings.
Drama can take the form of
street theatre, or even a more
elaborate production for an end
of year project, like a Christmas
carol presentation (however, the
focus should be the Bible story
and how it helps us to love Jesus,
not the staging).
Other dramatic methods that
could be used are a one scene
play, a tableau (a single shot or
‘still frame’), a dramatic reading with actors reading straight
from the script or the use of
‘Buzz words’ with the audience
participating with sound effects
(like the wind, tongues of fire
and babble of languages in Acts
2) or repeated dialogue. Drama
is particularly good for retelling
biblical narratives, parables and
other stories.
Puppets are good for teaching
concepts as well as telling stories.
The puppet can provide a fun foil
for the storyteller, asking all the
‘stupid’ questions and allowing
the puppeteer to be the straight
person who then explains the
story in question. Other ‘puppets’
can be as simple as a drawn face
behind laminated plastic. This set
up allows facial expressions to
be changed using a whiteboard
marker.
For example eyes can be
drawn closed to represent blindness, and dabbed with brown
paint to represent mud. The paint
and pen are then rubbed off, to
see the eyes open when Jesus
cures his blindness (see John 9).
A third easy puppet story was
told with a simple white cotton
glove, with different characters
drawn on each finger. The Day
of Encouragement participants
were each given a glove, and encouraged to tell their own choice
of Bible stories with a range of
fun results.
Developing dramatic characters can be useful to give different
perspectives on familiar Bible
stories. One character, a TV
interviewer, is especially useful
in helping biblical characters
give their side of various stories.
However, we must make sure
that the young people remember
the Bible afterwards, not just the
character!
Object lessons are particularly helpful when moving from
known concepts to unknown,
more abstract ideas. For example, ice cubes, water and a steaming kettle can help explain the
Trinity. Just like a written analogy, object lessons are usually
good for teaching one part of a
complex idea so participants were
encouraged to determine what
the key idea they were trying to
SO EASY: Participants
in the Wanniassa Day of
Encouragement learned how
to tell the whole story of Jesus’
life with one hand!
(continued on page 27)
Synergy contacts
Synergy Youth: www.synergy.org.au
Synergy Youth Director: Matt Brain - 0427 826 180; [email protected]
Bathurst Youth Officer: Michael Pailthorpe - 0433 091 247; [email protected]
Riverina Youth Officer: Cheryl Hallinan - [email protected]
Bishop’s Gap Year Coordinator: Brad Lovegrove, [email protected]
Western Region/Camp Pelican: Lucas King, [email protected]
Synergy Youth Chairperson: Ruth Edwards (contact via 6232 3613)