North Coast Anglican Autumn 2022

MAGAZINE OF THE ANGLICAN DIOCESE OF GRAFTON, NEW SOUTH WALES

NORTH COAST ANGLICAN AUTUMN 2022 | ISSUE NO 3

Waiting in lent

Shining an indomitable human spirit n i r e t s a s i D d o Flo s r e v i R n r e h t Nor

A letter from the Bishop

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read recently that a missing man in Turkey accidentally joined his own search party for hours before realising that he was the person they were looking for. The penny dropped when he heard his own name being called out by one of the other searchers.

The theme of waiting always makes me think of the encounter between Jesus and the scribes and Pharisees in John Chapter 8 with the woman caught in adultery.

They bring her before him expecting that he too would accuse her, but instead he kneels down and draws in the sand. In Jesus I see great wisdom in not being so hasty as to speak before there is some clarity about what is being encountered. But he had to have courage to wait. The scribes and Pharisees, like many voices in our society today, demand a quick and easy answer.

decide that it wasn’t just about waiting for it to finish so I could ‘get on with the rest of the day’ but that this time of waiting was a precious gift given to me by God to be enjoyed.

Yet waiting is something we’re very familiar with lately.

Waiting for the Pandemic to pass so we can ‘get on with life’, waiting for the rain to come so the drought will end, waiting for the flood waters to recede so we can get on with the clean-up. And yet even in these there have been no quick and easy solutions.

The Christian understanding of waiting is described by Simone Weil as attente. It’s not a passive waiting but a wide-eyed attention and expectancy. Rowan Williams says it’s more like waiting for Christmas than waiting for the 9:45 train from central. Loitering with intent is how Martyn Percy describes it.

When my children were younger I spent hours each week sitting around waiting for them to finish their sporting fixtures or sports training. Leanne did ice hockey and rowing duties, I did mainly the cricket, rugby and figure skating runs. I had to intentionally

We normally associate this waiting theme with Advent rather than Lent. But Lent also says wait. Resist the demand for the quick solution, the cancel culture.

Have courage to wait expectantly in God’s time and attend to the things of God with a sense of wonder.

NORTH COAST ANGLICAN Transforming lives through Jesus Christ EDITORIAL TEAM The Rev’d Vivian Hoskins, Jan Fryer, Kaytrina Jessup, The Ven. Tiffany Sparks, Anne Weekley EDITOR DETAILS PO Box 4 Grafton NSW 2460 nca@graftondiocese.org.au

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Crying Waiting Hoping

BY DESIREE SNYMAN

C

rying, waiting, hoping” sang Buddy Holly.

Although “Crying, hoping, waiting’” was a love song for Buddy Holly and the Beatles, nevertheless, there seems to be a perennial wisdom in linking waiting with crying and hoping. Connecting waiting with hoping means that this is a different type of waiting.

It focuses less on what we wait for by describing how we wait. We wait with crying and hoping.

Waiting is that significant emptiness in which we sit with full awareness. Waiting is the pregnant pause between the exhale and inhale, the space between what was and what will be. Likewise, the journey of Lent is the 40 days of waiting for the mystery of Easter.

It recalls the wilderness journey when Hebrew slaves led by Miriam and her brothers Moses and Aaron fled oppression in Pharoah’s Egypt. They waited in wandering and wondering in a desert before the freedom of the Promised Land of Milk and Honey.

In the wilderness waiting there, is crying; weeping for wounds caused by oppression in Pharoah’s Egypt.

In the waiting there is also hoping; yearning for a new world order, the Promised Land.

For waiting to be more than marking time, for waiting to be a pregnant pause or a charged emptiness, it needs to dance with crying and hoping.

of the Christian church taught that tears were a sacrament. A sacrament is a visible sign of invisible grace. A sacrament is when something holy happens, when we are made whole, when we glimpse the unbearable preciousness of life. The word sacrament describes how God comes to us, how God shares God’s love with us. God comes to us in our waiting, in our crying, in our tears. For the early church, tears were received as an outward sign of the inner workings of God’s Spirit within the human soul. Crying was connected with baptism; as the waters of baptism cleanse; so, tears purify. More than that, crying was considered a gift of the Spirit, along with prophecy, knowledge, wisdom, and healing.

We witness many tragedies in the world around us.

We carry our own unnameable grief too. There are events that seem beyond our ability to respond.

One response is prayer. Prayer may take the form of tears. And conversely, tears may be the only prayer that we can offer: “Having found tears, preserve them with all your strength. They are precious pearls of wisdom formed in a heart distressed by the grit of human suffering and salved by the grace of God’s own weeping” (John Mogabgab 2000:3 in Weavings 15.2).

Alongside is a photograph I took of a Paperbark Forest in Noongar country. I was told that the early Aboriginal people would visit this Paperbark Forest during the dry season, the wilderness of waiting before the rains.

Like Buddy Holly’s song, the Noonngar people were crying, waiting, hoping, in the paperbark forest. During their waiting, the Noongar people expelled their grief by crying and mourning. Their bitterness or pain was absorbed by the Paperbark trees and soaked by the land. During the rainy season when creation herself cried, the river would wash through this Paperbark Forest and forever remove whatever burdens had been released there.

There seems to be wisdom in this spiritual discipline of crying, waiting, hoping. Tears cast down during the waiting are sacred. The early fathers and mothers NCA AUTUMN 2022 • 1

Reflections from Lismore

BY REVEREND CHRISTIAN FORD, RECTOR OF THE PARISH OF LISMORE

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t has been said a lot lately that this flood in Lismore is worse than any before and some of the numbers bear that out. The water itself went about 2 meters over the previous high mark set in 1974. In fact, it wasn’t until Wednesday the 2nd of March that the waters receded to the 1974 level.

To say this has been higher doesn’t really do justice to the damage and destruction that has been seen. To drive down one of the flood affected streets is simply heartbreaking. Whole homes have been destroyed, lifted off their foundations and smashed against trees or light poles. Buildings smashed by flood waters or floating debris and mud everywhere. A number of times I have driven to the church or back home and have had to wipe tears from my eyes.

As I write this on Wednesday the 9th of March Woodburn and Coraki have only just been given the all clear from the SES to re-enter. My wife, Brenda, has just gotten to a work depot in Woodburn today and been shocked by the devastation.

Right now in Lismore, six supermarkets have been flooded, leaving the city with only three supermarkets operating, with food running out. The main shopping centre, Lismore Square, with two supermarkets and two department stores, will be out of action for 9-12 months. Another smaller shopping centre may be condemned. Richmond River High has been

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condemned. Many businesses are signaling that this is the end for them. Worse yet we are hearing rumours that up to 1000 homes may be condemned, further exacerbating a shortage in housing.

St Thomas at Wyrallah had over a meter of water inside the building and many of the contents will need to be disposed of, though the communion vessels have been found and cleaned.

I have found myself over the past week and a half travelling through all the stages of grief. I have grown to love this community deeply over the five years I have been here. Buried in my family history is the fact that my mother’s grandparents made

Lismore their home and my grandmother, who had died before I was born, grew up here. It is a lovely community made up of some wonderful people. It is a great mix of people from all over and all walks of life.

There is vibrancy, love and acceptance in the Lismore community, with a mix of alternative and main stream.

This doesn’t mean it is without faults. In the months ahead some might come and think our roads have suffered terribly from the flood, but us locals know that most of them were like that before the flood.

I know others will say their community is the best or better than others. I’m not saying that, I’m saying that those of us who live here, love it. To see this destruction is almost too much to bear.

Through all this there is shining an indomitable human spirit and the Australian willingness to get in and lend a hand. The evacuation centres and the two still operating Op Shops have been inundated with donations of food, clothes, goods, toiletries. There is an army of volunteers cleaning up and assisting at the evacuation centres with more people and other churches asking how they can help.

Our Parish’s Op Shop is one of the two open and has been distributing clothes and other goods free of charge to anyone flood affected. We have received so many donations we are almost completely overwhelmed. Most of our parish hall has been given over to excess donations which are sorted and delivered to the evacuation centre as they need and open free to the public. A member of our online

church community from Brisbane organised a delivery truck full of Hello Fresh Meals to Lismore with over 600 boxes of meal kits (around $100 000 of food) to help keep people fed.

Each day parish volunteers make up sandwiches, slices, cakes and snacks with tea and coffee to be delivered to people who are cleaning up homes throughout Lismore. One volunteer who was given a cup of cold brew coffee, thanked me for the coffee and after sipping it humorously said, ‘Aaah, good coffee. It had to be good because we are Australian after all.’ Along with the food there are conversations where people share their stories and how they are coping.

Rev Alan Shaw and Rev Aaron Coates, trained disaster Chaplains, have been active in the evacuation centres listening and ministering to people who are facing losing everything. The Anglicare volunteers have been active in helping meet people’s needs in the evacuation centres. Anglicare has been fantastic.

Early this week they delivered food and goods for us to distribute and promised whatever we need going forward that they will source it for us. I want to thank Leon and the team at Anglicare for their support.

I have been aware of the support through prayer that many have offered us. Please keep praying for Lismore and the surrounding areas. We will need a lot of prayer as we move forward. This recovery is not a sprint but a marathon. In the weeks to come we will have moments of despair, joy, fear, grief, loneliness and all the gamut of emotions.

As you pray, please pray for calm in Lismore, for those who are already stretched and breaking, for our leaders to have wisdom and for strength and safety for those who are working to clean and repair things.

Top Images: (left & middle) Main Street; (right) HelloFresh Meals delivered.

Bottom Images: (left) Op Shop donations; (middle) Volunteers unpack and sort HelloFresh meals; (right) Volunteers Deliver meals to the community.

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Anglicare North Coast 2022 Flood response

BY LEON ANKERSMIT. CEO, ANGLICARE NORTH COAST

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o you ever wonder when disaster strikes, “What good can come of this?” I know I do. In the past 5 years our region has had its share of disasters. Lismore was flooded in 2017, there were widespread and devastating bushfires in late 2019, and since Covid, we all feel as if we have been living in a permanent state of disaster. As if that wasn’t enough, in the early hours of Sunday the 27th February this year, and throughout the following days, the entire region from Tweed Heads in the north, to Grafton in the south was inundated with major flooding. This led to the tragic loss of several lives and devastating damage to property, infrastructure, environment, livestock and wildlife. In fact, the disaster reached further north, well into Queensland as far as Gympie and Bundaberg.

In the face of such widespread destruction, it is easy to feel helpless. Yet we have seen communities come together, helping each other and rallying all kinds of support to save lives, protect property and clean up the mess. Much of this work is ongoing as I write, and will continue for many months.

Communities will become more cohesive as a result of this disaster. People will be reminded of the value of helping a neighbour, lending a hand, offering a kindness. This is a “good” that I see coming out of this dreadful occasion.

As a faith community, we also have an opportunity to become more cohesive at this time. Our thoughts and prayers are with the parishes that are deeply impacted, and in many cases, parishioners themselves, or members of their family, will have suffered losses.

Our thoughts and prayers extend to the wider communities in which we live and worship. Our ‘neighbours’ who desperately need a hand to relieve their suffering.

Anglicare North Coast is an established Emergency Relief and Disaster Recovery partner with the NSW and Australian governments, and we are your local welfare organisation with community infrastructure throughout the region through our partnership with Anglican parishes and schools. In this regard, we are well placed to deliver relief and recovery oriented assistance to households.

We leverage our work with community partners including Food Bank and Thread Together giving us access to free or low cost items including food, emergency supplies, new clothing, donated goods, and storage and distribution networks.

We have established a flood appeal, to raise funds to assist affected households. Our approach is to identify households in impacted communities with the assistance of our parish network on the ground in each community, and to build supportive networks around those households. We can give immediate

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assistance with mud cleaning and disposal of destroyed household items, assistance with relocation and temporary accommodation if needed, supply of new clothing and bedding, and further support once housing is restored by supplying household items including furniture and whitegoods. Since the flood occurred last week (at the time of writing): • W e have a crew in Lismore and Casino with pressure cleaners visiting households that have been referred by the parishes.

• O ur mobile food pantry is on the road each day taking hampers, personal care packs and other supplies to parishes.

• W e are working on setting up a pop-up shop for 4-6 months in Lismore for free brand new clothes, as well as a mobile clothing van to go around to smaller communities.

• W e have leased a warehouse in Grafton and received our first truckload of donated goods from Bishop Druitt College. We will stockpile donations there for the time being until we can distribute to communities.

Housing will be the long-term issue. We continue to advocate with government to seek commitment to increased investment in affordable housing, including subsidies for private rentals.

Anglicare North Coast and Anglican parishes working together make a formidable team combining knowledge, skill, resources and finances to make a real difference for households and communities in times of need. Together, we bring Hope In Action!

Images: (Left) Many properties in Mullumbimby CBD were inundated requiring removal of floorcoverings, furniture and possessions; (Top right) Woolworths bread aisle Byron Bay 3 March. With the Pacific Highway blocked to the north and south, those businesses able to open struggled to meet demand; (Bottom right) Service Station Byron Bay 3 March.

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A World of Difference

BY REVEREND LYNDON MULHOLLAND. RECTOR OF THE PARISH OF MURWILLUMBAH

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ine months after arriving in Murwillumbah Parish we experienced the worst flood on record - the 2017 floods. Unfortunately, only five years later, that record has been broken with the recent downpour.

We awoke Monday morning, 28th February, to find many car owners seeking higher ground, including a family of three generations seeking solace under the All Saints’ portico at Murwillumbah. We invited them into the Rectory for coffee and breakfast only to find that their baby was only two days old. They had just gotten to their house on Tweed Valley Way from Tweed Heads hospital only to leave their home during the early hours of the morning due to the evacuation orders. The Mother’s parents had only just arrived from Western Australia for the birth of their grandson and to be there for their daughter whom they hadn’t seen in two years due to Covid restrictions and border closures. The Grandfather said “We haven’t seen rain for eight months and now this!”

Compared to what others have contributed during the flooding crisis, including Anglicare volunteers stationing the Evacuation Centre at the Murwillumbah TAFE, our contribution to this family of seven was meagre at best. However, for them, it made a world of difference as it allowed them to get their bearings and regain their perspective on the fact that at least their family was now safe and sound.

The clean-up is going to be long and difficult including that of our dear neighbours whose Sourdough Crumpet kitchen was submerged, along with many other businesses in the industrial estate, the CBD and also houses in South Murwillumbah and other low lying areas. However, this crisis provides us Anglicans in the Tweed Valley with the opportunity to reach out to the wider community by lending a helping hand and to bear witness to the love and concern of Christ. Even what may seem meagre to us can make a world of difference to others.

Images: (Top left) Murwillumbah Show Grounds; (Bottom left) Brisbane Street, Murwillumbah.

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Nambucca Valley Upgrade

BY PAUL WEEKLEY

T

he People of the Anglican Parish of Nambucca are rejoicing in their successful Black Summer Bushfire grant application, to the tune of $148,000, designated for improvements to the Bowraville Church Hall. The application was ably supported by our local member, Mr Pat Conaghan MP, to whom go our grateful thanks. The Grant will enable the Parish to provide an enhanced, multi-purpose and safe neighbourhood space where people can share, connect with each other, and receive support. The improvements to the Hall will enhance the ability of volunteers to operate the community food hub, provide community meals (St Jimmy’s Kitchen and Blokes’ Brekky), provide a safe space for family celebrations and a functional training or workshop space for Church and community organisations.

The construction of a large deck will provide a more flexible floor space for community connection and fellowship activities, a space where people can share and connect for their wellbeing. The overall aim is to have an increasingly positive impact on the social, mental, and spiritual well-being and resilience of the Bowraville and wider community.

In practical terms the grant will enable the upgrade of the electrical system by adding a third phase of electrical power to ensure the hall’s electrical system is adequate to cope with the recently refurbished industrial kitchen and the future installation of reverse cycle air conditioning. The improved comfort will provide an environment conducive to social interaction and training in all seasons. The installation of solar panels will help offset electrical costs and make hall running costs more sustainable and environmentally conscious. New fire doors and smoke alarms will improve fire safety and a new range hood will improve cooking conditions. The addition of a deck will provide a multi-purpose, relaxed space for social interaction and sharing. External walls of the hall will be painted in order to preserve the exterior cladding and provide a sound base for an Aboriginal mural to be painted by local Bowraville artists. All of these additions will make the space safer, more sustainable and a comfortable place for the whole community to enjoy.

Image (left to right) Rev Ros, Paul, Dave, Dorothy, Karen, Gail, Rani, Fred, Peter, Rev Pete

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Around the Diocese + Murray, The Reverend Canon John Barrett, Terry Muldoon and Heather Norton for commissioning of The Reverend Jon Cornish as SCAS Chaplain

Rev. Jon Cornish commissioned as new Chaplain for St Columba Anglican School St Columba Anglican School had the pleasure of Commissioning their new School Chaplain, Reverend Jon Cornish on the 18th of February 2022. In a beautiful service, attended by The Right Reverend Dr Murray Harvey, Bishop of the Anglican Diocese of Grafton, as well as current and former Chairs of School Council, Foundation Chaplain, Rev. Duncan McArthur, and special guests, Rev. Cornish was commissioned as the third School Chaplain at St Columba.

Students with Anglicare CEO Leon Ankersmit, Reverend Canon Naomi and the Anglicare Team

Flood Blitz raising donations Anglicare North Coast Grafton welcomes the donations from Bishop Druitt College Flood Blitz.

The aim was to fill the Barracuda Bus, which they did with baby and young children’s items alone.

Then more donations arrived, almost filling a pan tech truck. Thank you to the BDC Year 8 Leadership Group and all of the community who supported this drive. Newcombes Buses and Lite Moves provided the transport.

Rev. Nic Hagon commissioned as new Chaplain for Clarence Valley Anglican School The Reverend Nic Hagon was Commissioned as Chaplain for Clarence Valley Anglican School by Archdeacon Tiffany Sparks (Bishop’s Commissary) on the 9th of March at Christchurch Cathedral. It was a joyous service celebrating Reverend Nic’s ministry at CVAS and acknowledgment of her continuing ministry at the school. On March 2, The Reverend Nic was commissioned as part of the Chaplaincy Team at Bishop Druitt College by the Reverend Canon Naomi Cooke.

Reverend Canon Naomi Cooke and Reverend Nic Hagon

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National Celebration Day Awards 2022 Nambucca Valley Council has awarded the Anglican Parish of Nambucca Valley the National Celebration Day Award, 2022 for the Parish’s community service over many years. Volunteer Coordinator for the Food Hubs, Gail Griffiths, took the initiative to apply to the Council to be considered for the award.

Over many years, the Parish has aided the community through Op Shops, Food Hubs and disaster relief.

Left to right: Leon Ankersmit, CEO of Anglicare North Coast, Gail Griffiths (holding the award) and Reverend Ros Johnson.

LAGS Celebration at St. Cuthbert’s Parish

Honouring & celebrating a legacy On the 20th of February Lindisfarne Anglican Grammar School celebrated its history and connection to faith at a service at St. Cuthbert’s Parish, Tweed Heads.

This service paid tribute to the foundational role that St. Cuthbert’s played in the establishment of LAGS. Acknowledging the vision of Canon Ron Dyson and the tenacity of the church parishioners and supporters.

The Lindisfarne community believes such a legacy is worth honouring and celebrating.

The solid foundation our links to the Anglican Church provides for our school community, particularly in the current context, combined with the perseverance and dedication of our staff, students, parents and community should inspire us all to hope.

Zooming in on Vocations The 20th of February marked the start of Grafton Vocations Week where people are invited to pray and contemplate God’s call on their lives. On the 23rd of February the Diocesan had its first Zoom Vocations Conversation where a panel shared their faith journey and answered questions on their experience of call to Vocation. Our panel consisted of religious, lay and ordained ministers.

Thanks to all who contributed.

Clergy and Laity from around the Diocese and beyond

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Friday 25 February 2022

Dear Brothers and Sisters, I write to you in response to the escalating situation in Ukraine.

The attack by Russia is an act of evil which impacts not only upon Ukraine, but Europe and the whole world. This attack by one nation on another has rightly provoked outrage, sanctions, and condemnation.

Our rightful response must be first to pray to call upon God to seek His intervention in the hearts and minds of our world leaders that they may once again choose peace over war.

We must pray for the people of Ukraine, for their safety and wellbeing and pray for a ceasefire and the withdrawal of Russian forces.

Finally we must pray for the strength of those who work across international borders for unity and harmony.

I echo the call of the Archbishop of Canterbury to make this Sunday a day for Prayer for Peace and I have included a prayer that you may like to use.

I also encourage you to participate with the wider church in Pope Francis’s call to make Ash Wednesday, 2 March, a day of prayer and fasting for peace.

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Psalm 46 opens with a confident statement of faith: God is our refuge and strength, an everpresent help in trouble. Therefore, we will not fear. This is a much-needed reminder in times like these of the sovereignty and power of God and of his presence with us that calls us to trust in him.

The psalm goes on to say he makes wars cease to the ends of the earth (verse 9). This is our prayer that once again God would intervene and bring an end to war.

The psalmist then declares God’s message to us “be still and know that I am God.” This message continues to be the message for us today. It reminds us to have confidence in our God who is indeed a refuge and strength for all who call upon him.

Be assured of my prayers for you at this time.

With every blessing,

The Most Reverend Geoffrey Smith Archbishop of Adelaide and Primate of the Anglican Church of Australia

Pray for Ukraine Resources for Prayer [APPAA – In times of international tensions] Almighty God, ruler of all, in whose kingdom peace and righteousness abound; we pray for those who are in conflict especially Ukraine.

Take away prejudice, cruelty, and revenge.

Grant that barriers which divide may crumble, suspicions disappear and hatreds cease, through Jesus Christ our mediator. Amen.

A Prayer for Ukraine Sovereign God, We pray for the nation of Ukraine, its leaders and people.

We pray that you would make your presence known to them at this time of strife.

We pray for their protection and for an end to the Russian invasion.

We pray for the innocent, the frightened, the dispossessed, and those who have lost loved ones, homes and family.

We pray that you would bless the endeavours of those who work for peace and an end to this conflict.

Have mercy, we pray, on Ukraine.

May your peace rule in the hearts and minds of all.

Continue to stir up the leaders of the world to work together for the good of all.

We pray this in the name of Jesus, the Prince of Peace. Amen.

Images: (Above) Archbishop Geoffrey Smith; (Left) Adobe Stock

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Being in the Desert

BY SISTER HELEN CSC

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t may seem strange to be thinking about being in a desert when we have so recently experienced floods. Both floods and deserts can force us to examine what is most important in our lives. For instance, what do you take when asked to evacuate from flood waters? Even when you have a car, there is only so much you can carry.

Deserts are places where what is not essential has been removed, or it just does not exist. Sometimes deserts are bare uninhabited sandy or rocky places, and at other times they can describe how people feel, and what they are experiencing in their lives.

distractions. It is where we too, like Jesus, may have to face temptations, but we are not left alone, for God is with us.

In such a solitary barren place we have an opportunity to become more aware of nature, rejoice in its beauty and how it amazingly works. In the evening we can lose ourselves in the beauty of a sunset. At other times we might delight to be still, and rest in God’s love.

We might ask ourselves, “Is being in a desert like those moments when I feel alone, lost, empty and depressed?” Perhaps, but it is more than that.

The loneliness we experience in a desert, helps us to focus on things we often overlook or avoid. It can take courage to enter a desert and confront one’s inner self and God, yet it is an opportunity to discover with God, what is important in our lives. We shall find it is not personal success, but rather God’s love for us, and our responding love for God.

We have deserts in Australia, but this photograph is of the Negeb desert, in Palestine. At the beginning of Jesus’ ministry, he spent time in a desert praying and fasting, while he was discerning what God wanted him to undertake (Luke 4:1-13). For Jesus, it was a time of listening to God and wrestling with temptations. We reflect each Lent on what this meant for Jesus, and also what it can teach us.

We may then live out our calling as members of Christ’s body, to share God’s all-encompassing caring love with others. But, who or what are these ‘others’?

They could be refugees fleeing from Ukraine, or those who are homeless, having left their flooded and ruined homes. Does this include nature suffering from pollution and rising temperatures? What is God asking of us to do today?

The desert is an open place where we can breathe and see clearly in every direction. This seeing is not just a physical seeing, but also spiritual which enables us to see God, and hear God speaking to us. Conversely, all our vulnerabilities are exposed in such a place. We cannot hide behind busyness or

The desert was a place where Jesus learnt how God wanted him to live out his ministry. For us also, as individuals and a church community, deserts of all types are places where we find God’s love and guidance, and can learn how we might both discern and reveal that love in God’s world.

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Image: Adobe Stock

The Asia Pacific Forum on Mental Wellbeing

BY DR MURRAY HARVEY

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hat are the main mental health issues in your local and national context especially in the light of the COVID-19 pandemic? This was one of the questions that participants discussed at the Asia Pacific Forum on Mental Wellbeing that was held in December. This was an initiative of the Anglican Health and Community Network and The Anglican Alliance.

Churches and church institutions including hospitals, health centres, schools and universities are often at the front line of hearing and responding to concerns for mental wellbeing that exist around the globe.

In a series of regional forums like this Asia Pacific one, the Anglican Health and Community Network and the Anglican Alliance are bringing together practitioners and others to learn about the steps that churches and their associated institutions can engage with to respond to the mental wellbeing needs of the people we serve.

As a member of the Mental Health Community of Practice of the Anglican Health and Community Network I was asked to co-facilitate the Asia Pacific Forum. Having been involved in some recent research about changing levels of anxiety, stress and depression around the globe during our current pandemic, I was interested to hear participants speak about how this has played out in their regions. In some countries, people with mental health conditions are looked upon with suspicion, even in some cultures being accused of demon possession. Even in countries like Australia that has a well developed, free access health system, mental health services are under strain, with long waiting lists to see psychologists and other mental health professionals. Yet in many countries there is no effective or comprehensive public health system at all, so most people have to rely on informal supports offered by local churches and other community organisations. Clergy and church workers in these contexts need training in basic counselling skills and mental health first aid.

Participants in the forum who work in Maternal and Child Health spoke about the impact of the pandemic not only on domestic violence but also on rates of depression amongst new mothers who are more isolated due to lockdowns and travel restrictions. As far as children are concerned, the first few years of life are crucial for social and language development. With increased isolation, language and other developmental delays are rapidly increasing and are likely to have longer term impacts well into the future.

Clergy wellbeing and mental health are a particular interest of mine and I was able to speak about the impacts of the pandemic on Australian Anglican clergy and about some research undertaken through the Clergy Health Initiative of Duke University in the United States. Many provinces of the Anglican Communion are undertaking, or have already completed, investigations into the mental health impact of the pandemic on their clergy. Accounts from the globe speak of anxiety amongst clergy over the impact of the pandemic on church attendance, church finances (few countries had the equivalent of JobKeeper) and the increased time and skill required to produce online worship options. An online course in resilience for Anglican clergy is currently being trialled in some countries.

It was a real privilege to co-facilitate the Asia Pacific Forum and I look forward to participating in the other regional gatherings during 2022 as we attempt to gain a better understanding of the many mental health needs around the Communion and decide how we can best respond.

Image: (Above) Adobe Stock

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Anglicare North Coast 2022

Northern NSW Flood Appeal

Anglicare North Coast has opened a FLOOD APPEAL for tax deductible donations.

We will use our emergency relief processes to provide direct and efficient support to affected households in the Northern Rivers.

DONATE NOW Scan the QR code, or navigate to www.anglicarenorthcoast. org.au, click on ‘donate here’, then select ‘General Donations’.

Please write ‘North Coast 2022’ in the note section.

OR use the account details to deposit from your bank account.

BANK ACCOUNT: Anglicare North Coast BSB: 705077 A/C: 00041320 Ref: North Coast 2022