North Coast Anglican - Winter Edition 2022

MAGAZINE OF THE ANGLICAN DIOCESE OF GRAFTON, NEW SOUTH WALES

NORTH COAST ANGLICAN WINTER 2022 | ISSUE NO 4

Synod Edition

Bishop Murray finds fune

n r a f s i d n i at L tion Day Founda

I acknowledge the Bundjalung, Arakwal, Yaegl, Githabul, Gumbayngirr, Dunghutti and Birpai peoples, the traditional custodians of the lands on which the Diocese of Grafton is based.

I pay tribute and respect to the elders of these nations and peoples, both past, present and emerging, acknowledge their continuing connection to the land and waters, and thank them for their protection of the mountains, hinterland, waters and coastline since time immemorial.

This impressive painting by Frances Belle Parker provides a stunning backdrop in the Baptistry of Grafton Cathedral.

This work evokes the life-giving capacities of the Clarence River and reminds us that we stand on country that has long been sacred to the indigenous peoples of this ancient land.

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

1 • NCA AUTUMN 2022

DESIGNER Claire Skeoch SUBSCRIPTIONS Australia $16.00 p.a Overseas $28.00 p.a CIRCULATION: Circulation: 1,000

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President’s Address to the Synod of the Diocese of Grafton THE ELEPHANT IN THE ROOM. A POEM BY E. PERCY, 2020.

We never planned to have an elephant.

Our house is not designed for so large a pet.

At best it would be chaotic, at worst, destructive.

Don’t get me wrong, elephants are magnificent beasts in the right place: The plains of Africa The jungles of Sri Lanka.

Yet here we are with an Elephant in the room, now occupying our living space.

At first we assumed that we could easily rehome the elephant, unravel the misunderstanding that led to its arrival.

Yet it seems rehoming and re-ravelling are more complicated.

Image: Adobe Stock.

The elephant inevitably took up space it trampled on the plants and defecated in the borders.

It wanted to be near us but once inside the room its bulk made conversation difficult, obscuring the view and blocking the light.

Though people tried to politely ignore it our lives became shaped by its presence.

People began to forget that we had not asked for an Elephant.

Despite having the paperwork showing its origins, and our lack of ownership, it was assumed to be our elephant.

After all, it lived in our house.

And so this is how we live, negotiating its size, tending to its needs, and hoping daily for news of an Elephant sanctuary.

President’s Address to the Synod of the Diocese of Grafton CONTINUED

I

n the Diocese of Grafton we seek to transform lives for Christ. We seek to share the good news of Jesus Christ, making disciples and growing faith communities. Through the work of our parishes, schools, chaplaincies and Anglicare, we seek to embrace the Spirit of Christ in our time. These are some of the things that we say about ourselves in our vision and mission statements. More recently, our restructuring for mission and ministry has expressed our desire and commitment to dare to live into God’s future for us. This is exciting stuff. It’s great to be part of this passionate commitment to mission here on the North Coast and to be able to gather as the Synod of the Diocese for the first time since 2020.

But there is an elephant in the room. As in the poem, we’ve tried to politely ignore it, but our lives are being shaped by its presence. In fact, we have more than one elephant. I think it’s a herd.

One particular elephant is COVID-19. Like a typical elephant in the room, we all know it’s there but we feel uncomfortable about acknowledging it’s deeper and long term impact. A global health crisis that has affected the whole world, including our region here

on the North Coast, has directly impacted our mission and ministry in many ways. Thankfully our region got off fairly lightly compared to some, but the social and economic impacts will continue to affect us for years to come. One of the main impacts has been the effect of COVID-19 on our mental health. Relatively early in the pandemic the NCLS Leader Wellbeing Check highlighted one aspect of this – the impact of the pandemic on our clergy. The closure of churches to Public Worship, the ever-changing restrictions and resulting administrative burden of offering COVID Safe worship and pastoral care, the pressure of producing online services and other ministries, the cancelled or postponed services and events, the lockdowns, isolations, vaccination requirements and reduced church attendance have had a cumulative effect over a period of more than two years.

The pandemic can be seen as a real threat to the survival of congregations, worship centres and parishes. Yet such a huge worldwide crisis offers opportunities as well. As studies of previous pandemics and other major crises have shown, these events are typically followed by a questioning of values and priorities and a challenging of prevailing social constructions of reality. They offer the chance to re-imagine and reorder society, reconstructing it in better ways.a What part is the church going to play in this re-imaging? A question that Bishop Rob Gillion posed to his Synod a few years back is pertinent: Do we have an openness for intentional deep change in the light of serious decline that will bring new life, or do we prefer tolerable minor adjustments that makes slow death more palatable?

The pandemic came at a time when we were already under stress. You might recall that in my Presidential Address in 2019, I observed a real sense of disillusionment amongst Anglicans in our diocese: Like many, I am disheartened that the church appears to have lost some of the respect and standing that it formerly had in the community.

This loss of confidence can have implications for how we see ourselves and can negatively impact on our mission if we allow it to.

I was encouraged to attend a NCLS Webinar recently, entitled, ‘What Australians really think about Jesus and the Church today.’b I encourage you all to watch the

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Strongly agree/agree that religion is good for society

Frequent religious service attendance: 2016 to 2021

In the table on the right, above, ‘frequent’ attendance is defined as at least once a month. This is data from the Australian Community Survey, not the NCLS survey of church attenders in which we recently participated.

recording of the webinar here: https://www.ncls.org.au/ articles/webinar-what-australians-really-think-about-jesusand-the-church-today/. The results of the NCLS Australian Community Survey offer evidence that the church, and Christianity generally, has greater respect in Australian society than the media and other loud voices would have us believe. The narrative tells us that the Church has failed children, Indigenous people, the vulnerable, and is failing as an institution. The narrative of a failing and dying church is clearly inaccurate and is published by those with an agenda both outside and inside the church. The latest research (November 2021) reveals that 44% of Australians believe that religion is good for Australian society (at the time of the Royal Commission in 2017/18 it had slumped to 33%). The decline in church attendance seems to have plateaued since about 2016 and despite a slump in 2020 due to COVID-19, by November last year it had returned to pre-pandemic levels.

Yet we still have significant challenges. Two in ten Australian adults had tried to get involved in church but decided not to continue. Did we overlook these newcomers/seekers in our busyness to maintain a “business as usual” church? Whatever the reasons, the research shows that too many have tried to get involved and failed. I’m drawn to Colossians 4:5-6 here. In our interaction with those outside our

regular circle, we are called to be wise and to make the most of every opportunity, letting our conversation be always full of grace.

Consistent with earlier research, the 2021 survey revealed that those who do give us a try are looking for relationships, community and belonging. While the statistic that 34% of Australians would accept an invitation from a friend or family member to attend church is encouraging, it is tempered by the fact that only 44% actually know a churchgoer. So we not only need to promote an invitational culture, but also to make more friends with non-Christians! I look forward to receiving the results of the recent NCLS Survey in which we participated as a diocese. It will aid our understanding of how some of these trends relate to Anglicans on the North Coast. The crisis that the pandemic has created has been described as an opportunity to reinvent ourselves in mission. As we rebuild after the pandemic, let’s do it with more confidence and a commitment to growing community.

We are indebted to clergy and lay leaders in ministry units for their diligence and perseverance through the pandemic, as well as to the Registrar and his team, the Corporate Trustees and the Bishop-in-Council for their wise financial management of the diocese during the darkest days of the pandemic. >

Cover image (left): Bishop Murray having fun at Lindisfarne Foudation Day. a F.M. Snowden, 2019, Epidemics and Society: From the Black Death to the Present. Yale University Press. b Ruth Powell and Karl Faase, National Church Life Survey Webinar, What Australians really think about Jesus and the Church today, 9 June 2022.

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President’s Address to the Synod of the Diocese of Grafton CONTINUED

School Principals and School Councils were also under extreme pressure and they offered excellent leadership.

Anglicare North Coast was able to reach out to those most affected and also help to resource parishes in their response.

Another elephant in the room is the financial challenge of meeting our redress commitments to survivors of abuse in church institutions. Just as we were planning to use valuable resources to establish new ministries through which we could further God’s mission, in the second half of 2020 we found out about a much higher than expected redress target. Thankfully we have been able to raise the funds required, which is a credit to the decisive and strategic actions of the Bishop-in-Council, Corporate Trustees and the Registrar, and of course to the financial sacrifices made by most parishes. The figure is a crippling sum and seriously limits our ability to resource new ways of being the church. Speaking personally, the news of such an enormous commitment was to say the least disappointing and deflating. Yet it’s important to keep things in perspective. The hopes and dreams we have of living into God’s future relate to getting on board with God’s mission – with what God is already doing. It’s not our mission. So this ongoing financial commitment to redress is a commitment to survivors. Let’s see God at work here, see his mission being lived out, despite our weakness and past failures. As Professor Martyn Percy c writes, we’re not called to be devoted members of the Church Preservation Society, absorbed by our own survival. We are called to be a church that does not cling to itself but empties itself. The church hasn’t been good at this in the past. As the authors of Letters to a Broken Church d write, our institution struggles with truth telling and doesn’t know how to own its own struggle. I pray that we might be a humble, listening church, modelling in a post-pandemic world the Gospel values of truth, justice and compassion. Let’s model the true humility that we see in Jesus (Philippians 2:3-8) which dares to hope. After all, as John Stott wrote, the Gospel is not a demand, but an offer.e Sadly, there are still more elephants in the room. In undertaking the Anglican Church of Australia’s Family Violence Project, the Church has deliberately taken the lead on this broader societal issue. However, the study’s findings about family violence, especially Intimate Partner Violence (IPV), within families associated with the church is disturbing news.f The prevalence of IPV among 4 • NCA WINTER 2022

Anglicans was the same or higher than in the wider community, with perpetrators misusing Scripture and Christian teachings in order to justify family violence. Our own Sister Helen CSC has written about this, quoting The Rev’d Professor Dorothy Lee, that to deny authority to women in home and church is a form of spiritual abuse.g On the positive side, while most Anglican victims of IPV did not seek help from Anglican Churches, those that did reported that it positively changed the situation or helped them feel supported. This is a complex issue and is the topic of a presentation and a motion at this Synod.

I’m glad that this particular elephant has been named and that it’s clear that the church needs to take action on this. Domestic violence is an issue that should be discussed in church, and local churches should do more to raise awareness of domestic violence. In preparation for this part of the Presidential Address, I re-read 1 Peter 2:13-3:7 where the author gives instruction to those living under human institutions. How might this section of 1 Peter speak in our contemporary context? I wonder, why are we more confident in condemning slavery than patriarchy in our world?

Another elephant in the room is the issue of whether or not Anglican clergy may be permitted to bless Same Sex couples who have been legally married under Australian Civil Law. While this is a contentious issue, the Australian Bishops had made good progress in early 2020 in listening to one another and discerning possible ways forward. Frustratingly, COVID-19 and the resultant restrictions on interstate travel and gatherings, saw the cancellation of three Bishops’ meetings (planned for Adelaide, Melbourne and then Canberra). The result was that progress was delayed until our meeting in Adelaide this year which thankfully was our most helpful meeting so far on this issue. Conscious that General Synod 2022 was unlikely to resolve the issue, earlier this year we agreed to meet in October for further discussion. While the GAFCON proposal has been carefully planned and publicly released, it is only one possible way forward and in my view a not very attractive one. It is worth noting that, in line with the other members of the House of Bishops, I gave an undertaking not to move forward on this issue until it was debated at General Synod 2022.

Since then, in a Pastoral Letter after General Synod, I have counselled continued restraint until after the Bishops’ meeting later this year. This is necessary for the unity of the church at this time, as moving forward to Bless Same-Sex Civil Marriages now will impair our

relationships with other dioceses within our Province of NSW and in the wider Anglican Church of Australia without a plan for how this can be managed. While I know that there is hurt and confusion over this issue for many LGBTQIA+ Anglicans, the Anglican Church has a long tradition of considering the answers to theological and ethical questions in process and over time as we seek to discern God’s ongoing revelation for our generation and context. A key role of a bishop is unity, so I am endeavouring to seek God’s wisdom and to act pastorally, justly and with integrity for the whole church while we continue to discern a way forward. Please pray for the Bishops as we consider this divisive issue.

Another elephant is climate change. In February this year 14.5 metres of water inundated the City of Lismore and had a catastrophic effect on the city and the surrounding region. Over 3000 homes were declared uninhabitable and thousands of families have been displaced and will be living in temporary accommodation for many months if not years. Affected communities were well served by the selfless work of parishes, schools, Disaster Recovery

Chaplains and Anglicare North Coast. There are no simple solutions that this Bishop is going to offer in his Presidential Address, yet if we are committed to a love of God’s creation and of his people, for us hope should mean believing that the future is worth our best efforts and our deepest resolve.h There is much that we can do on a practical level as individuals and through the work of our parishes, Anglicare North Coast and schools. Yet some have suggested that the question we should be asking is, how can our churches curate spaces of hopei within a postpandemic society in the midst of a climate emergency?

As in the poem, we did not ask for any of these elephants. While we might claim lack of ownership, they are, for all intents and purposes, our elephants.

In other words, they are the issues that confront us in our time. So it’s important to name them and wrestle with the issues they present, otherwise our lives will continue to be shaped and defined by trying to ignore their presence. These are our issues and how well we deal with them, and with one another, will define who we are.

Image: The Reverend Kassimiro Yanga’s ordination to the Vocational Diaconate. Left to right: The Reverend Kassimiro Yanga, The Reverend Carol Ford, Bishop Murray Harvey, Archdeacon Tiffany Sparks and The Reverend Daryl McCullough. Rob Cleary/Seen Australia. c M. Percy, 2021, The Humble Church, Canterbury Press. d J.Fife and Gilo, 2019, Letters to a Broken Church, Ekklesia Publishing. e J. Stott, 1967, Our Guilty Silence, Hodder and Stoughton. f National Anglican Family Violence Project: Research Report Top Line Results, 2021, National Church Life Survey. g Sr Helen CSC, Spiritual Appreciation and Respect, August 2021. h Ian Cowley, The Contemplative Struggle. i The William Temple Foundation. Curating Spaces of Hope: Intra-Communities Dialogue and Post-Pandemic Society. http://williamtemplefoundation.org.uk/curating-spaces-of-hope-2/.

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President’s Address to the Synod of the Diocese of Grafton CONTINUED

I’d now like to move onto some other matters. I won’t deal with the implementation of Restructuring for Mission and Ministry: Daring to Live into God’s Future, because I have reported on this in a document that is part of the Synod papers.j The plans for the restructure anticipated that leadership would be a key issue in living into the new models. Therefore, a key focus since last Synod has been the resourcing of ordained and lay leaders. Over a period of two years, Dr Tim Dwyer has led sessions with LLMs and clergy about working in teams, leading teams, resilience and conflict management. At Ministry School and the Lay Conference this year the focus will again be on leadership, but from a theological perspective with Bishop Stephen Pickard, focused on leading Christian communities in the context of our Australian society.

Sadly, as we have begun to live into the restructure, one of the main stumbling blocks has been conflict, power struggles and impaired relationships within parishes.

I resisted the temptation to identify this particular elephant in my description of the small herd of elephants described earlier. Impaired relationships within parish communities is not only very destructive but holds churches back in mission, deters newcomers and absorbs the time and energy of Regional Archdeacons, the Diocesan Archdeacon and the Bishop. Leadership is key to flourishing Christian communities but for this to happen, lay and ordained leaders need the support of a cohesive team that is committed not to individual agendas, but to the vision for mission and ministry, which that community has discerned as God’s will for them. I welcome the revised version, Being Together, the Code of Conduct for Anglican Church communities (see below). My prayer is that our churches will be a blessing to their wider communities, offering the Gospel to their neighbourhoods through humble service and promoting human flourishing. This can only be genuinely offered by church communities that themselves model respectful and affirming relationships (e.g. John 13:34-35).

Finally, I would like to thank the incredible team that is Grafton Diocese. I often get asked, what do I like the most about being the Bishop of Grafton?

My response is that it is the team that makes the difference. Despite floods, COVID-19 and more, I’ve seen faithfulness, resilience, tenacity, determination, creativity, professionalism and a true commitment to God’s mission and ministry amongst people from 6 • NCA WINTER 2022

parishes, schools, chaplaincies, Anglicare North Coast and the Bishop’s Registry. I thank you all for your ongoing partnership in the Gospel.

Lord of all, we thank you that in Jesus Christ you came alongside us to teach us love and strengthen us in faith.

Be with us all, we pray, as we seek to follow you, that through our discussions and our encouragement of one another we may learn more of your truth and have the energy and the courage to serve this world in new and imaginative ways, that through your gift of creativity, your holy gospel would be preached afresh in our generation, through Jesus Christ our Lord.

Amen.

Prayer: The Canterbury Book of New Parish Prayers, Max Kramer, 2020. j Restructuring for Mission and Ministry: Progress Report to Grafton Diocesan Synod 2022 (Report Book Volume 1, pages 39-47).

Image (right): Will Bursle, Year 6 student from Bishop Druitt College, reading the ‘Acknowledgement of Country’ with BDC Chaplain, Canon Naomi Cooke. Rob Cleary/Seen Australia.

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Synod Sermon

BY THE REVEREND CANON DR MARIAN FREE | MATTHEW 6:19-23

The Reverend Canon Dr Marian Free has graciously served the diocese for the last 3 months as locum Dean for Christ Church Cathedral. She has participated in our formation program as well as guided the Cathedral Community. Bishop Murray invited Reverend Marian to give the charge for our Synod Eucharist 2022.

In the name of God in whom we live and breathe and have our being. Amen.

S

ome of you will have heard this story, so I apologise in advance. In the first Parish in which I served was a formidable woman – Mrs James. Everyone held her in awe. It was Mrs James who knew exactly how things should be done, Mrs James who critiqued the way in which the church linen was ironed and Mrs James who pulled me up for closing the Bible after I had read the gospel. In a Parish and at a time when most people had become less formal and addressed each by their Christian names, Mrs James maintained the more formal address. As a consequence, one didn’t really feel close to her, and it was not easy to get to know her. The outward signs of her faith were evident, but it was difficult to gauge the state of her heart. When she died, her funeral plan revealed that she had chosen for the reading, the first portion of this evening’s gospel.

“Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth.”

Her choice revealed so much about herself and her relationship with God, that writing a homily for the funeral was a dream. These words, it seemed, had informed and formed her faith such that of all the possible readings, this is the one that stood out. Mrs James’ concern for detail and anxiety that we do things in the right way hid a depth of faith and trust in God that had sustained her through the second World War and her migration to a new land. Week after week, Sunday after Sunday, she, like many of us of a certain age, will have heard these words read out as the Offertory in Holy Communion. They seemed to have seeped into the depths of her being and informed her that her true security lay, not in things of this earth which are temporary and ephemeral, but in the things of heaven which are fixed and eternal.

“Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth – where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.”

Much has changed in the last two and a half years – COVID, the floods, cost of living, the National Redress

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Scheme, to mention a few of the external events that have impacted and will continue to impact on our life as church.

If nothing else, these challenges have taught us that nothing is permanent, that nothing is fixed. For many of us our ministry – liturgically and pastorally - has changed radically. Things that we had thought were inviolable have been shown to be malleable.

Decades long practices changed almost overnight as we adapted to on-line services and found new (sometimes novel) ways to keep in touch. We have learned to be more flexible and more adaptable as we have responded to constantly changing situations.

The pandemic has not been the only reason that we have had to learn to let go of things that we once thought were fixed in stone. During the past few years this Diocese has gone through a period of restructure. Many communities have had to face the painful task of relinquishing their attachment to place and have had to learn to worship in new places and with new communities. Change opens up new possibilities, but it also means leaving behind many of the things that defined us, things that we had treasured and held close.

While we cannot and should not hold on to what has been, we cannot move forward in this everchanging environment without taking ownership for the past. Sitting lightly with the things of this world does not free us from our responsibilities towards those whom we have damaged by our actions or by our inactions - particularly in the areas of child sexual abuse and domestic violence. Neither can we ignore the fact that our neglect of the environment is having catastrophic results and that the price of our negligence is often borne by those who can least afford it. Storing up our treasures in heaven or disengaging ourselves from earthly attachments is not a convenient excuse for us to leave a trail of destruction and hurt in our wake.

If our past is not dealt with, it will remain a burden no matter how hard we try to suppress or ignore it. This applies as much to ourselves as it does to external events. It is difficult to be at peace with the world if we are not at peace with ourselves.

The past few years have brought with them unexpected stresses and strains. Many of us have felt overwhelmed by the demands of learning new technologies and keeping up with legislative changes and some of us have felt inadequate to face the challenges. We have had moments of selfdoubt and utter exhaustion. It is impossible to move into the future, to build our treasures in heaven if we do not attend to those things that stunt our growth and tie us to the past and to the present.

In the end, all this - our Synods, our churches, our doctrines and formularies are destined for decay.

It is important therefore, not to hold too tightly to our own backgrounds or traditions nor to engage in heated battles regarding our earthly treasures – our interpretations of scripture, our churchmanship or canon law – all of which are temporary, changeable and will come to an end.

As this Synod begins and as we move into the future that God has planned, let us hope and pray that our hearts and minds know where our true treasures lie and that we will act and speak accordingly.

Living in uncertain and changing times also means learning new skills and new strategies, discovering what it means to lead, to proclaim the gospel and to minister to those around us in a world that looks very different from the world of twenty years ago – let alone two years ago. Grasping opportunities to grow and develop will further equip us for the task of detaching ourselves from the things that bind us to our earthly concerns.

We cannot count on things remaining the same. Just as we have been unable to control the events of the past, so we will be unable to control the events of the future which means that placing our trust and relying on earthly skills and values will not serve us well. Now is as good a time as any to re-evaluate where we stand, to put things into their proper perspective and to ask ourselves where our true priorities lie.

Images: (Top) Marian Preaches for Synod Eucharist 2022. Rob Cleary/ Seen Australia; (Bottom) Senior Leadership: Archdeaon Zoe, Reverend Kassimiro, Bishop Murray, Canon Marian, Archdeacon Kay and Archdeacon Tiffany. Rob Cleary/Seen Australia.

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Order of the Day Presentations On June 17th – 19th 2022 the Diocesan Synod representatives met for their third session of the Thirty – Seventh Synod of the Diocese. Thank you to all who contributed to this important event in the life of the diocese. The following are the resolutions and Orders of the Day.

BY MR CHRIS NELSON, REGISTRAR; MRS ANNE WEEKLEY AND ARCHDEACON TIFFANY SPARKS

R16/22: Reconciliation Action Plan

R33/22: National Church Life Survey

1. Synod requests a Reconciliation Action Plan for the Diocese of Grafton be created.

2. Synod requests that Bishop-in-Council invites interested persons and persons with expertise who can contribute to a working group for the formulation of the Reconciliation Action Plan.

3. The resultant Reconciliation Action Plan (RAP) be completed for presentation to the next session of Synod.

That in 2021 and 2022 the Anglican Diocese of Grafton participated in the National Church Life Survey and parishes were encouraged to participate in the Leadership Survey, Census and Church Attender Survey which provide information to equip the Diocese and each Parish with data and insights about the current context and trends.

R30/22: Acknowledgement of Anglicare’s Emergency Relief Efforts That Synod places on record its deep appreciation for the work already undertaken by Anglicare North Coast (ANC) in providing assistance to victims of the recent flood events on the North Coast of New South Wales.

It congratulates the CEO of ANC, Dr Leon Ankersmit, for his organisation of this emergency relief effort and for his Godly passion to serve those communities devastated by the floods.

In doing so, Synod recognises that in the body of ANC are highly skilled and dedicated staff and volunteers who have given a huge gift of themselves in bringing comfort and relief to victims in the worst possible circumstances and for this, Synod offers its deep appreciation.

Further, Synod acknowledges that this is going to be a long and arduous service provided by Anglicare, requiring more of the dedication, passion and resilience already shown, so that victims are helped back to a meaningful life. Therefore, Synod members dedicate themselves to supporting the work of Anglicare North Coast into the future, both personally and by encouraging those in their ministry units to join with them, so that the pride we have in ANC as our Diocesan welfare arm is reflected in encouragement and resources.

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This Synod thanks all parishes who participated in the 2021/2022 National Church Life Survey and requests Bishop-in-Council to form a working group of relevantly skilled people to analyse the data and insights gained from the survey together with relevant church attendance data from parish annual returns.

R34/22: Acknowledgement of The Reverend Dr Greg Jenks That Synod recognises the retirement earlier this year of The Reverend Dr Greg Jenks as the Dean of Christ Church Cathedral, acknowledges his significant contribution to the life of the Diocese of Grafton, and thanks him for his scholarly leadership, his valuable involvement in multiple committees, including the restructure of the Diocese, and the Board of Anglicare North Coast and as Chair of Clarence Valley Anglican School.

and therefore Synod calls on Anglicare North Coast to host an explorative group of interested parties that will meet four times over the next twelve months to develop a ten year vision for diocese wide involvement in affordable housing projects, and this explorative group to present a report to the first session of the 38th Synod in 2023.

R36/22: Early Childhood Education That this Synod recognises the commitment of the state government to play-based education for prekindergarten students and welcomes the expansion of preschool education by the state government by the year 2030.

Greg’s attention to heritage building improvements and the establishment of functioning state of the art technology in the Cathedral, his encouraging work with the Cathedral Parish team, and his collaboration with civic leaders both locally and at NSW state level following the massacre in Christchurch, New Zealand, in 2019 have all made his term as Dean one of great importance in the community of Grafton and in the Diocese as a whole.

Synod hopes that retirement affords Greg the opportunity to explore those things close to his heart that have had to be put aside because of his dedication to ministry during his working life.

Synod prays every blessing be upon Greg and his wife Eve now that distance no longer separates.

R35/22: Affordable Housing on the NSW North Coast That Synod recognises the complexity and crisis relating to affordable housing on the NSW North Coast, and acknowledges that: 1. from the earliest days of the church, there has been a concern for the poor and marginalised and a structure for addressing the issues (Acts 6.1-7); 2. in the current socio-economic climate, housing is a real problem for many people, especially for those who are living in the regions covered by our Diocese; 3. the current housing crisis is marginalising citizens from a broad spectrum of the community, from the security of a place to call home and pushing them into a precarious mix of insecurity and poverty; 4. the impact of the crisis is disproportionately affecting women and children, and 5. there is a theological imperative to being actively involved in alleviating such crisis (James 2: 14-17);

Also recognises the commitment of the state government to subsidise students’ attendance at preschool for the past two years for up to 600 hours in the year before school, the equivalence on 2 free days per week.

Also recognises that the funding level has been at each centre that the student may attend, which has seen many parents enrol their children at more than one centre to maximise funding arrangements.

We call on the state government to amend the current arrangements to allow students to access four free days at one centre per week, rather than the current arrangement of 2 free days per centre per week.

This would require no additional funding from the government, and provide greater stability for the children in their early education.

Asks Bishop-in-Council to write to the Minister for Education and Early Learning, the Hon Sarah Mitchell, MLC, the State Premier, the Hon Dominic Perrottet, and the local members of the area of the diocese informing them of this motion.

R37/22: Thanks for Flood Assistance That this Synod acknowledges with grateful thanks the generous financial support of the Anglican Relief and Development Fund Australia that assisted parishes in the Diocese of Grafton that were affected by the catastrophic floods of February 2022. The Synod notes that these funds directly assisted parishes to deliver strategic and effective aid and relief within and beyond their communities and in some cases have enabled the parishes involved to respond more effectively to future disasters.

Images: (Left) Reverend Christian Ford, Reverend Greg Harris BCA and Bishop Murray; (Top) Photos with those who donated funds to Lismore floods. Rev’d Christian Ford, Archbishop of Perth Kay Goldsworthy, Assistant Bishop Jeremy James and Bishop Murray.

Rural parishers in Perth Diocese donated funds to Lismore parish.

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R38/22: Thanks for Flood Assistance That this Synod acknowledges with grateful thanks the generous financial support of numerous rural parishes in the Diocese of Perth that was sent to the Parish of Lismore after it was affected by the catastrophic floods of February 2022. The Synod notes that these funds directly assisted the parish to deliver strategic and effective aid and relief within and beyond the city of Lismore.

R39/22: Thanks for Flood Assistance That this Synod acknowledges with grateful thanks the generous financial support of the Bush Church Aid Society for the Parish of Lismore after it was affected by the catastrophic floods of February 2022. The Synod notes that these funds directly assisted the parish to deliver strategic and effective aid and relief within and beyond the city of Lismore.

Bush Church Aid Society presentation by The Reverend Canon Greg Harris, National Director of BCA. People living in sparsely populated areas often don’t benefit from strong support networks. Churches in these areas can struggle financially due to fluctuating populations. Ongoing fellowship can be hard to maintain and encouragement can become a rarity.

In partnership with Anglican Dioceses across the country, Bush Church Aid places committed and gifted Christians in a variety of locations to help out.

1. prevalence of intimate partner violence among Australians who identified as Anglican; 2. attitudes and practices regarding intimate partner violence among Anglican clergy and local church leaders; 3. the nature and experience of intimate partner violence for those with a connection with the Anglican Church.

Key findings:

The National Anglican Family Violence project was set up in response to Resolution R50/17 Domestic Violence Longitudinal Study at General Synod in 2017.

1. The prevalence of intimate partner violence among Anglicans was the same or higher than in the wider Australian community. This aligns with overseas research into other faith communities.

2. Women were much more likely than men to have experienced intimate partner violence.

3. Most Anglican victims of intimate partner violence did not seek help from Anglican churches, but for those that did most reported that it positively changed the situation or helped them feel supported.

4. Clergy and lay leaders were well-informed about the breadth of intimate partner violence and understood it was more men who commit violence.

5. Clergy confidence in their personal capacity to respond to domestic violence was low to moderate.

6. Perpetrators misuse Christian teachings and positional power.

The Anglican Church is the first Australian church to undertake this kind of study. Key findings were based on three separate studies:

This led to the formulation of 10 commitments for preventing and responding to domestic and family violence.

The QLD/NNSW Region comprises five Anglican Dioceses: Armidale, Grafton, Southern Queensland, Central Queensland and North Queensland. Around 60 per cent of the population of the region live in the southeast corner of Queensland.

People can get involved by becoming a member and receiving publications: The Real Australian and Prayer Notes. These publications provide prayer points, and up-to-date prayer requests can also be found on Facebook.

The Anglican Church of Australia Family Violence Study by Dr Leon Ankersmit.

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1. Our Church acknowledges and laments the violence which has been suffered by some of our members and repents of the part we have played in allowing an environment where violence went unaddressed.

2. Our Church leaders commit to ensure conditions that support the prevention of violence, a church culture that promotes equality, and support for those who experience violence.

3. Our Church consistently teaches about equality, freedom from violence, respectful relationships and the honour/value of every person.

4. Our Church affirms that human relationships are to be based on respect and mutuality.

5. Our Church acknowledges the different experiences of all people and that these have played a part in whether they have been treated with respect and equality.

6. Our Church actions are directed by the gospel of love, peace and justice, and are informed and engaged with local, state and national government initiatives as appropriate.

7. Our church supports cultural change in our communities by communicating effectively to our members.

8. Our Church trains our leaders, pastoral staff and parish councils to understand and be equipped to respond in ways that prevent and address domestic and family violence.

9. Our leaders and pastoral staff hold themselves to account and are guided by the Anglican Church’s Code of Conduct: Faithfulness in Service.

10. These commitments are regularly reviewed and improved.

The whole report can be accessed at https://anglican.org.au/our-work/family-violence/

Images: (Top Left) Leon Ankersmit, CEO of Anglicare, speaks of the floods; (Bottom) ABM Stole Presentation: Meagan Schwarz, Bishop Murray, Ms Janice Peate and Archdeacon Tiffany.

NCA WINTER 2022 • 13

WANT TO GET MORE INVOLVED? PLEASE CONSIDER IF YOU HAVE THE GIFTS AND SKILLS TO CONTRIBUTE TO THE FOLLOWING GROUPS:

times over the next twelve months to develop a ten-year vision for diocese wide involvement in affordable housing projects, ready to present a report to Synod in 2023.

Reconciliation Action Plan

New Ordinances

Synod has requested that a Reconciliation Action Plan for the Diocese of Grafton be created. This plan would be aligned to Biblical themes such as attitude, forgiveness, seeking unity, partnerships, and respectful listening.

Bishop in Council will invite interested persons and persons with expertise who can contribute to complete a plan for presentation to the next session of Synod.

The business of the 2022 Synod included consideration of six bills relating to the legislation of the Anglican Church in our Diocese.

National Church Life Survey Many parishes participated in the 2021/2022 National Church Life Survey. A working group of relevantly skilled people will be set up to analyse the data and insights gained from the survey together with relevant church attendance data from parish annual returns.

30th Anniversary of the ordination of women.

This year marks the 30th anniversary of the ordination of the first women priests in the Anglican Church of Australia, and 2023, will be the 30th anniversary of the first women priests ordained in the Diocese of Grafton. Help plan relevant celebratory activities to mark this significant moment in the history of the Diocese of Grafton.

Affordable housing in the NSW North Coast Anglicare North Coast has been asked to host an explorative group of interested parties that will meet four

The first to be considered was a bill to change the Grafton Diocesan Governance Ordinance 2008 and the way the annual Diocesan budget is approved.

The Synod approved the change which means that future synods will see a draft budget and the Bishopin-Council will finalise that budget in September.

That change enables the Diocesan budget to use the most current information before it is confirmed.

The Synod also considered and approved 5 bills which arose from the recent meeting of the General Synod. Each of those bills was aimed at improving the Church’s legislation with regard to professional standards and child safety. Two bills amended the Constitution of the Anglican Church of Australia and the other three bills amended General Synod Canons that were previously adopted by our Diocese. With regard to the 5 bills we now have to wait to see how they travel through other Anglican synods as that will impact on whether they become part of the legislation of the Anglican Church of Australia.

The ordinances created by the acceptance of each bill can be found on the Diocese’s website at: https://www.graftondiocese.org.au/documents/ ordinances/ordinance-history/.

Images: (Top) Leon Ankersmith and Rev Leslie Fotakis in discussion at Synod 14 • NCA WINTER 2022

ABM Report: Synod 2022. Working for Love, Hope and Justice

BY JANICE PEATE, ABM GRAFTON DIOCESAN REPRESENTATIVE

This year, ABM’s Key Relationships Manager, Mrs Meagan Schwarz, travelled from Adelaide to personally address Synod and thank the Diocese of Grafton for its commitment and support of the Anglican response to the Sustainable Development Goals.

ABM and its partners are truly grateful for the prayer and financial support of programmes based on the 5 Marks of Mission. The first mark is the ultimate aim of the other 4: Witness to Christ’s saving, forgiving and reconciling love for all people.

In 2022, Grafton Diocese has generously supported several areas, such as ABM General Funds and the General Community Development Fund, which focuses on Partnerships for Development. It invests in communities and nurtures strong and vibrant future leaders to build on the work of projects already established. The Adult Literacy Project in Papua New Guinea, specifically supported by Grafton Diocese in 2021, is a Sustainable Community project.

Another project is Wontulp Bi Buya. Since 1983, Wontulp has been equipping Aboriginal and Torres Straight Islander Christians to lead their communities spiritually, physically and materially. Last year, years of prayer, hard work, support and dreams, resulted in a full cohort of students graduating, returning to their communities equipped to lead and nurture the next generation.

Grafton Diocese is also looking to the future by supporting Newton Theological College in Papua New Guinea. Students come from all 5 Dioceses of the Anglican Church of PNG, across many different cultural and language groups. These future priests indeed witness to Christ’s saving, forgiving and reconciling love for all people.

At the end of Meagan’s address, we had a surprise presentation, with Bp Murray’s blessing, of an ABM stole to Diocesan Archdeacon Tiffany Sparks.

ABM stoles are woven in a traditional style by an ABM partner women’s collective in the Philippines.

ABM Grafton also had a display stand, which showcased the extensive support material available from ABM; some available to purchase, and some able to be downloaded. There were also photographic displays of local involvement in ABM projects, and some amazing craft work, proceeds of the sale of which will go to ABM’S worthy projects.

For any enquiries regarding ABM material, questions, hosting an ABM Parish visit, or even selecting an ABM project to learn more about, please contact Janice Peate, ABM Grafton Diocesan Representative.

Diocesan School Principals Recognised as Outstanding Educators

P

rincipals of two Diocesan Schools have received exceptional awards, recognising them as Outstanding Educators for 2022.

They are the Principal of Bishop Druitt College, Coffs Harbour, Nick Johnstone and Principal of Lindisfarne Anglican Grammar School, South Tweed Heads and Terranora, Stuart Marquardt.

The awards recognise influential professionals who have had the strongest impact in creating a reformative teaching culture during the last 18 months and whose initiatives have meaningful outcomes for teachers, students and the broader education system.

The annual Australian Education Awards, are sponsored by The Educator, the leading independent awards event in the K-12 education sector.

The award highlights the exemplary work being achieved in rural and regional Australia, a B.D.C. spokesperson said.

“In just four years as Principal of Bishop Druitt College, Nick Johnstone has led the development of the BDC brand locally to incorporate a number of exciting new initiatives, a college spokesperson said.

“These include, the development of an innovative curriculum, including the purpose-designed World Options program, the holistic Walker Learning Approach for early-childhood education, a Wellbeing Hub and a robust school improvement plan.”

Nick Johnstone said: “Being recognised in this list highlights the positive work being carried out by the entire Bishop Druitt College team.

“This award will also highlight the exemplary work that can be achieved in rural and regional Australia.“

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“It demonstrates that education professionals can build rewarding careers outside the cities and that our families can also receive a high-quality education.”

“Authentic leadership, unwavering support for staff, and a clear vision for Lindisfarne Anglican Grammar School became quickly evident to the school community when Stuart Marquardt commenced as principal in Term 2, 2016,” a Lindisfarne School spokesperson said.

“

This award will also highlight the exemplary work that can be achieved in rural and regional Australia.

“One of his first actions was to undertake a full cultural audit of Lindisfarne and share it “warts and all”, and in the five years he’s been at the helm, Lindisfarne’s transformation has been remarkable.

“There’s been an extensive curriculum and cocurricular refresh, which includes technology as a standard learning tool, enhanced pedagogy and professional learning, higher expectations of student behaviour, enhanced facilities, and detailed strategic and master plans to drive and inform the future.

“Throughout COVID-19, Mr Marquardt demonstrated compassion and adaptability, and the school saw its class of 2020 finish in the top 200 schools in NSW.”

Images: (Left) Stuart Mardquart, Principal of Lindisfarne Anglican Grammar School; (Top) Nick Johnstone, Principal of Bishop Druitt College.

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LOOK! What commitment, faith and skills really can achieve

W

hile much of the Far North Coast still struggles with the effects of mega floods one small church has a rare, positive recovery story to tell.

St Thomas’, Wyrallah, on the banks of the Wilson’s River, downstream of Lismore had up to 1.5 metres of filthy flood water through its tiny interior, literally wrecking everything it touched.

The cleanup began with a full wash down and rinse of all moveable furniture which was then carried outside to dry.

A small number of key items were taken away for restoration, these included the altar, two pews, and the bishop’s chair and more; the old pedal organ was a write-off.

Yes, this was nothing new. Since its construction in 1910 flood waters have been a regular visitor to St Thomas’s, but not like this.

At this point further restoration was stalled when parish council, becoming aware of possible toxic contaminants in the flood waters, restricted further entry to the church.

Everything touched by this flood was made unusable: the altar, pews, fittings, timber flooring, and stained glass windows, many of them memorials gifted to the church during the last millennium.

Life time parishioner, Fred Hoskins said the restoration process required every item being reduced to its original timber surface, a long, tedious and challenging task.

All of this in a church listed for possible closure in the original Diocesan Re-structuring Plan.

Some of the damaged pieces, like the altar, had been wrecked by the force of the flood water and had to be rebuilt from scratch.

A lesser congregation may have given in to what some people may have thought was the inevitable, but not this one.

During this slow process even the original screws were removed, polished and replaced.

“In all this hard labour we did have a few valued wins,” Fred Hoskins said.

“Perhaps the best was this: every item we have restored was given four coats of marine varnish (more commonly used to protect the timbers of ships at sea).

“This will mean that should future flood waters reach church furniture and other valuable property they will need only a light cleaning to return them to their original condition… an enormous saving of hard work.”

BEFORE

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AFTER

Restoration of the church has far to go, mean time, life at St Thomas’s, has not stalled.

BEFORE

Worship continues in the community hall, and several thousand dollars obtained through fundraising by St Thomas’s congregation has been evenly dispersed among river side residents (not parishioners) who suffered huge losses during the floods.

“

In all this hard labour we did have a few valued wins

AFTER

Restoration, additions and beautification of St Thomas’ have been a common practice over many years.

A bell tower, lych-gate, stained glass windows, the outdoor entertainment area and considerable indoor improvements are just part of the congregation’s commitment to providing an active, relevant Anglican church in a growing village community… and looking to the future.

Images: (Top) The interior of St Thomas’s, pre-flood, showing years of thoughtful restoration and beautification, a reflection of the energy and commitment of the people who worship there; (Bottom left) A chair fit for the bishop. Ruined by filthy water it is now ready to be returned to the church needing only a cushion and an occupant; (Bottom Right) The 112 year old altar was reduced to scrap timber but hours of careful restoration returned it to its original beauty

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Around the Diocese Left to right: Canon Terry Shorten, Archdeacon Tiffany Sparks, Mr Chris Nelson, Bishop Murray Harvey and The Reverend Christian Ford.

Mae Jones from Anglicare North Coast in the Grafton Warehouse.

Flood victim donations

Grafton Diocese at General Synod Representatives of Grafton Diocese attended General Synod is May 2022 at the Gold Coast. General Synod had been postponed twice due to COVID-19. A wide range of topics were discussed including climate change, marriage, intimate partner violence as well as the Bills that were introduced at our Grafton Synod.

We have stockpiled flood donations in our Grafton warehouse for the past 3 months. Blankets, bedding, warm clothes and small appliances (heaters, electric frypans, toasters) are now flying out the door! What a blessing to be able to provide ongoing assistance to the many households struggling since the floods.

We need more small appliances, slippers and jumpers!

Cash can also be donated so we can purchase these items directly. Please add: Anglicare North Coast BSB: 705077 A/C: 00041320 Thanks for all our generous donors!

A new multipurpose facility at Emmanuel Anglican College The opening of the Lindsay Walker Centre Emmanuel Anglican College. Congratulations to the school on the construction of this great new multipurpose facility.

This new facility allows the students and community the benefit of a bright and airy multipurpose space for sports, events and functions.

Left to right: Bishop Murray, Principal Rob Tobias, Chair John Bryen and Chaplain Sally Miller

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Nambucca Valley Anglicans keep Ukraine in their thoughts and prayers To keep our minds focused on the plight of Ukrainians, Rector Pete has placed sunflowers, the national flower of Ukraine, in the sanctuary of Holy Trinity, Macksville and St John’s, Nambucca Heads. Most Sundays we start our worship by watching a video of a Ukrainian choir singing, whilst watching how beautiful the country used to be. It’s such a powerful message as we pray for an end to this unjust war.

St John’s, Nambucca Heads decorated with Sunflowers for Easter Sunday, and in remembrance of Ukraine.

The frontal was added for NAIDOC Week.

Reverend Sally Miller

Reverend Dan Berris

Reverend Dan Berris to become the next Rector of the Parish of Port Macquarie The Reverend Dan Berris has accepted the Bishop’s invitation to become the next Rector of the Parish of Port Macquarie. Dan comes to us from the Diocese of Brisbane where he has been Priest-in-Charge at The Lakes Anglican Church for the last 10 years.

As a pioneer church plant, The Lakes is a unique ministry to which Dan has brought creativity, innovation and initiative. His Commissioning will be at 6pm on the 3rd of November. Please keep Dan and Kerry in your prayers as they look toward a new chapter at Port Anglican. We also pray for the Parish of Port Macquarie as they prepare for a new Rector.

Reverend Sally Miller to be the next Rector of the Parish of Casino.

We were pleased to announce recently that The Reverend Sally Miller will be the next Rector of the Parish of Casino. Please keep Sally and Emmanuel Anglican College in your prayers as she prepares to leave her chaplaincy role at the end of next term. Sally’s Commissioning will be at 6 pm on the 6th of October. Please pray for the Parish as they prepare for the next chapter of their journey.

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Left to right: Bishop Murray, Heather Norton, Terry Muldoon & Chaplain Jon Cornish

St Columba Anglican School’s 20th year anniversary The twentieth anniversary celebrations at St Columba Anglican School Port Macquarie was an opportunity for the Bishop to meet with members of the current team including Chair of School Council Heather Norton, Principal Terry Muldoon and Chaplain Jon Cornish.

Amidst Hardship St John’s Evans Head celebrate Patronal Festival Mid-Richmond Anglicans celebrated the Patronal Festival at St Johns Evans Head on the 22nd of May. Bishop Murray and Leanne Harvey visited. A number of parishioners had their homes inundated by water in the recent floods.

Bishop Murray and Leanne Harvey with Reverend Lenore and Congregation

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Handmade Easter gifts for residents of Greenhills Lodge The wonderful All Saints Friends at Murwillumbah donated 50 handmade boxes filled with Easter eggs for the residents of Greenhills Lodge to enjoy.

Staff from Greenhills Lodge recieve Easter gifts from All Saints Murwillumbah, for their residents.

Jennifer Booth (second from right) with volunteers.

All Saints’ Undercroft provided necessities to flood victims Jennifer Booth, Anglicare team leader with volunteers at All Saints’ Undercroft flood disaster Evacuation Centre. This centre remained open for 18 days providing clothes and household necessities to the flood victims. Thank you Anglicare team!

Farewell to Reverend Canon Matthew Jones

BY JOHN BRYEN

C

lose to 200 people gathered at St Mary’s Ballina to farewell The Rev. Canon Matthew Jones on May 22 to celebrate his 7 years in Ballina and Lennox Head Parish, and the Diocese of Grafton. This service was enhanced by uplifting choral and instrumental music led by Music Co-ordinator, Hamsa Arnold.

Rev. Matthew said he was humbled to be invited to be part of people’s lives, thanking everyone for their friendship. He was very grateful for the positive parish leadership team and the farewell liturgy, gifts of local artists work, money and cake. The final hymn, ‘God Gives us a Future’, a favourite of Rev. Matthew’s, reinforced the sermon theme of overcoming the fears of change by taking them to God in prayer.

Churchwarden John Phillips on behalf of parishioners, said, “Farewell occasions are accompanied by all kinds of emotions and feelings. The parish was told Matthew was a competent and experienced priest, but not told of the many talents and gifts he would bring.”

Rev. Matthew is a well loved and respected priest.

A great many parishioners expressed their sadness at his going as he has been a man of the people, a beacon of light in the dark COVID-19 times and his quirky sermon stories will live on.

Rev. Matthew’s leadership and facilitation led Ballina Parish in creating a new Mission Statement to live into and a new music program that has connected us with our community.

Pastor Jim White President of the Minister’s Association wrote, “All of us who are part of the Minister’s Association will miss him very much,”

He encouraged us to explore pioneer ministry and through the extensive talents of The Rev. Cathy Ridd, we are establishing many new community relationships, including recently the ‘Isaiah 61 project.

His unique dachshund (sausage dog) evangelism in the streets around St Mary’s is well known!

Despite the recent challenges, Matthews’ leadership continues to show us that faith in our Lord gives the most support and strength.

The Ven. Tiffany Sparks also acknowledged Matthew’s contribution to the Diocese, especially as Archdeacon for the North.

Rev Pablo Nunez from Ballina Uniting Church spoke glowingly of Matthew, “A great minister, a generous friend, an awesome way to see life and someone who always had a kind word and a witty comment. He will be missed.”

On 3 June 2022, Rev. Matthew was commissioned as Rector of Camperdown and The Holy Apostle parishes in Victoria by Bishop Garry Wetherill in the Diocese of Ballarat which includes the Benedictine Abbey.

Rev. Matthew stated, “I have been associated with the Benedictine Abbey for 27 years and it is wonderful to now be able to support that community. I am also enjoying meeting lots of new people as I move around the districts.”

Churchwarden Kerry Johnston and Parish Councillor Pat Kerr joined others from Grafton Diocese, in support of Rev. Matthew at the commissioning.

He has received a very warm welcome even though the weather has been very cold.

Image: Archdeacon Tiffany, Canon Matthew, Reverend Cathy

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Loss & Gain

BY SISTER HELEN CSC

R

ecently I planted some Wombok (cabbage) seeds into a shallow tray filled with seedraising mix. I watered them, placed them in a safe and partly sunny position and waited.

After a week or so tiny shoots began to appear. The seeds could have remained seeds, but instead, being fertile and in a favourable place, they gave up just being seeds and opened themselves to a new and different life form. After a few more weeks, I planted out the seedlings into a prepared garden bed.

This has allowed them the possibility of producing large leaves for us to eat, and eventually attractive yellow flowers and more seeds.

From observing nature, we know that plants and animals change over time by growing and maturing in various ways. Lives of human beings also change, involving losses and gains for us. Often a loss, even when painful, is necessary to enable the gain of new growth and development. Such changes may be the result of circumstances outside our control, or our own decisions.

As children, our lives change frequently. We usually attend school where we learn to read, write and study various subjects. We also experience discipline, responsibility, and relationships with others, and perhaps with God. On leaving school we go out to work or continue studying. Over the following years we may change jobs, travel, live in various places, perhaps marry and have children, or stay single, and so on. These changes can be exciting for us, but not always.

After retirement and as pensioners, we usually have more time to be aware of God’s presence around us.

We can stop to appreciate the beauty of a sunset, and look for and discover the depth of God’s love in other people as we become aware of their sufferings and share in their joys.

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On the other hand, increased age brings losses that are sometimes hard to accept. Not only favourite plants and animals die, but family members and friends may be lost to us through distance or death. Our body and mind may start to manifest diminishments. We begin to say, (and hear others say!) how we used to enjoy a certain activity, but now cannot do it, or that our memory is not as good as it once was. Such changes can produce grief and challenges.

When our physical and mental losses increase to the point that makes it advisable for us to move from our home to a more suitable residence, we may be happy to make such a change. Alternatively, we may be reluctant to do so, but know it is best for our sake, and the sake of our family and friends.

“

Often a loss, even when painful, is necessary to enable the gain of new growth and development.

Grief, arising from the loss of the home we love, may need time and space to work through and heal. It could be helpful to go alone and walk around our home farewelling it, pausing in particular rooms that hold special memories for us, and going outside to touch significant trees and sit for a while on the grass.

We may then thank God for all that this home has contributed to our life.

In Galatians 5:1 Paul states, “For freedom Christ has set us free.” When we cling to the past, we obstruct our freedom to embrace new possibilities.

Can we gradually become free even when we are where we do not want to be?

A few years ago one of our Sisters moved into an Aged Care Facility. She was unhappy and missed her familiar home life and her ministry of visiting people in need. After a while she decided to visit her fellow residents. Soon she began to enjoy becoming their friend from the position of being one of them. She let go of the past and was free to embrace a new form of her ministry.

As the end of life draws near, we may reflect on our death. Do we want to cling to life or are we ready to leave it when the time comes? Can we trust Christ to surround us and others we know, with love when we leave this earth?

Old age is not a time to sit back and give up living, but to remember that we are still members of Christ’s body called to live meaningful and loving lives serving others in friendship, prayer and other ways. I have

noticed that some older people struggle painfully with events in their past, and then, through forgiveness and healing, gain a peaceful state that becomes a blessing both to themselves and to others.

Seeds that are planted in soil, change by opening up and producing small shoots, flowers, fruit and then more seeds to continue life on earth. As human beings, we also have the possibility to open ourselves, sometimes painfully, and step into the unknown with God. In this action, I believe, we are embodying something of Jesus’ death and resurrection.

We may also find that from a position beside others, we are better able to support them with our love.

Then we can begin to live out Jesus’ direction in a new way. “Just as I have loved you, you also should love one another.” (John 13:34). It seems that accepting our losses can be a way to gain and share with others, who also have experienced losses, something of the joy of eternal life in God’s love.

Image: (Above) Adobe Stock

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Dean of Christ Church Cathedral The Cathedral Church of Christ the King, a place of worship and Christian encounter, the Cathedral Church for Anglicans on the North Coast of NSW is seeking a new Dean.

Are you a community builder with a passion for sharing the Good News through collaborative ministry? Are you a person of vision and imagination, with a strong sense of vocation, committed to discerning innovative ways to live out God’s mission? Then this exciting opportunity on the beautiful North Coast of NSW might be the ministry position for you!

The Cathedral Profile can be found at www.graftondiocese.org.au/vacancies or email the Bishop’s PA for more information pa@graftondiocese.org.au.