ACC EMAG #1 (2019)

#1 2019

EMAG

quarterly publication for acc leaders

Q&A: WAYNE ALCORN INTERVIEW OF THE DECADE

ELECTION ISSUE:

RELIGIOUS FREEDOM THE CHURCH & SOCIAL MEDIA

YOUR KINGDOM COME

WORLD-WIDE PERSECUTION OF CHRISTIANS WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW ABOUT

THE NATIONAL REDRESS SCHEME INTERVIEW WITH

DONNA CROUCH WHEN DOMESTIC VIOLENCE COMES TO CHURCH 1

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YOUR KINGDOM COME This edition of ACC EMAG gives focus to the good news stories and the issues that the Church faces in the lead up to the 42nd ACC National Conference..

Q& A WITH WAYNE ALCORN Interview with Wayne Alcorn and reflections on the past decade as ACC National President NEWS ACC Snapshot of News Australia Day award for Ralph Estherby Flood Relief Update Celebrating 70 years in PNG PNG: The miracle of a movement

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MEET THE PASTOR WHO DOESN’T WORK ON SUNDAYS Phil Webb leads a local church in the midst of a large Chinese community. Find out why he doens’t work on Sundays.

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WORLD-WIDE PERSECUTION OF CHRISTIANS The World Watch list for 2019 by Open Doors ministry lists the countries where persecution is rising.

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ELECTION ISSUE: RELIGIOUS FREEDOM Mark Edwards shares on an important election issue for Christian Australians, and how to keep it on the table.

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WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW ABOUT THE NATIONAL REDRESS SCHEME F.A.Q.s compiled by ACS Financial for ACC churches on the National Redress Scheme

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THE CHURCH & SOCIAL MEDIA Mal Fletcher examines the evidence that reliance on digital technology is changing the way our brains work.

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TEEN TALK & SOCIAL MEDIA Amelia Dingle shares insights on how teens are navigating social media from a youth leader’s point of view.

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INTERVIEW WITH DONNA CROUCH Donna Crouch reflects on her ten years serving the movement on the ACC National Executive.

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WHEN DOMESTIC VIOLENCE COMES TO CHURCH Ralph Estherby shares seven things we can do when we are faced with DV issues in church.

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NEW RELEASE: BROKEN TO BE BEAUTIFUL An exclusive extract from the new book by Xenia Schemrbi about the devastation of domestic violence in her life

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THE KINGDOM FOCUSED CHURCH Paul Bartlett challenges pastors about being more Kingdom focused when engaging with the community.

A LIGHT IN THE MARKETPLACE Business and leadership skills go hand in hand.

Paul Oslington from Alphacrucis invites pastors to examine the possibilities available to them.

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WWW. ACC.ORG. AU/C ONFERENCE 3

‘ REMEMBERING THAT I’M HERE TO SERVE HAS HELPED ME KEEP PERSPECTIVE OF WHAT I’M CALLED TO DO IN THIS ROLE. 4

INTERVIEW

Q&A REFLECTIONS ON THE LAST DECADE

WAYNE ALCORN Q: When you were elected National President of the ACC in 2009, how did you feel stepping up to lead the largest Pentecostal movement in Australia? In comparison, how does it feel today?

WAYNE: It was, and still is, a great honour to lead our movement in this time in history. I’ve been part of the ACC since I was a child, and I’ve always seen it as a family – a big, expanding family who cheers you on and prays you through, no matter what you are facing.

I’ve always loved and valued our movement, and I’ve had the privilege of being mentored by many great leaders over the decades. In reflection, I so appreciate all those who inspired me as a young man and saw my potential and believed in me.

It is always humbling to be entrusted with leadership, but I’m mindful that it’s bigger than me. As part of my leadership journey, I was entrusted to lead Youth Alive, and the Queensland State, and then elected to the National Executive before being called to serve the movement as National President.

I’ve realised that it’s not so much about promotion or position, but that the true heart of being national leader is all about servanthood. Remembering that I’m here to serve has helped me keep perspective of what I’m called to do in this role.

Q: How have you carried the responsibility of National President over the past ten years?

WAYNE: I am continually aware that my decisions affect over 3,200 credentialed pastors and 1,000 churches in our movement, so I am really thankful that we have the Holy Spirit as our helper and counsellor.

There have been many highs, and of course there have been some days when the responsibility to make hard decisions has weighed heavily on me. It is in these times that I’ve drawn strength from the conviction that God had called me and graced me > for the season ahead; yet not only me but He has also graced my wife, Lyn, my family 5

THE HOLY SPIRIT HAS ALWAYS MARKED OUR MOVEMENT AND IT’S VITAL WE CONTINUE TO UPHOLD OUR PENTECOSTAL HERITAGE IN THE FUTURE.

and my church, Hope Centre. They are the ones who have released me to serve in this role.

I can testify that we have a faithful God and a movement that is full of faith. The book of Proverbs talks about how “in a multitude of counsellors there is safety.” I am surrounded by a team of amazing leaders on our National Executive who have stood alongside and supported me with their wisdom and counsel, as well as their individual gifts and talents. Likewise, all our State Executives and Department leaders do a tremendous job of resourcing and supporting pastors and churches across the nation.

During the past ten years, I’ve been personally strengthened by the prayers and words of encouragement from so many across our movement. What continually blesses me is that we have a movement of outstanding, Kingdom-hearted, Spirit-filled men and women who are committed to leading people to Jesus. The responsibility of leading them is such a great privilege.

natural disasters such as bushfires, floods and drought have devastated many communities, yet this is when we’ve seen local churches rise up to support and love their neighbours.

Another great highlight has been seeing a younger generation of leaders emerge across the movement. We are committed to raising up the younger generations and have seen an increase in credential recipients as young men and women accept the call to ministry and take their place as leaders in our nation.

Q: Growth has always defined the ACC movement.

How has the movement grown under your leadership?

WAYNE: Measuring our growth numerically is important to keep track of the trends, yet our focus is really more about the health of churches and individuals. The truth is that anything that is healthy will grow.

When I stepped into the role of National President in 2009, we had an estimated 215,000 constituents attending ACC churches. In 2011, we set a faith goal for each of our churches to increase by an average of seven per cent every year, and we’ve consistently seen that growth across the board every year. Data from our last ACC Census reveal that we are now getting close to 400,000 constituents.

More people also means more responsibility and accountability, so we have also continued to strengthen our policies and governance for the benefit and protection of everyone in the movement.

Q: What has stood out and specifically marked the past ten years of your leadership of the ACC? (i.e. your highlights) WAYNE: The greatest joy for me has always been about winning souls and making disciples. The fact that tens of thousands of people have come to know Jesus in the past ten years is what we are all about.

What also stands out is the continual growth of ACC congregations which shows that there is consistent health and growth across our movement. I’ve loved seeing local churches planting new campuses and putting a stake in the ground with new buildings and property.

It may seem paradoxical but it is in the dark times that the local church shines brighter. Over the past decade,

Q: What are some of the challenges the movement has navigated in the past ten years?

WAYNE: Some of the initial challenges involved reviewing and consolidating our ministries and departments. This has involved a lot of hard work and due diligence, but 6

the outcome has been a stronger position and better governance, and we continued to build on this.

One of the defining challenges was when the ACC was called to appear before the Royal Commission into Institutional Responses to Child Sexual Abuse in October 2014, which examined how the Assemblies of God in Australia handled three specific cases of child sexual abuse.

While we had strong procedures in place for dealing with allegations of child sexual abuse, we subsequently have strengthened these by introducing the ACC Child Protection Policy and our Safer Churches strategy. We are committed to create a safer environment for everyone in our churches, and this has involved intensive training on a regular basis for all ACC pastors and church workers. Added to this, we have been working on how the movement supports the National Redress Scheme for survivors of child sexual abuse.

Of course there have been other challenges on a national level, such as the lengthy and often vicious debate in the public arena that resulted in the passing of the same-sex marriage legislation in December 2017; and we are in the process of equipping our pastors to deal with the increasing problem of Domestic Violence in our society.

Q: What do you believe is important for the future of the Church in this nation?

WAYNE: The Holy Spirit has always marked our movement and it’s vital we continue to uphold our Pentecostal heritage in the future. It’s not by might, nor by power, but by the Spirit that we will go forward.

We can never under-estimate the power of prayer. Over the last two years, I have felt compelled to call our people to pray more than ever before. I believe that we need to continue to watch and pray at every opportunity – be it for political situations, natural disasters or simply for the spiritual awakening in our land.

The health of the local church is so important. There may be great opportunities with media and digital technologies to get the Gospel message to people, but the local church is the number one vehicle that God is using to reach and disciple people. Two thirds of decisions for Christ are made in the local church so it’s important to keep resourcing and building healthy churches.

Finally, unity is our strength, and a unified Church will have the greatest witness to our nation. With the Holy Spirit, Prayer and the Local Church, we can continue to reach the lost for Jesus.

Q: In ten years, what are your observations on how Australia has changed, particularly with regard to how the Church is perceived?

WAYNE: In the past ten years, Australia has continued to change on many fronts, and the challenge for the Church is to remain relevant in spite of changing ideology, politics and community attitudes.

The Australian Census has shown our nation sliding into a state of spiritual decline, with only 61% of the population identifying as Christian in 2011, and only 52% identifying as Christian in 2016. This is most notable in the 25 – 34 age group.

The battle for the younger generations has escalated with the ongoing push to remove scripture and introduce gender issues in schools. Despite these obstacles, Church leaders have united to stand up for our freedom of faith and the rights of Christians. Behind the scenes, we have met with leaders across the political spectrum on issues relating to freedom of religion, of speech and of conscience.

We continue to pray for a spiritual awakening in Australia, and despite the raised voices who seem determined to remove the influence of the Church in our nation, we celebrate that our churches are still experiencing growth.

One of the things our church leaders have begun to explore is new possibilities for church life, as seven-day trade and sporting events have re-defined the traditional Sunday service attendance.

These are certainly exciting times to serve Jesus, and while there may be more opposition to the Church, this is when we can have the greatest impact and see the greatest harvest.

Wayne Alcorn is the ACC National President. He pastors the multicampus Hope Centre in Brisbane together with his wife, Lyn.

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NEWS SNAPSHOT CONGRATULATIONS GLYN BARRETT

IMPACTING NATIONS

HONOURING PAUL NEWSHAM

LOVING OUR COMMUNITIES

PRAYER OUTREACH

CITY-WIDE RALLIES

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NEWS EVER CONSIDERED A MINISTRY WITHIN THE ADF? Currently there are over 40 vacancies across the country for ADF Chaplains – most of these opportunities are in the Reserve (part-time) space but this can often lead to an opportunity to move into full-time.

AUSTRALIA DAY AWARD FOR RALPH ESTHERBY Pastor Ralph Estherby (National Director of Chaplaincy Australia) was recognised in the 2019 Australia Day Honours List for his ongoing work as an Army Chaplain. He was awarded with the Conspicuous Service Medal which is the second highest non-combatant award which can be presented to a member of the Australian Military.

“For meritorious devotion to duty as a Chaplain and in supporting the welfare of seriously wounded, injured and ill soldiers and their families across numerous Australian Army units from 2014 to 2018.”

This appreciation and recognition are indicative of the incredible impact that our ACC Chaplains are having in the Australian Defence Force. There now are 21 ADF Chaplains serving across the three branches of Army, Airforce and Navy and 33% of these are women.

These individuals have stepped forward to take up the challenge of serving alongside those who serve our nation. This is a challenging ministry but it is full of opportunities and incredible potential. We salute each one who dons a uniform and represents both Christ and the ACC.

Many of our ACC pastors are not supported full-time by their churches, many work bi-vocationally and we would encourage pastors who have a sense of call and the right qualifications to explore the possibility of a ministry that is more diverse and reaches a group of people that would probably never come to their church.

A Chaplain within the ADF is a privileged position. You serve as an officer but you operate outside of the chain of command and so are available to support soldiers, sailors and airmen throughout all aspects of their lives.

You act as a role model, a spiritual support, a listening ear and a confidant and friend. You have the responsibility to advise command and to provide subject matter expertise on issues relating to morale, welfare and the spiritual health of the men and women under command.

Many reserve positions start with a commitment of as little as 1 day per week but there is potential to do much more. The role is well supported with training and well paid – it is not for everyone but for those who are the ‘right fit’ it is incredibly energising and fulfilling.

Requirements: • A Bachelors Degree in Theology or Ministry • A current OMC • At least 2 years of full-time ministry experience • Be physically and medically fit...

If you would like to discuss the possibility of service as a Chaplain in the ADF please contact Ralph.Estherby@defence.gov.au

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NEWS

Some people lost all of their belongings in the floods

FLOOD RELIEF UPDATE In February, ACCI launched an appeal to support people affected by large-scale flooding in Townsville, Queensland.

Funds were distributed to seven ACC churches in Townsville, as well as to Chaplaincy Australia.

Churches in affected areas were able to offer emergency food and temporary accommodation to people forced out of their homes, as well as replacement furniture and basic household items for those facing ongoing financial difficulty.

Congregation members pitched in to help clean up their local communities.

ACCI funds also supported chaplains, many of whom are trained in disaster response, to provide emotional and practical support in the immediate aftermath of the crisis.

“Initially they worked with recovery centres, which were attended by families who were either out of their houses or had lost everything,” says Chaplaincy Australia National Director Ralph Estherby.

“Chaplains were making sure people were filling in their forms properly – to ensure they were getting access to the right support – as well as helping them deal with the fog of grief and loss.

“The reality is you feel totally alone in situations like this – all your furniture is ruined, your fridge is in the front garden, your kids’ toys are gone … It’s nice to have someone to speak to who cares for you and doesn’t have an agenda.”

After the relief centres closed down, Ralph says chaplains continued providing support to affected communities through local councils.

Thank you to everyone who gave to help people affected by the Queensland floods.

DEVASTATION IN MOZAMBIQUE In March, Cyclone Idai left a trail of death, destruction and homelessness in the southern African nation of Mozambique. ACCI field workers are all safe but Robbie Housen and her team endured a traumatic time in the path of the eye of the storm, which left the Hope Centre compound completely destroyed.

Let’s be praying for this developing country as it is estimated that 90% of the port city of Beira has been devastated as heavy rain and flooding took their toll. Click here to support Robbie Housen and the rebuilding of the facilities in Mozambique.

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COME EXPERIENCE THE BEAUTIFUL LAND THAT JESUS CALLED HOME

Walking in the places that Jesus called home and where He called people to follow Him is so inspiring! – WAYNE ALCORN (January 2019)

FIND OUT ABOUT THE ACC SENIOR PASTORS 2020 TOUR OF ISRAEL AT NATIONAL CONFERENCE

www.keshetjourneys.com keshetjourneys.com

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NEWS

CELEBRATING 70 YEARS IN PNG Great celebrations were held across Papua New Guinea in November and December 2018 to celebrate 70 years of the AOG-PNG, that has seen multiplied thousands come to Jesus during this time.

Kevin Hovey, John Carlsson and Cyril Westbrook were present at the celebrations held on the old Maprik airstrip for a number of consecutive days to give thanks to the Lord. On Wednesday 14 November 2018 – seventy years to the day since pastors Hugh Davidson and Don Westbrook arrived in Wewak on a small coastal ship to fly inland and establish a mission station near town of Maprik .

“This was the first protestant proclamation of the Gospel in this very vast area of the Sepik, as Pastor Davidson’s heart was always to take the Gospel where Christ had not been proclaimed,” recalls Cyril Westbrook.

Above: Kevin Hovey and Cyril Westbrook at the monument for the 70 years.

Below:Worship in the mud - Sunday closing service at Maprik.

These Assemblies of God celebrations were held across the nation of PNG. in the five Regions the Church has established, as well as many other local gatherings of believers holding thanksgiving and praise services. At Ilingita, the first Mission Station near the town of Maprik, a monument was erected to honour the two pioneers who 70 years ago were led by God to this location. A further ceremony was held to dedicate the new water supply for Ilingita, recently linking it to Maprik Town. Another day a further precious event was held at Ilingita, where the Bible College is now situated, to honour the founding fathers, and the men and women of God who had lived and preached the Word of God for many years. They were honoured and presented with medals for their service.

Cyril enjoyed returning to Wingei, where he and Evelyn lived for almost 15 years, for further celebratory services with Ron Westbrook Jr. Another highlight in Wewak, the Provincial capital, was the great convoy of vehicles and floats as a massive procession passed through the town. The Christians sang and praised God as they passed through the centre of the town and then for at least four kilometres from the town to the stadium where the Celebration was held.

The stadium in Port Moresby was the venue for the three nights of celebration, led by the Hillsong College team and Pastor Brad Bonhomme from Horizon Church in Sydney. He preached the Word, setting a challenge to all as the Church was poised to enter a new era. The Faith statement of the celebrations was, “Great things God has done, and great things He will do”. The finale was a moving service on the Sunday night where candles were given to a dozen of those who had brought the Gospel through the many years now past.

“The Regional leader lit our candles and sent us to light the candles held by hundreds of younger ones who were dedicating their lives to serve the Lord in the new season ahead,” shared Pastor Cyril.

“Keep praying for those that preach the Gospel and for the Holy Spirit to anoint His Word that it may have entrance into many hearts,” said Pastor Cyril. “There is still much to be done.”

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PNG: THE MIRACLE OF A MOVEMENT

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he Assemblies of God in Australia (now ACC) was only a decade old when the leaders commissioned Pastor Hugh Davidson to go to ‘New Guinea’ (TPNG in those days) to investigate the possibility of establishing a mission work in that gospel impoverished land.

His report described many meetings and events that showed God’s favour, but also clearly recommended that they start that ministry at the outpost of Maprik, in the hinterland of the East Sepik District in the north of the country. A year later, on 14th November 1948, Pastor Hugh Davidson assisted by Pastor Don Westbrook, arrived in the District Headquarters town of Wewak, and on the 21st of November, they were

together at Maprik to start the work. Even the name of Jesus was unknown, let alone the gospel message.

In the following five decades, the ACC movement sent hundreds of missionaries and support workers, some of whom stayed more than 30 years, until the last couple was deployed in 1998. From God’s blessing on ACC’s amazing focus and effort came the large and strong Assemblies of God of Papua New Guinea, approximately twice the size of its founding movement.

That story is indeed ‘the miracle of a movement’.

The gradual growth of AOG PNG, starting as it did from a zero base, as the missionaries worked through the barriers of language and culture, they laid strong foundations of new congregations, numbering 18 by 1959. At that time there was a significant Holy Spirit outpouring which enhanced the fruitfulness of the movement, resulting in 120 congregations by 1963.

As the movement grew, the missionaries adjusted their strategies to keep up with the growth that was occurring. Leadership development became a key focal point starting in the 1960s, with five Bible Schools eventually serving the nation. In parallel with this, structural development was facilitated so that the growing movement could be registered with the PNG government. This took place in 1973. As the movement was increasingly led by PNG leaders, their vision spread from the one province where they began, to embrace the whole nation. I had the privilege of being consultant to the National Executive Council of AOG PNG from 1983 – 1999, during which time I was continually amazed at their vision, faith and tenacity.

During their Decade of Harvest (1990-2000) they grew from 359 to 850 churches. By the time the last of the ACC missionaries were withdrawn in 2001, there were 1,050 churches – which had grown to over 2000 churches by 2006.

Estimates today indicate over 500,000 people in AOG PNG churches every weekend – in a nation of just eight million people. This helps to explain why the country-wide 70th Anniversary Celebrations in November and December 2018 were so amazing. The growth described this story shows why the statement, ‘The Miracle of a Movement,’ is very fitting.

Compiled by Rev Dr Kevin Hovey.

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SUPPORTING MOTHERS AND BABIES IN INDIA INDIA – In Odisha state, ACCI project partner EFICOR* is helping create a better future for mothers and babies, thanks to your support.

The project – which is based in one of Odisha’s poorest districts, Balangir – focuses on improving access to health and nutritional services for pregnant women, lactating mothers and young children.

Specifically, project staff are: •Visiting pregnant women and lactating mothers to provide advice around pregnancy, birth and newborn care, while also explaining the importance of regular health checks.

• Supporting government health workers to reach children and pregnant and lactating women through monthly health sessions, to increase the number of people accessing childhood immunisations and antenatal and postnatal care.

• Organising handwashing and nutrition demonstrations to help keep communities healthy.

• Working with the government health department to increase its ability to respond to the needs of pregnant women, lactating mothers and children in Balangir.

As a result, more women and young children are getting the support they need to live healthy lives and thrive!

Joyanti, pictured above right, credits the safe arrival of her twins to a visit from EFICOR staff who told her about the warning signs of pregnancy.

Joyanti lost a baby during a previous pregnancy because she didn’t know when and where to seek help. This time, when complications arose, she knew to go straight to hospital and was able to deliver her twins safely, with the aid of trained medical staff.

*As well as working directly with the Balangir community – with the support of ACCI and you – EFICOR works with churches throughout India to equip them to deliver effective community development projects and raise their communities out of poverty.

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PROFILE

MEET THE ACC PASTOR WHO DOESN’T WORK ON SUNDAYS PHIL WEBB and his wife Rachel are the senior pastors of Connect Church in the midst of a large Chinese community in south Sydney. ACC EMAG asked them about their growing congregation and why, unlike other ACC pastors, they don’t work on Sundays.

Q: You hold your weekly service on Saturday night, so what does your ‘usual’ Sunday look like?

WE WANT TO BE RELEVANT TO OUR COMMUNITY – AUSSIES, CHINESE, AND THE CHILDREN WHO ARE MIXTURE OF TWO CULTURES.

PHIL: Sunday is our family day. We get up late, eat breakfast at a local café, have friends around, and occasionally go to the cinema. On a sunny day I like to get out in the garden and do some work. Rach has found Sunday mornings are a great time to shop at Westfield. There are loads of parking spaces and there’s never a queue. On occasion we visit another church, usually to preach.

Q: What was the thinking behind holding Saturday church services?

We’ve discovered that many unchurched people are looking for something fun to do on Sundays, too. So, a few times throughout the year we organise social events; and that way we know we’re reaching the unchurched. My thought is that if they’re not in your church, they’re available to come to mine.

Our goal is to transition them from a Sunday social event into our Saturday worship service.

PHIL: Around the time we came to pastor Connect Church, it was experiencing a few difficulties beyond anybody’s control.

We thought we were coming to pastor around 80 people, when in reality we had fewer than 20 people, one of whom couldn’t speak English. It was a trying season as we took on senior leadership of a church for the first time; but the sense of God’s call to Hurstville gave us confidence through the trials.

Q: How long have you been pastoring Connect Church?

We had a burden on our hearts to reshape our church into a bilingual congregation, so with the few people who had stayed, we shared our vision: one congregation meeting in multiple languages; not overly Chinese but also not exclusively Australian.

We want to be relevant to our community – Aussies, Chinese, and the children who are a mixture of two cultures. With a bit of trial and error, we began holding bilingual church meetings.

Today we worship in English, Mandarin and occasionally have some Cantonese. We preach with an interpreter and sing in two languages. It’s hard work but a lot of fun!

PHIL: Connect Church Australia is a seven-year-old church in Hurstville, which we think is a beautiful part of South Sydney.

Hurstville is affectionately known locally as ‘Little Hong Kong,’ due to its being the largest Chinese population in Australia.

There are many people in our community who cannot speak English, instead preferring Mandarin or Cantonese.

Rachel and I have always had a heart for cross-cultural ministry. Having previously been at Lithgow and then Shepparton, in 2016 God put Sydney on our hearts. We prayed for six months, and that’s when Hurstville opened up to us.

From the less than 20 people we began with two years ago, we’re now connecting with 120 people in our community through our weekend worship, youth ministry, children’s ministry, and an English class. We’re reaching a diverse cross-section of the community, including born and bred Aussies, first generation Chinese immigrants, children with blended backgrounds, young professionals and the elderly. >

The first time we came to Hurstville, we walked through the community and instantly felt a peace about coming. We couldn’t speak Chinese and knew very few Chinese people. Becoming pastor to a community with whom we struggle to communicate was a step of faith. But we knew God had opened a door and we started at Connect Church just over two years ago.

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THERE ARE PEOPLE IN OUR COMMUNITY WHO WILL NEVER ENTER A CHURCH ON SUNDAY, BUT THEY’RE OPEN TO IT ON SATURDAY.

Q: How challenging was it initially to change from traditional Sunday services to Saturday night?

PHIL: I think you need to be aware of the needs in your community. When we came to Connect Church, they were meeting on Sunday morning. Each week, after a brief morning tea, people would rush off to their other plans for the day. As we spoke to people in the church, we realised that many of them work six days; Sunday was their only day free to rest and spend time with family. Giving up Sunday morning was a huge obstacle to coming to church.

Jesus. There are people in our community who will never enter a church on Sunday, but they’re open to it on Saturday.

Food breaks down barriers, especially when language is a barrier to conversation. We kicked off a youth ministry with teenagers who didn’t speak English, so we played table tennis each week until they were confident enough to talk with us.

While we were considering options, the building we were renting was sold and we needed to find a new place to meet.

The change in venue gave us a natural reason to change our meeting time to Saturday, and we now rent from Hurstville Salvation Army, using their facilities when they’re not. .

We emphasise the need to build teams, and I’ve discovered that even as a senior leader, ministry is a team effort. I lack the language and cultural skills to effectively pastor without help. Google translate helps me during pastoral care visits; my translators receive better compliments on their preaching than I do. I’m preparing for my first bilingual wedding as I can’t even perform a wedding ceremony on my own!

We were intentional with our new time slot. We chose 4pm so that people could finish work or sport then come to church. We finish our worship by 6pm, then eat dinner together.

Everyone is encouraged to bring food to share, which means there’s no need to rush home at the end. Most people choose to stay for dinner, which has been a fantastic way of building relationships and getting to know our guests. I think some of our best ministry happens over dinner.

Relationship has been the biggest key to our growth. Lunch, dinner, coffee, BBQ’s, trips to the river – anything that gathers people together. It’s not the fastest way to gather a crowd, but people feel connected, feel loved, and it makes them want to bring their friends. Most of our growth has been very organic; when guests feel welcomed, they want to bring their family and friends.

Some of our congregation struggled with breaking tradition, while others found it conflicted with their other activities. A few chose to leave, but most found having a day off on Sunday meant they felt more refreshed before going to work on Monday. The only complaints I’ve received have come from Christians. The unchurched are who we’re trying to reach, and they seem to love it.

I think once you’ve got a sense of God’s basic plan, go after the vision in your heart. People told us, “Saturday church won’t work,” and “white people can’t pastor Chinese”, but we pushed ahead anyway. I believe that if you’ll commit to what God has put on your heart, He will build the church. We’re intentional; we’re strategic; but I’m fully aware that it’s Christ at work. We’re just blessed to be along for the ride.

Q: Share some of the lessons you have learnt on the journey so far with Connect Church PHIL: Every community is different. We need to know our communities if we’re going to be effective in reaching them for 16

GLOBAL

WORLDWIDE PERSECUTION OF CHRISTIANS

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The persecution of Christians in other countries however, almost entirely escaped notice.

In India, violence against Christians has been increasing since the Modi government stepped into power, elected with promises to restore Hindu dominance in the nation. Churches have been attacked and Christians assaulted. I spoke in May last year at a senate inquiry about four horror days in India in which three pastors were hospitalised, one losing his fingers in an axe attack.

So how have Christians in Australia responded to these attacks? And more broadly, what is the response of the Australian government, who closely follows the leanings of others when it comes to human rights or moral issues?

In 2018, Open Doors, a charity supporting persecuted Christians, noticed an increase in the number of Australian donors and churches engaging with those who suffer from persecution. The topic also received more traction from pulpits around the country as Christians saw the impact of persecution.

Even though church attendance has diminished in recent years, hundreds of thousands of Australians still attend church each week. Well over a million attend per-fortnight. A significant number >

ersecution of Christians worldwide is undoubtedly increasing.

For Chinese Christians, 2018 was a devastating year as churches were raided, pastors arrested and fined and Bibles confiscated. But the situation in China has the potential to get much worse for those who follow Jesus.

So much so, the United Kingdom’s government commissioned a review to see ‘whether we are doing all we can’ to assist Christians facing persecution. So how big is the problem, really?

China received a great deal of media attention regarding religious persecution in 2018. Among the headlines were several large churches being closed, a cease in the sale of Bibles outside registered churches and a deal with the Vatican granting Beijing power to appoint bishops. However, persecution for Christians is not contained to China.

The persecution of Pakistani Christians also received sufficient attention. The high profile case of Asia Bibi’s death sentence, a result of a false blasphemy charge in 2010, was finally overturned in Pakistan’s Supreme Court. Despite the government’s effort to uphold the law, after days of riots a deal was struck with extremists to prevent Asia Bibi from leaving the country.

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AROUND 245 MILLION CHRISTIANS IN JUST 50 COUNTRIES HAVE BEEN IDENTIFIED AS FACING HIGH LEVELS OF PERSECUTION. of Australians in the Christian community are paying close attention to the issue of persecution. And arguably, for a Christian minister, it would be hard not to.

In Nigeria last year 3,731 Christians were killed as a direct result of their faith. Around 245 million Christians in just 50 countries have been identified as facing high levels of persecution.

While the well documented atrocities of Islamic State against Christians, Yazidis and other minorities grabbed the attention of Australian Christians back in 2014, ongoing persecution has not yet left their consciousness.

While the Australian Church has paid closer attention, so too have international governments. The United States and the United Kingdom both have permanent positions in their governments to examine and speak on instances of religious freedom. The latter only being appointed in the last year.

Australia does not have any official position.

However, Foreign Minister Marise Payne was quoted earlier this year in The Australian saying, “Australia is deeply concerned about restrictions on Christian communities imposed by some governments and non-state actors around the world.”

The Australian Government has an ongoing senate inquiry into the freedom of religion or belief. This inquiry now opens the opportunity for such an appointment to be made to the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade in its recommendations.

While this appointment may not solve the issue of persecution of religion, it can go a long way to addressing the issue and confirm Australia’s commitment to it. With increased international tensions, would one more peacemaking role go astray?

Tim Reid works at Open Doors Australia, and is involved in researching for the World Watch List, and has presented on the persecution of Christians to government. More information: www.opendoors.org.au

Ross and Donna, centre, with their team.

CALLED TO THE NATIONS ACCI has a total of 130 full-time missionaries serving in countries around the world. From planting churches, to conducting language exchange programs, holding concerts and running community centres, they are sharing God’s love in practical and tangible ways.

For missionaries Ross and Donna – who have served together in north Asia for 19 years – life on the mission field is one of living in their calling and releasing others into theirs.

“It’s the best job in the world because it’s what we are called to do,” Ross says. “We love what we do and the team we have the privilege of serving with.

The thing that gives me the greatest satisfaction is to see people released into ministry and be effective in their calling.”

Ross and Donna and their team minister to their local area through a community centre – supporting children from poor families with after-school and weekend activities – as well as by training local church leaders, conducting language exchange programs for university students and hosting evangelistic youth concerts throughout the country.

They’ve also recently planted a new church – Hope Central.

“We are really excited about the new church plant,” Ross says. “Hope Central is a touch point that links contacts that we make through our community centre and other ministries, to a Christian fellowship where they can encounter Him and grow.”

Ross – who has been with ACCI for 36 years, having previously served in Thailand – says the couple’s combined experience helps them navigate the challenges of sharing the gospel in a closed country, while remaining relevant to their community.

“Obviously, the more experience you have, the more you have to draw from. Also, the longer you are on the field, the more relationships you will have built, which not only helps you get things done but is a great strength and encouragement as well.”

While the couple’s motivations for serving remain the same as when they started, their roles and approach have changed over the years. They now focus primarily on building up their team; helping each member grow in their ability to influence and lead so they can continue to impact their community into the future.

“We have always sought to be relevant to the ministry context that we are serving in and sometimes that means reinventing ourselves,” Ross says. “Our main role [now] is mentoring an amazing team – both locals and Aussie workers. They are the future of our work in north Asia.”

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A KEY ELECTION ISSUE FOR THE CHURCH

BY MARK EDWARDS

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proposed Freedom of Religion Bill it has indicated it will introduce if reelected. Any argument this cannot be done in the short time before an election is a fallacy.

t’s my usual Saturday morning ritual – coffee at my local café – yet this Saturday along the main road, people are sitting on chairs on street corners, wearing brightly coloured T-shirts and in front of them are election posters urging me to vote for a particular local candidate. As I park in the shopping centre, the scene is replayed before me again in front of the local supermarket, only this time the local member is also there shaking hands with people as they navigate their shopping.

It is doubtful that writing to your local politician will do any good to be brutally honest. These two simple requests, the appointment of a qualified not a ‘job for the boys’ National Freedom of Religion Commissioner and the release of the a Freedom of Religion Bill are such low hanging fruit in terms of what true religious freedom really is, it is embarrassing. However it is a start.

An election is looming. As a politician’s son I know this routine all too well having experienced it first hand on numerous occasions.

Yet times have changed since the era of my father in the late 1970’s and early 1980’s – politics is on the nose and the discontent towards our elected representatives is tangible.

So what can we as the Church do?

As the election looms politicians will come a calling. It’s already happening. They will want to come to your church or to your event. As unfair it is to those politicians who are genuine (and I certainly do not mean those who worship at your church), when that request is made, please say NO. Don’t equate influence with a photo opportunity –it isn’t!

One issue that you won’t hear of very much during the upcoming campaign is religious freedom. Even though it is, in my view, the most ancient of human freedoms, it just doesn’t rate in the political parties’ internal polling of what Australians think is important. Guided by the populism of polls that dictate policy as opposed to vision and conviction, religious freedom is now relegated to sometime in the future. An occasional mention in the election is as much as one can hope for.

Politely, and with sincerity, explain to them that Freedom of Religion is important and the church needs action at least on these two issues. Require the politician to publicly write to their respective political leader. If it is a Coalition member, have the politician ask for the above two things. If it is an ALP member ask them to write to the Leader of the Opposition requiring the ALP to support a Religious Freedom Bill together with the appointment of a National Religious Freedom Commissioner. Once that communication is made public they are more than welcome to shake hands and kiss those babies.

The Ruddock Inquiry into Religious Freedom, supported at the time by both the Coalition and the ALP, which cost taxpayers millions of dollars and had 16,800 submissions, is seemingly placed in basket of ‘no political gain’.

Who knows where the ALP stands on the recommendations, and the Coalition handling of the report recommendations, which were so delayed in being released they ended up being leaked by the Fairfax press, borders on inept. Finally when the Coalition did respond, it did so just before the ALP National Conference. This blatant political move put an end to any hope of bipartisanship.

As a movement the ACC has led the way in demanding religious freedom. It was part of a group that placed a 109 page submission before the Ruddock Inquiry; we have met with political leaders of both major parties placing the case for religious freedom before them but all to no avail.

Australia needs a Freedom of Religion Bill which defines and protects this freedom. At the present time Freedom of Religion is merely an exemption in various Acts of State and Commonwealth legislation. This is not good enough. The government needs to appoint a National Freedom of Religion Commissioner as it has promised. This can be done now and most likely is something the ALP would support, obviously depending on agreement as to the individual.

These two measures need political conviction, not further Parliamentary Inquiries.

Yes, the election looms, and I beg of you not to let the ancient right of Freedom of Religion fade away. Future generations will someday ask if we did enough? At that moment we will be able to say, ‘Yes, we did everything we could.’

Mark Edwards is the senior pastor of CityHope Church, Ipswich.

If the Coalition is serious about Freedom of Religion, then before the election, the Attorney General should release a draft of the 19

Image: istoc

F.A.Q.s

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WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW ABOUT THE NATIONAL REDRESS SCHEME

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he National Redress Scheme was established in response to the Royal Commission into Institutional Responses to Child Sexual Abuse, to support those who experienced child sexual abuse through an institution.

The ACC has signed up to be part of the National Redress Scheme via our own ACS Financial and ACS Mutual, who have developed a unique insurance cover for ACS Mutual, and therefore its members, for Redress claims. This will enable our churches and many others to support survivors of child sexual abuse by joining the Redress Scheme, who wouldn’t otherwise have the financial resources to achieve this on their own.

After extensive negotiations, approval has been received from the Department of Social Services (DSS), and APRA, for ACS Mutual’s unique insurance arrangements, and to become a Participating Group under the National Redress Scheme for Institutional Child Abuse.

This now paves the way for ACC churches, ministries and schools, to opt-in to the National Redress Scheme as a client of ACS Financial and member of ACS Mutual, under the ACS Mutual participating group, and receive cover for any redress claims.

This avoids the need for members to opt in on their own, like other churches, and therefore to provide their own assets as security for any claims paid. This cover is unique in Australia in relation to Redress Scheme participation.

THE FOLLOWING F.A.Q.S ON THE NATIONAL REDRESS SCHEME HAVE BEEN COMPILED

BY ACS FINANCIAL FOR ACC CHURCHES didn’t think it could happen to us! What do we do? We had no idea this could happen - how could we be liable!?”

It’s vital to have Risk Management protocols such as Working with Children and Safer Churches practices, but having the capacity to contribute financially and emotionally to the survivors’ healing process, should something present itself, rather than the normal adversarial and costly legal system, has now become an option, should the survivor choose that path and the responsible institution has opted in.

Opting-in provides a compassionate and fair process for people who have been abused and will communicate an emphatic statement that you are taking responsibility for anything that has happened in the past, and a public declaration showing the community what your church stands for.

Australian Christian Churches (ACC) has recently announced its desire for its churches, ministries and schools to opt-in to the Redress Scheme, and recognises that its 100% owned ACS Financial has enabled them to do this via ACS Mutual, which is the only realistic way that they, and all other members of ACS Mutual can do this.

Q: What does it mean for your church?

What this means for your church is that any costs incurred by your organisation as a result of a matter being dealt with through the Redress System will be covered by the Participating Group, ACS Mutual, as long as you are a Mutual member.

From our vantage point, participation in the scheme is fast becoming the standard upon which institutions will >

Q: What is the National Redress Scheme?

The National Redress Scheme is a Scheme that has been created in response to recommendations by the Royal Commission after listening to stories of over 60,000 people about the abuse they experienced as children.

The National Redress Scheme acknowledges the fact that many children were sexually abused in Australian institutions and aims to recognise the suffering they endured because of this abuse.

It also aims to alleviate the impact of past institutional child sexual abuse and related abuse by: • Providing long awaited justice for the survivors of that abuse; • Providing a monetary payment to survivors as a tangible means of recognising the wrongs that survivors have suffered; • Providing access to much needed counselling and psychological services to survivors; and • Facilitating a direct personal response to survivors from the participating institutions responsible.

This system is a voluntary “Opt-In” system where an institution may choose to accept the redress processes and protocols established in the legislation. It does not cover incidents of abuse beyond the 1st of July 2018.

Q: Why do we need to be a part of it?

We are all responsible and no one is immune from risk.

We often hear the words “it can’t happen to us, we have checks, systems and practices in place” or “we are a family church, it can’t happen. Unfortunately, we also hear: “We 21

be judged. There is also considerable political pressure being deployed both by the community and governments to ensure as many organisations as possible join the scheme.

This is an important opportunity for our churches to lead by example and make a tangible statement in relation to our nation’s response to child sexual abuse.

Q: What are the consequences if I’m not part of it?

If you choose not to opt-in to Redress, you will likely be in a minority group of churches across the country not to respond to this strong national response to survivors of child sexual abuse occurring within our nation’s institutions in the past.

If you choose to opt-in into Redress, being covered and supported by ACS Mutual is very important when faced with abuse incidents from the past, whether dealt with through Redress or civil proceedings. We work closely with our clients regarding appropriate advice and the process involved to ensure good outcomes for both the church and other parties involved. If you choose to opt-in into Redress and are not a client of ACS Financial, you don’t have the same assurance or certainty that you are properly covered or supported, and have to risk your own organisation’s assets. Our arrangements for our members are unique.

We encourage you to respond firmly and utilise the cover and mechanism that we have created for you to do this in a financially feasible manner.

Q: How are ACC Churches able to be a part of the program?

The ACS Mutual Participating Group will soon be commencing an ‘Onboarding’ process as prescribed by the rules of the Redress Scheme.

In practice, this is a process that involves a formal acknowledgement of your church agreeing to be part of the Redress Scheme as an Associate of the ACS Mutual Participating Group.

Further, it will require the identification of each entity in both its informal and legal name. For example, a church may be known as ‘The ABC Church of North Sydney’ but its legal name could be ‘ABC Church Limited’.

Q: What will opting in to the Scheme cost us?

The cost to an individual church will vary based on historical experience, organisational size and activities. There will be a very reasonable annual levy charged to ACS Mutual members for participation, and in return you will receive cover for any claims paid by ACS Mutual on behalf of your organisation. This is still in the process of being finalised.

In addition, ACS Mutual will charge an excess/deductible per claim and will seek recovery from the individual institution on the following basis:

1. Standard contribution $5,000 per claim; 2. For claims that predate 1995 $7,500 per claim; and, 3. For matters relating to either a Known Offender or a matter that was known to the Institution but not reported to ACS Mutual or other insurers, a contribution of $25,000 per claim will apply.

The Redress Scheme anticipates that the average claim amount settled within the scheme will be approx. $70,000, but can be up to $150,000 per claim per person.

Should your organisation require financial assistance to meet any deductible cost relating to a claim, ACS Mutual will consider payment terms over 10 monthly instalments (nominal funding charges may apply).

Q: How long will the Scheme operate for?

The Scheme commenced on the 1st of July 2018 and will run for ten years.

It is important to note that the Redress Scheme only relates to historical child abuse that occurred prior to 1st of July 2018.

Any matter that occurs after this date and any matter that results in the claimant seeking a civil recourse via our court system will be dealt with in the normal manner by your ACS Mutual General Public Liability Protection.

Q: What will happen next?

In the near future, if you are a client of ACS Financial and existing member of ACS Mutual, we will be sending you an online Opt-in Declaration Form. This will clearly identify your decision to Opt-in.

A vast majority of our Mutual members are expected to Opt-in, the next step will be the completion of an online information questionnaire. This will be pre-populated with information that we currently have about your institution. We will ask you to confirm the information and add any additional details where prompted.

We will also be seeking a formal declaration of any known claims or incidents that could give rise to a claim. This should be familiar to you as it reflects the current request in our Mutual Declaration Form, sent to all ACS Mutual members on an annual basis.

As soon as we have a suitable number of ACS Mutual Members ready to Opt-in, we will be submitting the details to the Redress Manager at DSS who will prepare a Ministerial proclamation, after which, your institution’s name will be listed on the Redress website, confirming you are part of the National Redress Scheme.

If you have any queries in relation to this matter, please do not hesitate to contact the ACFS office on 1800 646 777.

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AVAILABLE

APRIL 26 LISTEN NOW 23

THERE ARE CLEAR LINKS NOW BETWEEN SOCIAL MEDIA USE AND A RECOGNISED MENTAL CONDITION KNOWN AS INTERNET ADDICTION

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THE CHURCH & SOCIAL MEDIA

BY MAL FLETCHER

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recent story in British newspapers linked the suicide of a 14-year-old boy to social media use. In 2017, a 12-year-old girl in Miami streamed her suicide live on Facebook.

These and similarly tragic tales have boosted an already fervent debate on the links between social media engagement and mental health.

We at 2030Plus have been reviewing for some years the links between cognitive function and internet involvement. Other, larger research organisations have done likewise. There is little doubt that a growing reliance on digital technology has changed the way our brains work.

Governments are under pressure to act. Last year, the Australian government opened an investigation into Facebook, the largest and, for many, the most troubling of the new media giants.

Drugs are subject to government regulation. When we use a legal drug, whether it’s for our physical or mental health, we can be sure that our government has deemed it safe. The same should apply to social media platforms.

The company released, without authorisation, data from 300,000 Australian user accounts to the now defunct Cambridge Analytica. Worldwide, Facebook reportedly compromised the privacy of 87 million accounts in this way.

We might also opt for video commercials depicting the potential negative impacts of social media, which must be included on users’ home pages.

Meanwhile, Germany’s Federal Cartel Office has looked into punishing Facebook, for gathering data on non-Facebook users, without their knowledge.

Governments certainly need to insist upon proof-of-age on social media accounts. We do this with credit card application and travel booking sites, why not social media?

In Britain, a government minister has proposed the banning of social media platforms that refuse to remove harmful material from their sites. This comes on the back of consistent reports about unhealthy or potentially illegal material on YouTube and other platforms.

Requiring proof of identity might also be useful in reducing the terribly high incidence of trolling and bullying online. Christians working within government, the civil service or social media itself can help argue for these changes.

Recently, Facebook was accused of blocking a British-built app that monitors political interference on Facebook’s platform and its impact on elections. Apparently, some social media groups are happy to practice censorship or editorialising, but only when it suits their interests.

This sounds laudable, but is the threat of a ban the right approach? After all, huge numbers of people rely on these platforms, as gateways into news and business opportunities, as well as day-to-day communication.

Are there more workable starting points? And is there an opportunity for church leaders to contribute?

This is a double standard which only governments have the power to challenge. If social media groups want to act like the publishers and news curators of our time, they must accept the concomitant social responsibility.

At the very least, social media companies ought to be treated like drug companies. There are clear links now between social media use and a recognised mental condition known as internet addiction.

Some of these companies would like us to believe that they’re still just maverick organisations, a part of the wild west of the internet. But these groups are now multi-national corporations.

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They rake in huge profits from advertisers and by selling our data. They often pay comparatively little tax.

Some social media companies will not, of their own accord, accept responsibility for the social impacts of their sites. Outside regulation is a must. Christians in media can promote this cause.

New laws are not the only answer, though. There are huge opportunities here for educators and for church leaders.

Some school districts in the US now use the Digital Passport interactive game series. It is designed to help primary school children learn how to engage with digital technology in healthy ways.

In the UK, individual schools sometimes include social media training in their curricula. However, a more linked-up approach is needed, covering the breadth of a child’s education experience. Christians working in both teaching and administration can help bring pressure for change - as can parents.

Many of today’s educators were trained under a system that advocates “value-free” education. This makes some education administrators uneasy about opposing activities that might be supported using free expression arguments.

There is, however, no such thing as valuefree training. All education carries with it a series of values. It’s time we recognised the urgency of teaching young people the ethics that underlie a healthy approach to privacy and civility in public discourse.

This would help them to be more discerning about the limitations of technology as well as its opportunities.

There is a vital role here for church leaders too. Our pre-Christian culture - we have moved beyond any credible claim to being “post-Christian” - may be averse to the preaching of morality, but it will often listen to a sensible approach to ethics.

This is especially true when the ethics we espouse are demonstrably helpful to the mental health of young people.

Setting up support groups for young people who experience mild depression would be helpful. Sufferers often turn to social media for support, only to find that it exposes

PEOPLE FEEL FREE TO INSULT OTHERS ONLINE IN WAYS THEY WOULDN’T DREAM OF DOING FACE-TO-FACE

them to dark and stressing material.

Sending staff members for approved short courses on identifying and alleviating mild depression would assist early detection. It would provide a barometer for the health of the congregation - and thus even help pastors formulate prayer and sermon plans.

Designated support groups would also help those who face the misery of online bullying.

Anonymity encourages social disinhibition - people feel free to insult others online in ways they wouldn’t dream of doing face-toface.

Church leaders can also help by modelling a more healthy, well-rounded approach to social media use. Most often, Christian leaders see social media as an opportunity to preach, or to promote the look and feel of Sunday services.

Neither approach is particularly convincing to people outside the church, who see better light shows - and other forms of “worship” - in nightclubs. Nor are they helpful to people within the church, who come to believe that social media and by extension Christian witness - are primarily about monologues or marketing.

Social media are best used for conversation and the respectful sharing of ideas and experiences that add value for others.

All of this represents not just an opportunity for instruction from the pulpit.

It is also our chance to serve the wider city for the common good.

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Churches can become more proactive about engaging the human impact of emerging technologies in general. The health and privacy implications of social media present us with a brilliant opportunity to make a start down that road.

If the Church doesn’t stand up for the youth across a town or city, who will?

Copyright Mal Fletcher, 2019. First published at 2030Plus.com.

YOUTH FOCUS

TEEN TALK & SOCIAL MEDIA

BY AMELIA DINGLE “Can we talk? My friends are being mean to me and I don’t know what to do.” It’s texts like these from teenagers that beg for face to face contact with leaders to help them when social media starts to hurt them.

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hese are the conversations we are having way too regularly as youth leaders. With the social media landscape changing so rapidly, how do we respond and deal with the issues young people are facing?

The platforms of social media keep expanding so that adults often struggle to keep up, leaving them feeling irrelevant and helpless to change the negative way it is being used. However, I would dare to say that you don’t necessarily need to understand all the latest ‘features’ to explain the fundamentals of healthy communication to a young person.

Fundamentals of communication We learn about the fundamentals way back in the book of Proverbs where it says our words have the power of life and death. The fundamentals are actually age-old wisdom.

We need to teach young people the power of their words and about the purity of their heart.

Before social media, if you wanted to say something mean to another person you either said it to their face, requiring you to actually acknowledge they were another human; or you made an effort to put pen

to paper, write the horrible things down and possibly read over them before delivery.

What the new technologies of social media have allowed is for us to send these messages to a ‘username’ within seconds – almost as fast as we can think it; most of the time barely even proofing them before pushing send.

For those of us who grew up before social media, embarrassing images, videos or stories are kept safely tucked away as memories or in photo albums by our families or best friends to be shared with that special someone we bring home or at a birthday party as a lighthearted joke.

However, social media changed this for young people, allowing anyone to record and share their past and bring it up at any point.

Young people face the reality that everything in their past can be recorded and publicly shared. Pastor Gary Clarke made the statement recently that “we are living in an age where we have to defend people for having a past.” Even though God wipes our slate clean, turning a blind eye and a deaf ear to the past mistakes, society is doing the complete opposite to this – recording every shortcoming or 27

embarrassing moment and never letting anyone forget them.

A young girl I know recently deleted Instagram declaring it was “just too much drama” but when I dug a little deeper it was really because there was a video her ‘friends’ were threatening to share, a funny dare from her past that left her fearing complete ridicule and humiliation.

Something that should’ve been a funny moment and memory that is now a threat hanging over her head.

It is so important that we teach young people that this is not how God works.

When God says He wipes our slate clean, it is clean indeed and no matter who brings it up now it no longer has power over us.

God’s mercies are new every morning.

Words overflow from our hearts Jesus teaches us in the book of Matthew that our words are an overflow of what’s going on in our heart. If as leaders we focus on this, it will naturally cause young people to use social media in a healthier way because the overflow of their heart will be healthier. If issues are going on in their heart, it will overflow into how they speak, including on social media. If we discover that >

WHEN USED WELL, SOCIAL MEDIA CAN BE HEALTHY AND POSITIVE METHOD OF COMMUNICATION

a young person is using social media in an unhealthy way that is hurting themselves or others it is imperative that we don’t avoid the issue but address the behaviour directly but without shaming them.

I recently read an article by psychologist Collett Smart who shares that there are many reasons young people bully others: this includes peer pressure, unhealthy self-preservation, poor anger management, poor impulse control, for social status and power or it can even be something they have learnt from a family member.

Social media itself is merely a platform for communication. It can be used to bring life, hope, inspiration and share memories. It is actually a great way for youth groups and individuals to share life, encouragement and details of upcoming events.

Unfortunately though, just as people use words and written notes to bully, start rumours, hurt others, bring shame, humiliate, spread hate and send threats; they are now also using social media to do the same.

How can we help our youth?

Should talking be banned among young people?

Should paper and pens be removed from their lives so they can’t write? Should young people be allowed social media?

I think you see where I am going with this. There is nothing wrong with talking if we are kind with our words. There is nothing wrong with writing if what is written is life-giving. Likewise, when used well, social media can be a healthy and positive method of communication.

Here is the thing though, a responsible adult wouldn’t give a young person a car to drive without first teaching them how to safely use it and the consequences of misuse. They could use that car to pick up friends and bring them to church or deliver flowers to the local retirement home. Or they could go drag racing with their friends, hit several pedestrians and then drive into a tree; hurting everyone in the vehicle. That doesn’t make cars bad, it just means we need to be careful how we use them.

Social media is not evil; it is a platform, a megaphone that takes words, images and video that would usually be shared with a few and shares them with many. We need to teach the young people in our world the power of their words because their words have the power of life and death. Literally, LIFE AND DEATH!

NEWS

GENERATIONS X, Y & Z WANT TO BE MORE INVOLVED AT CHURCH ‘Are you as involved in this church as you would like to be?’ When asked this question in the 2016 NCLS survey, about a quarter to a third of Generations X, Y and Z said they would like to be more involved at their church. This represents substantial untapped potential for local churches. Many young people are waiting for the chance to contribute at church.

The majority of each age group was happy with their current level of involvement (Builders 80%; Boomers 69%; Gen X 60%; Gen Y and Z 56%). Around ten per cent of each generation were unsure and two per cent wanted to be less involved.

However, some 31% of Generation Z (youth/ young adults), 32% of Generation Y (young adults) and 27% of Generation X (mid life adults) said they would like to be more involved at their local church.

This is far greater than the percentage of older age groups who expressed a desire to be more involved (just 17% of Boomers and 9% of Builders).

If three in ten young adult churchgoers are willing and eager to contribute to church life, church leaders may be wise to capture this dynamic energy and enable younger attenders to contribute their gifts and skills at church.

Source: Powell, R., Pepper, M., Hancock, N. and Sterland, S. (2017) 2016 NCLS Attender Survey [Data file]. Sydney: NCLS Research.

Amelia Dingle is a youth leader in Sydney.

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INTERVIEW

Q&A DONNA CROUCH

DONNA CROUCH was elected to the ACC National Executive in 2009. In the last ten years she has helped shoulder some of the heavy issues of the decade in the public arena. ACC EMAG asked her to reflect on her time serving as an Executive Member and the strong legacy she leaves behind her.

Q: When you were elected to the ACC National Executive in 2009, what did it mean to you personally, and what did you hope to contribute to the movement?

DONNA: It’s an incredible thing when your peers nominate you, and it also a frightening responsibility, especially when you sign all the paperwork to become a director and responsible for the movement! I hoped I could bring skills I have learned from working and serving in my own local church. Although I have not been a ‘Senior Pastor’ (and there is a unique weight that comes with that), I have been a campus pastor that grew to 9,000+ people. I have learned a lot and hoped to bring some of those skills and insights to the table.

We have churches everywhere with so many talented leaders, and I do hope there is opportunity for them to serve at a national level, without needing to go and start their own church to ‘make it’.

I also saw the need to equip churches for mission locally. Missions is global, and it’s also across the street and down the road in our own local communities. It requires the same standard of engagement, consultation and service delivery that we bring to overseas mission. Local community engagement mission needs to bring transformation, not welfare dependence.

Q: Reflecting over the past ten years, what are some of the specific areas that you feel honoured to have initiated that have shaped the direction of the movement in a positive way?

DONNA: For the last nine years my role at Hillsong Church has been ‘National Engagement’, which means building relationships and partnerships with many sectors including Government & NGO’s at a national level. I have been able to also represent ACC in this role, which has been great as we have since become part of many broader ‘conversations’ and initiatives.

As well as the external representation, I’ve loved contributing to resourcing our movement. This includes being involved in the research and development of the ACC’s position papers on Women in Ministry and Domestic Violence to help our pastors.

I started the ACC Community Care in 2009 with the goal to equip churches with skills on how to engage and work with their communities, and bring transformation and change (not more welfare) at a local level. To date, 76% of our churches are involved in some form of community engagement. Paul Bartlett is now leading this area and it’s only going from strength to strength.

My Executive portfolio involved oversight of the ACC ministry departments, which meant communicating 29

and being in touch with ACCKids, Youth Alive, Australian Christian Women, Community Engagement, National Indigenous Initiative, and Chaplaincy Australia.

It’s been so inspiring to connect with so many of our wonderful ACC pastors across our nation. Among my highlights was attending the National Indigenous conference held in Cairns where I met some great leaders in the ACC. I chaired the Board of Chaplaincy Australia from 2014 to 2016, as the need for Chaplaincy to move from being state-based to a national entity became apparent due to continual growth and expansion into many sectors nationally.

Chaplaincy Australia is now represented across more than 26 sectors and growing, and are doing a significant work helping so many people right across Australia.

Q: What are some highlights of your involvement with national initiatives over the last ten years?

DONNA: One of my highlights was representing the movement at the Australian Freedom Network meetings and the move to abolish modern slavery.

Further to this, the ‘Hidden in Plain Sight’ slavery bill was tabled in July 2018 and The Modern Slavery Bill was passed in November 2018 I also represented ACC along with Sean Stanton at The National Day of Prayer &

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Fasting Repentance Service for Victims Of Child Sexual Abuse at Parliament House, Canberra in February 2015. This was a deeply disturbing and moving service as various faith leaders gathered to pray for the victims of institutional abuse in the church. We also had the honour of meeting some adult survivors and hearing their stories of healing and faith. It was a day I will never, ever forget.

The most alarming ‘moment’ was being at the NSW Government Interfaith Roundtable event in July 2017. The Hon. Pru Goward MP and Michael Barnes (NSW State Coroner for Domestic Violence Deaths) both spoke at this gathering – stating that murders related to domestic violence were often the first known physical assault and that perpetrators did not have a history of violence. Speaking to forensic investigators at this workshop and their willingness to educate community groups was a great connection. The need for early intervention and people having the courage to speak up way sooner is essential.

years, what we have been told time and time again, is that the Church can do so much in the prevention space.

That means to help people understand what domestic violence is – in all its forms – way earlier. We need to use our platforms of influence – youth groups; women’s meetings; church; posters in the foyers or in bathrooms at church; or mens meetings. We have access to groups of people other organisations just don’t get access to – every single week!

If women, men, children, elderly people, and people who have a disability know what Domestic Violence is and where to go for help sooner, there is a better chance the violence and deaths can stop. If friends and family stop blaming victims and start listening, and helping people to reach out to the appropriate services sooner and getting the help they need, we can see a change.

We don’t need to invent our own version of DV services. We do need to promote what is already available and the right pathway.

Q: Domestic Violence is one of the issues the Church needs to keep addressing in the future. How do we become more proactive in this area?

DONNA: There is so much the Church can do in this area. In Australia, a lot of work has been done at the crisis end of things – like accommodation, refuges, helping people escape for their lives literally. This is important and has been needed, but not something that is sustainable for most churches. From the work we have done over the last eight

Q: As a woman stepping in to a national leadership position, were there any specific personal challenges you have had to deal with and overcome in this ten year season on the Executive?

DONNA: For sure! The biggest challenge was balancing honour and responsibility, by becoming a director with people I have looked up to my whole life – people who have preached at our youth camps and church, spoken into my life etc. It’s just natural to defer and respect what

Donna Crouch (centre) in Canberra in 2018 with some of the women who attended meetings co-ordinated by MIcah Australia on advocacy issues.

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they say in a meeting. But once you’re at that table, with all those reports, and the responsibility of the movement, each one is equally liable and responsible as directors, so leaving all the history, and just being equal in the decision making is something I had to learn quickly.

As a woman – I have had my own unique challenges. My children were young when I came on to the National Executive team and I’m grateful for the encouragement from men and women, most of all my husband Stephen, because it’s needed and it goes a long way.

Q: What words of encouragement would you like to give pastors and leaders in the movement?

DONNA: I would encourage our pastors and leaders to just go for it and dream bigger! I’d especially like to encourage the women in our movement to step up into senior roles and ‘have a go’. I am the girl from Epping who, as a school kid, threw plums on the roof of the weird church across the road because they made a whole lot of noise and sounded like they were having a good time. (I was horrified to find out years later they were AOG).

Jesus loves His Church. Remember it’s His Church and we are all just playing our part in it – so enjoy your part well and have a blast doing it! Be innovative, creative and do what’s never been done before!

Read Eph 3: 20-21 in the Message bible.

It’s my prayer that the Church be the most diverse place of all!

I WOULD ENCOURAGE OUR PASTORS AND LEADERS TO JUST GO FOR IT AND DREAM BIGGER.

WHEN DOMESTIC VIOLENCE COMES TO CHURCH Image: istoc

BY RALPH ESTHERBY

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f you are reading this article at 10am, then the Australian Police have already dealt with 297 Domestic Violence issues today. If you are reading it at 4pm then that number will have increased to 476.* The facts are shocking. To say that these behaviours are widespread is an incredible understatement and for the Church to ignore this challenging social issue could be considered immoral.

Domestic and Family Violence (DFV) is a pattern of abusive behaviour in an intimate relationship or other type of family relationship, past or present, where one person assumes a position of power over another causing fear and intimidation. These behaviours can include physical, emotional, psychological, financial, spiritual and sexual abuse.

Abuse can begin as emotional abuse, but then escalate into physical abuse when ‘control’ is not achieved.

Domestic Violence is about power and control and is primarily perpetrated by men against women. Data reveals that 3 in 4 report the perpetrator as male, while 1 in 4 report the perpetrator as female. The estimated cost of the impact of Domestic Violence is $21.7 billion annually.

Domestic Violence is moving out of the shadows and is taking centre stage. More and more services are emerging for those who have been impacted by DV, and support and funding are flowing into the sector in attempts to alleviate its horrendous effects. Education is important but action is imperative. We have all seen the statistics and the photographs of those who have died through DFV and it cannot be ignored. * In 2017 the Australian Police responded to an average of 5000 domestic violence issues a week.

SO WHAT DO WE DO WHEN DV COMES TO THE CHURCH? 1. Recognise that it is already there – our congregations reflect our society and whilst we can hope that Domestic Violence issues are less frequent in the Church it is not in fact the case. In fact, at times, strict adherence to “headship” teaching has been misused as a mask to hide layers of abuse.

The Christian home is meant to be a haven of love and protection but this is not always the case. We need to not be naïve and prepare ourselves that this will raise its head and when it does, we need a plan.

2. We need to create a culture – where people can talk about the issues they are facing without judgement. We need to provide ‘safe places’, safe people and opportunities for support. Don’t hide it under a carpet or make it taboo. One great method is to pray for people struggling with DV in your community and church from your platform. By addressing the issue in prayer you give permission and set people up to reach out for the help they need.

3. We need to believe them – when they seek advice, listen… don’t challenge or cause them to have to prove it before you lean in; it has taken a lot for them to bring this forward. Only two-thirds will seek help when they are experiencing abuse from a previous partner and only half when it is happening from their current partner… Accept it for the messy reality it is and tell them that you are going to support them as they get the help they need.

4. Have a Chaplain or well trained Pastoral Care team members – who know how to respond. They need to know how to listen, how to give the needed support and when and how to refer for more help. Having trained Chaplains and team members in place gives you confidence as you build your ministry.

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5. Equip your kids and youth ministries – Kids are often deeply impacted by DV, so we need to equip our workers with skills to help them identify symptoms and problems as they emerge and give them methods of how best to support them so they can gain the help they need.

6. Have a referral network in place – Be ready rather than reactive. Work with your community and identify the resources which are already available. Have a series of numbers to call – help lines, counselling services, emergency accommodation, support groups. Finding these resources in the midst of the crisis is almost impossible – set up some time, and commit to being ready to respond.

7. Preach restoration and hope – The Gospel has always been the answer to the needs of the world.

Preach hope for the victims of Domestic Violence and restoration of what has been lost. Point them to Jesus and let them find comfort, security and love in Him. But don’t forget the hope and restoration available for those who previously have been perpetrators, the potential for healing and renewal is real for them as well.

KIDS ARE OFTEN DEEPLY IMPACTED BY DOMESTIC FAMILY VIOLENCE, SO WE NEED TO EQUIP OUR WORKERS WITH SKILLS TO HELP THEM.

The Church has the potential to be a ‘safe haven’ and a ‘restoring stream’ for those who have been impacted by Domestic Violence in all its forms. If we hide our faces from the need and turn away from the challenge of this pain then we are not fulfilling our mandate of being the manifest presence of His body on the earth. We are well positioned, well equipped and suitably gifted for the task – let’s prepare a place and gather our resources so that those in need have their needs met.

For more information on how you can prepare your church for responding to Domestic Violence visit www.chaplaincyaustralia.com

Ralph Estherby is the National Director of Chaplaincy Australia.

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‘

NEW RELEASE

BROKEN TO BE

BEAUTIFUL I rolled over; tears stained my cheeks, mascara-stained my pillow, and my heart was pounding so loudly I could hear the vibrations in my ears; it felt like it was about to physically break in two Then I prayed: ‘God, please, please do something, I can’t do this anymore. Take him from me, make him leave me. I don’t care how You do it, but make him leave. Make him die if that’s the only way.

Please God, make him die, please God, I can’t do this anymore, I can’t live like this anymore …’

Oh, my goodness, did I really pray that?

What on earth would lead a woman, who fifteen years ago loved this man enough to say, ‘I do’ make her feel like that? What could have changed so dramatically? Could my life have really deteriorated that much?

I sat up in my bed and began to remember back to the day we first met. I could not believe how I had got myself into this position. Was he always like this? I thought to myself as I analysed the last fifteen long years.Yes, all the tell-tale signs were there, but as an eighteen-year-old girl, I was determined that things would change. Why was I so convinced that I could change him? I had no idea; aren’t they the words that echo in every woman’s mind during a relationship?

Extract from ‘Broken to be Beautiful’ by Xenia Schembri Domestic Violence was part of Xenia Schembri’s life for the 15 years of her first marriage and she now believes that her past does not have to negatively impact her life but positively motivate and direct her future by creating change in the attitudes and mindsets of society.

She is a mouthpiece for the voiceless as she exposes what society would like to shut down such as sexual abuse and domestic violence. ‘We have to stand up for people who cannot stand up for themselves, I for one cannot stay silent anymore.’ she says.

Xenia had to face challenges as she navigated her way through the domestic violent marriage with her first husband. She has authored Broken To Be Beautiful to highlight that there is freedom and a victorious life waiting for anyone who finds the courage to move past their trauma and pain.

Xenia writes: “I know it may be confronting and difficult to read at times, but, the aim of this book is to be a beacon of light in the darkness of domestic violence and abuse. Domestic violence is a very personal battle for those who have been affected by it. Most people’s understanding of DV will be determined by personal experiences or what is viewed in the media. From conversations that I have had with people, their understanding of DV includes bruises on the body, black eyes, and broken bones. My experience was control, manipulation, misuse of power, emotional torment, financial abuse, sexual assault, spiritual abuse; and physical assault was thrown in, which also included my children.

Xenia and her husband, Simon, are associate pastors of a church on the Gold Coast, and they have also founded a charity called At The Ark Inc. This charity supports families whose children have been sexually abused.

FOR MORE INFORMATION OR TO ORDER ‘BROKEN TO BE BEAUTIFUL’: www.xeniaschembri.com 33

COMMUNITY

THE KINGDOM FOCUSED CHURCH

BY PAUL BARTLETT

I

declines, it’s my fault also. When actually, the Kingdom of God is both mysterious and organic: Mysterious because it has the ability to grow with or without me; organic because there’s no formula but there is a natural process.

f you didn’t have much time on earth to speak to people, you would definitely focus your thoughts and message on what you believe was most important right?

So, what did Jesus speak about when He appeared after being raised from the dead? According to the Apostle Paul, it wasn’t how much the Cross hurt, or some new fishing tips – He spoke about the Kingdom (Acts 1:1-3). I personally would have liked more lessons on how to build the Church.

We often believe that the Church and the Kingdom are the same thing, however they are different. For example, it would sound funny to replace the word Kingdom with Church, in Matthew 6:33 what if we said, “Seek first the Church of God”, doesn’t sound right does it? When the disciples were sent out to preach on behalf of Jesus in Luke 9:2, they were actually asked to preach the gospel of the ‘Kingdom’.

PASTOR’S CHALLENGE: WHAT IF YOU PERSONALLY TITHED 10% OF YOUR WEEK INTO THE COMMUNITY?

So, what’s this got to do with Community Engagement?

In the Mark 4:26 model our role is to plant the seed, we then join our community to produce the fruit. This can often bring out impatience in all of us because that seed takes time to grow and develop. I know as a leader, I have often been like an impatient child waiting for the fruit to be produced.

The Church has only been around for 2000 years, but the Kingdom forever. We’ve been given keys to the Kingdom, not the keys to the Church.

The important thing to remember when engaging with your community is the process we are most responsible for is sowing the seed. It is small acts of kindness and small ongoing relationships that start to grow before those people appear in one of our church services.

Matthew 16:19 NLT says, “And I will give you the keys of the Kingdom of Heaven. Whatever you forbid on earth will be forbidden in heaven, and whatever you permit on earth will be permitted in heaven.”

Allow me to give you a Senior Pastor challenge – we all love the biblical concept of tithing, so what if we used this principle and you personally tithed 10% of your week into the community? Four hours of seed sowing as a sports coach, turning up to your business chamber events, joining a club. Imagine the stories you could tell from the platform! Not to mention the seed you would be planting!

We are to open the Kingdom of Heaven with them on earth.

So why is this subtle difference so important? It’s important because we are often Church centric more than we are Kingdom centric. When it comes to being Church centric, we often look for formulas to grow our church, but according Mark 4:26 the Kingdom grows even when I am not working on it.

When it comes to the Church, the unsaid, but inferred culture says to me; if the Church is growing, I did it! But if attendance

Paul Bartlett is the National Director of ACC Community Engagement.

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REVIEW

THE SOWER

BY R. SCOTT RODIN AND GARY G. HOAG What immediately struck me about The Sower was that it was not just another book talking about the need for personal generosity nor was it a book about how a church can extract more tithe from their congregation (I have read a few of these before). The Sower is an exploration into the journey of a steward. It reflects on the differing mindsets of an owner vs a steward and the journey that is needed to move from a bondage mentality to that of freedom, a temporal vs eternal perspective. After identifying the desired characteristics of the Steward, the book then turns to a focus on the role of the pastor as the Sower, outlining the four seasons of sowing a pastor needs to traverse in order to deepen their congregations understanding of these new steward’s mindsets.

Throughout The Sower, the key theme is to realign a pastor’s focus to one of building stewards and not merely generous givers. The authors outline that as individuals develop a deeper revelation of stewardship, churches will observe an increase in financial generosity, however, they expect this to be a small part of a much deeper impact on the individual steward which will extend to all aspects of the ‘treasures’ they are entrusted with, not just the small amount they give.

While undoubtedly pastors are committed to the responsibility of discipling the flock, the book challenges, whether such efforts are producing Godly Stewards or merely Generous Givers. Similarly, the book looks at how praise is shown to God in this area, questioning if traditional manifestations of provision, like the increase in funds collected, are the only things that are celebrated or if successful congregational heart developments, like increases in number of people giving or number of people serving/volunteering, are also included in a church’s celebration of God’s provision.

While containing a number of challenges, The Sower is not just a book that will leave a Pastor feeling guilty, it intentionally contains a step by step, or more accurately a season by season, guide to how to foster a Steward’s Heart within your congregation.

I would encourage pastors to purchase a copy of the book, identify a key leader who would be best placed to champion the call to stewardship (e.g. executive pastor, key elder or stewardship pastor), get them to read it and to report back to the leadership team on what they learned. This book presents an excellent opportunity for a pastor to invest in and build the passion of such an internal champion.

Noting the seasonal approach adopted in the book, I would suggest the best time to embrace the book and its suggestions would be immediately after an annual giving appeal. This will allow your church to maximise their planning around the four seasons of the Sower.

This book is a great reminder of the broad opportunity we have to build congregations with a strong sense of whole-of-life stewardship which I would encourage all church leaders to embrace.

Review by Nathan Buttigieg who is the Chief Member Officer of Christian Super. More info: www.christiansuper.com.au 35

This book review represents the personal opinion of Nathan Buttigieg. He was not been paid by the authors, publishers or distributor of the book to provide this review. Copies of this book can be purchased at CMA Australia.

BUSINESS

A LIGHT IN THE MARKETPLACE L

eading a contemporary church, as ACC pastors would know, requires business and leadership skills which traditional bible colleges and seminaries don’t often train pastors for.

Alphacrucis College with a Faculty of Business (as well as Faculty of Education and Arts) alongside its long-standing Faculty of Theology is equipped to provide this training. Students can take a Bachelor of Business which like all our degrees includes compulsory Christian Worldview, and many Bible, theology, ministry and mission electives. They can also take our unique Bachelor of Business/ Bachelor of Theology and Bachelor of Business/ Bachelor of Ministry degrees, adding a year of study for the double degree to the normal three years full-time study. Part-time study and fully online study are also possible. A feature of our Bachelor of Business is the accounting major led by Associate Professor Philip Lee which has received full accreditation from the professional bodies CPA and CA, accreditation which some university programs lack. Having some business skills is important even if the pastor isn’t the one administering the finances, handling employment contracts, or compliance with taxation and not-for-profit regulations. Business training allows the pastor to oversee the integration of Gospel priorities into these areas of the ministry. An understanding of business also helps the pastor to preach and connect with businesspeople in the church; to help their people live out the Gospel in the business world. It is part of our mission at Alphacrucis to equip the next generation of ACC leaders with the business and leadership skills they need for the increasingly complex environment we operate in.

For senior pastors there are of course our Master of Leadership and Doctor of Ministry degrees, as well as the PhD program. Leadership is our main research focus in the Faculty , and PhD supervision is offered by Dr Mulyadi Robin, who has recently joined us from Monash University, and succeeded Dr Ian Jagelman as head of our leadership programs, though Ian remains with us as Director of the Jagelman Institute.

As well as equipping the next generation of pastors, the mission of our Alphacrucis Business Faculty includes preparing a generation of theologically trained missional businessmen and businesswomen. They will benefit from courses like Creativity and Entrepreneurship, Business Entrepreneurship and Mission, and Strategic Thinking, all taught by experts with a track record in business. They can participate as part of their Alphacrucis business degree in SEED start-up incubator program. So please encourage young people in your church interested in business to consider Alphacrucis.

An option which is now available to theology and ministry graduates of Alphacrucis, and other accredited colleges, is to add a business degree to their existing degree in approximately two years part-time study. We hope this will be attractive to pastors wanting to get some business training, as well as those looking to start missional businesses, or to take roles in the growing Christian not-for-profit sector.

Please come and talk with us about possibilities in business and leadership at Alphacrucis.

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Paul Oslington is Professor of Economics and Dean of Business at Alphacrucis College. He was previously Professor in Business and Theology at Australian Catholic University, Associate Professor of Economics at University of New South Wales, and has had visiting fellowships at University of Oxford, University of British Columbia, and Princeton Theological Seminary and University. His PhD in Economics was completed at the University of Sydney, and Bachelor of Divinity and Doctor of Theology through University of Divinity, Melbourne.

Books include The Theory of International Trade and Unemployment, Adam Smith as Theologian, Political Economy as Natural Theology: Smith Malthus and their

Followers, and the Oxford Handbook of Economics and Christianity. He is working on a new book commissioned by Harvard University Press on the history of economic thinking in the Christian tradition. www.ac.edu.au

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INDIGENOUS CONFERENCE 6-7 September 2019 Ganggalah Church, Tweed Heads, New South Wales www.ganggalah.com

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