The Gippsland Anglican, February 2012

Volume 109, Number 1 February 2012 Published in Gippsland Diocese since 1904

The Gippsland Anglican is your award winning newspaper: Best Regional Publication Silver Award (ARPA) 2010; Item or Feature thatshows the most originality Highly Commended (ARPA) 2010; Best Social Justice Story Highly Commended (ARPA) 2004; Best RegionalPublication (ARPA) 2003; Most Improved Newspaper (ARPA) 2001.

AWA about unitingChristian women

pages 5 to 8

Bairnsdale honors theemergency services

page 4

Leongatha parishhosts Bishop Alexis

page 9

Cowes parish supports youth

IN 1868, when the township of Cowes was established,the Church of England Reserve at the corner ofThompson Avenue and Church Street was at the edge ofthe township. Since then, the shops have extended upthe hill from Western Port, well past the Church ofEngland Reserve, which now is more or less inthe middleof the town and opposite two important civic buildings,the Cultural Centre and the Heritage Centre. Both these buildings are set well back from the foot-

path. As is St Philip’s Church, opened in 1870, and theparish hall, built by volunteer labor and opened in 1935.(Volunteering must have been different in those days;anyone missing a working bee was fined 10 shillings). The setback of these four public buildings means there

is an oasis of green in the centre of Cowes and space foroutdoor activities, whether sitting comfortably watchingthe world go by or enthusiastic young people invitingtheir peers to a sausage sizzle.The holiday season begins with ‘Schoolies Week’, which

is a very mixed blessing in holiday areas. The fast foodand bottle shops do a roaring trade. The people who arepaid to pick up rubbish work overtime; and many more

people pick up rubbish. We listen with some apprehen-sion every time the fire siren sounds. No, Schoolies Week is not an easy time for the local

community, but we receive very positive help from theStudent Life and Red Frog organisations. Both thesegroups of young people have free access to all thegrounds and facilities at St Philip’s and do a splendid jobcaring for their peers. They also find the time to provideother more conventional forms of Christian ministry.Just after Christmas, the Theos team from Scripture

Union set up their drop-in centre at the parish hall. Onceagain, there was food available plus various games, aband and some comfortable couches to sit on, relax andtalk. Once again, it is young people caring for otheryoung people and doing a job others cannot do. Ofcourse, what the rest of us can do is provide the facilitiesand encouragement.

Contributed by Margaret Hancock

ABOVE: Youth at a sausage sizzle held by Red Frog forthe many who attended Schoolies Week on Phillip Island.

Photo: Student Life

A betterl i fe onshow atAbbeyopen day

THE Abbey of St Barnabasis the setting for aSustainability Open Day onEaster Saturday. Held atRaymond Island, the openday will begin at 10am onSaturday, April 7, finishingat 4pm.Participants will hear pre-

sentations and demonstra-tions of practical ways tolive a more sustainable life-style. Leader of the Abbey

Environmental Taskforce,Ann Miller, has organisedactivities about competentcomposting, sustainablegardening, water, reduce-reuse-recycle and newfrom old (clothes andwood).Other activities will help

participants understandhow good design can saveyou money and the bene-fits of bicycle power. Morehands-on activities willteach cooking by the sunand jam and preservemaking.Activities for children

include learning about thefood that is all around us.For enquiries, contact Ann

on telephone 0427 445866or email [email protected] information about

the Abbey of St Barnabas,on inside pages.

2 Our Diocese - Missions and Ministries February 2012

The Gippsland Anglican

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IndexAbbey open day 1

Healing conflict 3

Bairnsdale safety 4

AWA feature 5-8

Graduations 9

Top students 10

GFS camp for kids 11

Children’s ministry 12

Anam Cara 13

Elizabeth Alfred 14

Listening process 15

Faith issues 16

Parish news 17

Literary reviews 18

Diocesan calendar 19

Parish news 20

Letters to the EditorQuestionaire

Dear Editor,

Recently I filled in a ques-tionare handed out at ourchurch which purported toexamine what the congre-gations thoughts about re-ligion in general reallyarea. I noted that, al-though many of the ques-tions were important, whatI consider the most impor-tant question was notasked: “Why do I, as anindividual, support theChurch?”Perhaps, since this ques-

tion is impossible to an-swer in a simple yes or noform, that was the reasonit was left out. Since I be-lieve it to be the most im-portant, also possibly themost controversial, then Iwill try to outline my rea-sons.How did religion begin in

the first place? Stone Ageman could not write.Therefore he had to relyon word of mouth for in-formation. The most unre-liable method known toman, as any policemanwho has had to gather evi-dence of a simple butdeadly road accident fromsix separate witnesses willattest.He also had to relate

what information he couldgather to his own experi-ence of life. An experiencewhich was limited by thenumber of people belong-ing to his own immediate

tribe and the limited geo-graphical area his tribecontrolled. This is com-mon, even in this modernworld, for a limited few.Questions that asked ex-

planations of dreams, vi-sions, how did it all start,are complicated even intoday’s world, with four- orfive thousand years of in-formation to draw on.The result was that any-

one in the tribe who couldanswer such questions,even though in most caseshe had to make them upinto some believable story,found themselves in a so-cial position of importance.The ancestor of the mod-ern day priest was, in fact,the local witchdoctor.Today, 200 years after

the birth of the steam en-gine which made travel somuch easier, coupled withthe printing press and theintroduction of modern ed-ucational services, infor-mation is so much morereadily available and gen-erally more accurate. Isthe the reason why ourchurches find it difficult tofill their pews compared to50 or more years ago?To those who dismiss this

question as inappropriate,I would ask why is it thateven today there are peo-ple who still refer toCharles Darwin’s work as atheory? I realise, withpleasure, many in thechurch recognise Darwinmay not have been 100per cent correct in detail,but he was on the right

team without doubt. Whyhas the church taken solong to recognise this??Society needs social or-

ganisations such as thechurch can provide. In thepast, the church has beena major force in unitingpeople together. Eventhough it has also beenguilty of at times disunit-ing them.The church has a social

role to play, it always hasas far back as the StoneAge. That role is stillneeded today. But thechurch must enter the 21stcentury. Stories that wereappropriate 2000 yearsago, do not cut much icetoday. I do not pretend to know

how the church should goabout this. I have been aregular member for mostof my 84 years but havespent the past at least 30years, hoping against hopethat I would live longenough to see it flourishonce more. Instead I see itslowly dying. I remember one well-

known politician who,when asked what wouldthe church say about thematter being discussed, hereplied, “The Church, theyare yesterday’s people”and that was 20 years ago.I believe there are many

in the congregations whowould agree with this let-ter in principle, if not indetail.Sincerely,Graham Budd,Moe.

Polarising

Dear Editor,

A number of columns inThe Gippsland Anglican(one which was reprintedin The Age, August 12,2011), authored by theBishop of Gippsland, JohnMcIntyre, have counte-nanced the issues of theday. Specifically, illegal im-migrants (asylum seek-ers), the Carbon Tax,support to Aborigines andwelfare contributions.Bishop McIntyre has not

confined himself to the penbut has also used the pul-pit for these and other po-litical issues.Rather than adopt the

precepts of leadership,Bishop McIntyre has re-sorted to the harangueand the denunciative in hiscolumns.The position of the Bishop

of Gippsland is a leader-ship position appointed bythe Gippsland Bishop Ap-pointment Board. Leader-ship defined as the activityof leading a group of peo-ple or an organisation, orthe ability to do this. In itsessence, leadership in anorganisational role involves(1) establishing a clear vi-

sion, (2) sharing that vi-sion with others so thatthey will follow willingly,(3) providing the informa-tion, knowledge and meth-ods to realise that visionand (4) coordinating andbalancing the conflictinginterests of all members orstakeholders.(http://www.businessdic-tionary.com/definition/leadership.html)Bishop McIntyre’s politics

are from the political leftand he has a right tothose. However, in denun-ciating political conserva-tives, and I am one, andtheir views, he has abro-gated his leadership func-tion in the GippslandAnglican community.Invoking God’s name to

denounce those who holdopposite but reasoned, bydint of experience, views,is an ecumenical slur. Hehas used such epithets asunchristian, uncaring, in-excusable, a selfish dere-liction of duty, scare tacticsand deceit, unthinking,cynicism, cynical exploita-tion, genocide, devoid ofprinciples, easily exploited,unjust and slaughter.When invoked with ‘Christ-ian’ obligation, those epi-thets are intemperate,inaccurate and insulting. Bishop McIntyre has se-

lectively used ‘fact’ to suithis arguments; ‘facts’ thatfail the test of scrutiny.In his field, Bishop McIn-

tyre is highly regarded.Perhaps he should haveremained in his comfortzone, because, while hemay be doctrinally pure,he has failed to bring allhis flock to willingly coop-erate with him to achievehis outcome. Continuedharanguing does notachieve his desired out-comes; it merely hardensthe resolve of those of uswho have beliefs contraryto his.In an era of intense politi-

cal debate and instability,Bishop McIntyre has takensides and polarisedthe Gippsland Anglicancommunity. Where is theseparation between Churchand State? Also failing the leadership

test was the Bishop Ap-pointment Board. Theyfailed to carry out due dili-gence because they didnot take into account thecharacteristics of the Gipp-sland constituency, be itAnglican or the commu-nity; they knew BishopMcIntyre’s politics, person-ality and the potential toengender controversy.Bishop McIntyre and the

Bishop Appointment Boardshould note that successfulleadership requires inclu-sion, ownership and anaffinity with its Gippslandconstituents; not alien-ation.Yours sincerely,Bill Westhead,Warragul

103.9

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February 2012 Our Diocese - Missions and Ministries 3


Dear friends,

HOW do we live together as Chris-tian sisters and brothers in com-munity, when we recognise manystrengths and many frailties, differ-ence of opinion and of interpreta-tion? It is a question facing theAnglican Church internationally anddioceses and parishes near and far. The Anglican Communion has

sought to face this question in thedevelopment of the AnglicanCovenant: how do we belong to-gether when we disagree on mat-ters which are vital to us? How willwe relate to each other when wedisagree? How will be worship to-gether when our disagreementsare paramount in our minds? Howwill we continue to serve Christ andChrist’s Church when all else seemsto be tumbling around us?It seems to me, we do have a re-

sponsibility to take care in ourwords and action when we dis-agree. Our words and actions caneither make this disagreementworse or better; the choice is ours.At a local level, we experience thisin parish conflict over everythingfrom how money is spent to per-sonal conflicts between those whowould otherwise seek to worshipand work together. Conflict might also be a very pos-

itive force. Some of the most im-portant reforms in history, such asuniversal suffrage and abolition ofslavery, have only emerged and

become the norm after many yearsof conflict and determination on thepart of a small group of people. It iswhat we do with our difference andtensions that matters. Indeed, it could be said that a

church without conflict might be achurch where nothing much is hap-pening to conflict about! Or whereonly one voice is heard! Yet I sus-pect if we sometimes thought morecarefully about something as sim-ple as how we speak to each other,we might avoid a great deal of un-necessary heartache. Covenant Commitments for Chris-

tians in Times of Tension, distrib-uted last year to parishes inGippsland is a one page documentwith some excellent and very prac-

tical guides for acknowledging ten-sion and conflict and for restoringgood relationships. I commend it toyou for your reflection as we begina new year together.The Anglican Covenant could

therefore be seen to be an expres-sion of what is already true.Covenant is the nature of our rela-tionship in Christ. God in Christhas brought us into a relationship

of covenant; a covenant which Godwill not break and we are not tobreak. Covenant is also the nature of our

relationships with each other inChrist; we share a life together notjust a set of beliefs or statutes.

We also have guideposts. The tra-dition of our Church, the Scripturesgiven us from within that tradition,our capacity to think and reasonand debate. With all these, it be-comes possible for new ideas toemerge and for such exploration totake place. Diversity of opinion can,after all, be seen as a sign of ahealthy community committed toseeking, but not always possess-ing, truth.If we want a Church that is open,

caring and just in all its dealings,then we need to ensure our con-versations, our debate and our re-lationships are also managed inthis spirit of openness and care andjustice. The end goal does not justify any

means. Rather, how we go aboutdiscussion and dialogue is actuallypart of the end result: the truth ofGod in our midst.

With peace and shalom,

The Venerable Archdeacon Heather Marten

Vicar General of Gippsland Diocese

Covenant Commitments for Chris-tians in Times of Tension is avail-able from the Registry orwww.gippsanglican.org.au

A wet year doesn’t mean we’re safe from bush or grass fi res.Rain encourages growth. It only takes a week or two of hot, dry weather to turn growth into fuel for a fi re. Fires don’t just threaten people who live in the bush. Anyone can be affected.Write or review your Bushfi re Survival Plan and practise it.Even if you’ve already written your plan it’s no time to be complacent. Give yourself and everyone you love

a better chance of survival by thinking through your decisions and reminding everyone of what they should do.You think that you are ready, but are you really ready?Do you have a good understanding of the risk around you and have you thought through all of the possible scenarios and what you will do? Find out for sure by taking the FireReady Quiz or the FireReady Challenge at cfa.vic.gov.au.

Be prepared for a bush or grass fi re, wherever you are.

Don’t risk your life on a last minute decision.

Tolmie 2007 Bushfi res

Make your plan at cfa.vic.gov.au or call 1800 240 667. It could save your life.

How will be worship together when ourdisagreements are paramount in ourminds? How will we continue to serveChrist and Christ’s Church when all elseseems to be tumbling around us?

Caring to heal the conflict



SHERYL and Paul Sellianihave been staying in EnaSheumack House at theAbbey of St Barnabas,A’Beckett Park. BeforeChristmas, they moved intoEna Sheumack House to beat The Abbey to welcomeand care for visitors duringChristmas and the busyholiday period.“When you stay at the

Abbey it’s like you are in awhole different world,” saidSheryl.In trying to capture the

wonder and majesty of TheAbbey, Sheryl immediatelyspoke of the environment.There are the kookaburras,who left The Abbey duringthe busy two weeks when itwas full with people from StHilary’s Kew. The refur-bished units and the olddormitories were full andthere were tents on theoval. Families, older peopleand young people andboats could be see every-where. The kookaburras re-turned after the group fromSt Hilary’s left and the en-vironment became quieter.One koala knocked at the

back door of Ena SheumackHouse and others are intrees in the back garden.Birds, pelicans, tawny frog-mouths and echidnas are allfrequent visitors. “At The Abbey, there is a

sense of remoteness andtranquillity and we see mar-vellous sunsets,” said Sh-eryl.“At the same time, a feel-

ing of community andfriendliness among the peo-ple who pass by. You arejust immersed in creativity.”Paul welcomed guests as

they arrived at The Abbey,gave them keys, attendedto the settling-in routine forlarger groups and generallyensured all was smooth.Paul and Sheryl have also

been the first port of call forany emergencies or just torespond to the things thatrequire special attention,like fixing the dishwasher ororganising rubbish removal.“The Ena Sheumack

House is wonderfully easyto live in, even with eightadults and five childrenunder five for a Christmascelebration,” said Paul.During 2012, The Abbey

will continue to be availablefor use by individuals andfamilies, groups and confer-ences, at weekends andduring the week, for casualaccomodation, retreats andholidays.To enquire about or book

into the refurbished accom-modation units and WestCottage, telephone SueGibson on 03 5156 6580. The full Abbey Program

will be available very soon.In the meantime, mark outEaster Saturday, April 7,2012 and come to TheAbbey for the SustainabilityOpen Day; then stay on forthe Easter Light Service at5pm in St BarnabasChurch.See page one for details.

ABOVE: One of the guestsat The Abbey this year wasIan Walker, who has beenstaying at A’Beckett Parksince the 1960’s when heattended youth camps onthe island. “The Abbey’s looking

good,” he said. Ian was staying in West

Cottage, which some years’ago he painted. In fact, Ianchose the yellow and greencolor scheme that is still onthe outside walls. Ian wasalso on the work team thatfixed the roof. When reflecting on why he

keeps returning to TheAbbey, Ian said: “It is a re-connection with God’s cre-ation, an openness, apeacefulness; reconnectingwith the majesty.”Dimity Fifer, visiting with

Ian, was visiting The Abbeyfor the first time. Dimity’sfirst response was to de-scribe “the peaceful wel-come; the land and sea hasa gracious peaceful feel”.Ian and Dimity are pic-

tured with their catamaran,before sailing on the lake.Contributed by Edie Ashley

Photo: Edie Ashley

Be a part of supporting the Aboriginal Ministry Fund

The AMF exists to resource employment of Aboriginal people in ministry; training of Aboriginal people for ministry; development of Aboriginal ministry in the community; the planting of Aboriginal churches; education of the Diocese about Aboriginal issues. Be a part of achieving these aims. Contact the Diocese of Gippsland 453 Raymond Street, Sale, Victoria PO Box 928, Sale, 3853 Telephone 03 5144 2044 Fax 03 5144 7183 Email [email protected]

The Church, over the years, has been blessed with the generosity of Anglicans and others in support of its mission. One way you can support this ideal in a relatively easy way, is to make a gift through your will. In the first instance, of course, you will consider carefully the needs of your immediate family and friends before proceeding with a bequest to the church.

We offer a way of helping you to carry out your wishes. Your gift, through your bequest, will be very much appreciated. You may wish to support the Diocese of Gippsland as a whole, or your own parish, or for a particular purpose.

Making your bequest in your Will is a simple procedure, although in preparing or amending your Will you should always consult a solicitor. The Registrar of the Diocese of Gippsland has information to assist you in making a bequest, including the form of words you and your solicitor might want to use.

Telephone Brian Norris on 03 5144 2044, or go to www.gippsanglican.org.au

A LASTING GIFT: A bequest to the Anglican Diocese of Gippsland or your parish

Good life at the Abbey

Keeping Bairnsdalesafe and reassuredAT the annual Thanksgiving service for Emergency Serv-

ices held at St John’s, Bairnsdale on December 4, Rev-erend Tony Wicking invited members of the servicespresent to explain to the congregation their response toan hypothetical incident.A tanker had overturned on the Paynesville Road carry-

ing a dangerous substance. So much and so many wereinvolved. The CFA was in control. An ambulance and SESwere on standby. Red Cross was ready with food. DSE hadconcern for wildlife. A United Nations expert could bereached within minutes if needed. It was most interesting and reassuring to hear about the

response to such an event. We were pleased at the will-ingness of the members to talk so well about their serv-ices, not having been given any notice by Rev. Tonybeforehand.Now, in the new year, Johnno’s volunteers are looking

forward to the impending opening of the extension to theirOutreach Centre.

Contributed by Ursula Plunkett

ABOVE: Members of the Country Fire Authority and StateEmergency Service who attended the annual Thanksgiv-ing service for Emergency Services, in Bairnsdale parish.

Photo: Ursula Plunkett

February 2012 Our Diocese - Missions and Ministries - Anglican Women of Australia 5


By Jeanette Severs

THERE is an organisationthat has, as a guiding pur-pose, the intent to be an in-valuable support group forall initiatives and activitiesundertaken by the diocese.Members consider it a priv-ilege to act as coordinatorsfor many parish and dioce-san activities which supportthe Anglican Church family.The organisation is Angli-

can Women of Australia, agroup that turns 50 thisyear in Gippsland Diocese,and closes as at March 6 atits final gathering, at StPaul’s Cathedral, Sale.Anglican Women of Aus-

tralia (AWA) grew out of aperception in the 1940s, bythe late Bishop’s wife, MrsMoira Housden of Rock-hampton, of a number ofgroups of women spreadacross a vast region, butthere was no way for thesewomen to meet together.Armidale, with the leader-ship of a Mrs Moyes, hadmade a practice of holdingan annual women’s confer-ence that brought all theparishes together. A clergy-man’s wife from Armidalementioned this to MrsHousden and, with the helpof Mothers’ Union to spon-sor a Diocesan Church ofEngland Women’s Group,the women came together,meeting during Synod sit-ting time.The Rockhampton confer-

ences became a means forthe women of the dioceseto meet and provided unity,in a district where peoplewere scattered and iso-lated. Mrs Housden was theinaugural president. In May1988, Mrs Housden was thehonored guest speaker atthe 40th anniversary cele-bratory lunch in Rockhamp-ton.When Bishop and Mrs

Housden moved from Rock-hampton to Newcastle, shewas again instrumental inintroducing a women’s con-ference, bringing togetherthe women of the diocese.Once again, Mothers’ Unionwas the main supporter.This strong feeling of sup-port caused the DiocesanMothers’ Union of Newcas-tle to help form the Angli-can Women’s movement.By the early 1960s, New-

castle had established sev-eral practices, some ofwhich were adopted byother dioceses after theconcept of AWA was for-malised following the 1964and 1966 meetings. Sincethe inception, retreats areconducted at least annuallyand provide popular withmembers. After the found-ing of Anglican Women ofAustralia, the practice ofholding rallies was intro-duced in Newcastle, twiceannually, in May and Sep-tember. A guest speakerwould work solidly over a

week addressing all the ral-lies in various deaneriesthroughout the diocese.The ‘Thankyou Box’ was

introduced after Mrs Hous-den observed an idea on atrip to America, from theEpiscopal Church Women’smovement. Each diocesewas asked for an offeringand each year a decisionwas made to support a wor-thy cause.From the beginning in

Newcastle, the gatheringsbegan with the eucharist, ashort sermon and prayer;reports; and a guestspeaker. Inclusion of everyorganisation, guild and aux-iliary was enabled to hold atrading and informationtable. In 1966, a specialprayer for the national or-ganisation was adopted.The idea of a national or-

ganisation was formed withthe intent to help unite,support and strengthen thevaried interests and activi-ties of Anglican women.

During General Synod inSydney, in October 1964, ameeting of Bishop’s wivesfelt there was a need for allAnglican women’s groupsand organisations, as wellas individual women, to bebrought together under oneumbrella, a national organ-isation. This was a continu-ance of the original reasonsforming AWA in the 1940s.In 1966, Mrs Marcus Loanechaired a meeting ofBishop’s wives at Bishop-scourt in Sydney, where allthe dioceses were asked tosend representatives to dis-cuss forming a national

group of Anglican women.AWA was to be initiatedthrough the Primate anddiocesan Bishops, with thePrimate’s wife as leader.Mrs Housden, Mrs KennethLeslie and Mrs Evanne Gar-nsey formed a secretariatfor the next three years, tooversee the formation ofthe national group.Gippsland had two repre-

sentatives at the inauguralmeeting, Mrs Garnsey andMrs Knife. Mrs Garnseytook on the role of collatingresponses from each dio-cese to the question ofwhat the aims of AWAwould be.Membership as per the

Newcastle model was to beopen to all women whowished to serve the Angli-can Church, which alsomeant making provision formembers of various organ-isations who were not nec-essarily Anglican. MrsHousden was also in favorof holding a gathering atthe time of General Synod,open to anyone interestedfor the purposes of study,fellowship and spiritual re-freshment.By 1968, 50 wives of the

General Synod attendeesmet in Sydney at Bishop-scourt to discuss AnglicanWomen of Australia,chaired again by Mrs Hous-den. At diocesan level, AWAwas seen in most places ascoordinating existinggroups in one or more extrameetings in regions, tostimulate thought, serviceand fellowship. The secre-tariat was re-formed withMrs Housden, Mrs Garnseyand Mrs Leslie again ap-pointed. By this time, AWA was

considered well establishedin Gippsland, along withmany other rural dioceses.In Gippsland, it was namedAnglican Women’s Fellow-ship, with an interest inmissions and giving for mis-

sionary projects. To meetthe needs of women whoworked, Gippsland’s AWFwas to hold an evening rallyin the Latrobe Valley.

Growth inwomen’s rolesFROM 1968 to 1992, along

with changes in society, therole of women in the Angli-can church increased dra-

matically. Women becamemembers of parish councilsand Synod; were allowed tobecome servers, lay read-ers and to administer thechalice in many dioceses;debate began on the ordi-nation of women; but thetraditional role of women inthe church remained as de-manding as ever.In 1976, Mrs Joan

Chynoweth reported to

Anglican Women of Australia Gippsland Diocese

Closure and Celebration to Give Thanks for 50 years of

Service, Worship and Fellowship.

Tuesday, 6th March 2012 9.30am Morning cuppa

10.30am Eucharist, Bishop John presiding

12.30pm Lunch, $10 per person

2.30pm Afternoon Tea

RSVP through your parish representative, by

21st February 2012, for catering purposes.

Please wear a touch of gold.

ABOVE: These Anglican women were photographed, pos-sibly at St Saviour’s, about 1938.BELOW: Anglican Churchwomen’s Union Members at theSydney Diocesan Conference Centre, April 1963.

A union of women

continued next page

6 Our Diocese - Missions and Ministries - Anglican Women of Australia February 2012


from previous page

Synod on continued interestand development of theconcept of the AnglicanWomen’s movement. InCanberra and Goulburn dio-cese, a motion to adopt thedraft constitution for Angli-can Women was carriedunanimously following amotion to suspend theDiocesan Constitution ofthe Churchwomen’s Union.Parish, regional and dioce-san affiliation was withAWA.Early in 1982, a national

newsletter began and a na-tional meeting of AWA wascalled, with dioceses invitedto send three representa-tives, enabling clergy wivesto attend. Joan Chynoweth,Audrey Matthews and JoanLees were the Gippslanddelegates. By this time, it was felt

AWA was accepted in manydioceses as an ‘umbrella’organisation, but still per-ceived as ‘yet another’ or-ganisation in somedioceses.It was recognised that

AWA needed to attractwomen, in particular, withyoung families, because theimage projected appearedto be irrelevant to youngerwomen.One innovative idea that

came out of the nationalmeeting was the suggestionto produce a book or a one-act play as a means ofmaking the voice of Chris-tian women heard in con-junction with the AustralianBicentenary celebrations.This suggestion was laterdeveloped and becameTHYAMA: Two HundredYears of Anglican Women inAustralia.

Reaching outGIPPSLAND was the venue

of the next national meet-ing, held at BishopscourtSale, in 1985. Joan Lees,Audrey Matthews, JoanChynoweth, Jenny Ross,Judy Reynolds and Anita

Johns represented Gipps-land. In 1987, many in AWA

were supportive of the pos-sibiilty of the ordination ofwomen to the diaconate inthe Anglican church, withhope for progression to thepriesthood. Despair was thesentiment used by some todescribe the narrow loss atGeneral Synod, of this aspi-ration to have women or-dained in the priesthood;however, hope was againrestored and patience andfaith encouraged.In 1988, Mothers’ Union

joined with AWA for thenine-day THYAMA Festivalin Canberra, held at theCanberra Church of Eng-land Girls Grammar School,October 1 to 9. The festivaloffered thanksgiving for theforemothers of the churchwho had given Australiaand the church their firmfoundations as well as look-ing at the present day AWAwomen and ahead into thefuture. A pageant pre-sented cameos of sevenwomen: Mrs Jane Barker,Sydney, 1807-1876;Mother Esther CHN, 1858-1931; Mrs Olive Jose, Mel-bourne, 1912-1966; MrsFanny Perry, Melbourne,1815-1892; Mrs Julia Farr,Adelaide, 1824-1914; Dea-coness Mary Andrews, Syd-ney, 1915- and SisterAngela CSC, Newcastle,1926-.Each diocese that at-

tended was asked to pres-ent an item describing thecontribution of a woman orwomen to the active life ofthe diocese. Gippsland’sdelegates presented the lifeand work of the early Dea-conesses of that dioceseand their ministry workingand living in isolated andscattered areas of the re-gion.National guidelines for

AWA were drawn up duringthe national meeting. Agroup of women fromSouth Africa addressed themeeting, describing Arch-bishop Tutu’s desire to seean international group of

AWA formed, to helpwomen in SA to make con-tact outside their own coun-try and break down barriersof isolation.

LeadershipAUSTRALIA’s links with

South Africa continued,with two SA representativesat the 1991 triennial con-ference. Social responsibili-ties and issues continued tobe a focus of AWA. The di-verse representation ofwomen ranged from guildgroups to leaders of the Or-dinations of Women move-ment, pastoral assistants,study leaders and those sit-ting on national committeesof the Anglican Church inAustralia; with women stillmaking time for the tradi-tional roles in the churchsuch as cleaning, fundrais-ing to keep the roof on therectory and making largedonations to the clergystipend.Gippsland women stepped

up to lead the nationalAWA, with Annabel Gibsonappointed national coordi-nator, Beryl Brien her sec-retary, Pat Camerontreasurer and Shirley Sav-ige as publicity and com-munications officer.The 1990s saw strength-

ening of links nationally andinternationally with SouthAfrica and New Zealand.AWA rallies, newsletters

and other activities werecommon in dioceses nation-ally.In 1992, the Primate of

the Anglican Church of Aus-tralia, Keith Rayner, wroteabout AWA:“Anglican Women of Aus-

tralia has filled a gap in thelife of the Church aroundthe country by providing anumbrella organisation towhich Anglican women maybelong. It does not aim tocompete with other existingwomen’s organisations inthe Church, but rather tobring them together in aspirit of partnership and co-operation. Women may beonly 50 per cent of thenominal membership of theChurch, but the reality isthat their contribution infaith, worship and total lifeof the Church hasamounted to far more than50 per cent. I trust that‘Anglican Women of Aus-tralia’ may be the means ofstrengthening the witnessand fellowship of women aswe seek to proclaim anddemonstrate Christian faithand values in the world.”A book, Anglican Women

of Australia: The Strengthof Hearts that Serve, waspublished in 1994. A follow-up book, The History of An-glican Women of Australiawas written in 2008 and in-cluded the history to 1994.The follow-up book in-

cludes a message from thePrimate, Dr Phillip Aspinall,describing the continuingrelevance and strength ofAWA and the changes thathave occurred in thechurch, including ordaining

of women to the diaconateand priesthood and conse-crated bishop.Dr Aspinall commended

Archbishop Rayner’s origi-nal comments, “the realitythat [women’s] contributionto the faith, worship andtotal life of the churchamounted to far more than50 per cent. This observa-tion remains true today.”and it is important “we donot lose sight of the vitalministry and witness of laywomen throughout the na-tional church. ‘AnglicanWomen of Australia’ existsto celebrate and supportwomen, both lay and or-dained in their ministriesand in their witness by pro-viding opportunity for fel-lowship and the concreteexpression of their unity inChrist”.Mrs Moira Housden be-

lieved AWA was necessarybecause “Anything that willbind us together in onegroup is of much more usethan little specialisedgroups everywhere”. AWAhas been the umbrella forgroups for religious educa-tion, guilds, Caritas, choirs,Girls Friendly Society,Mother’s Union, AnglicanWomen’s Fellowship, youth,missions, outreach, prayerand bible study. As AWAceases to be in Gippsland,the question has to beasked, ‘What now?’.References: Squires D and

Tarpey J (1994) AnglicanWomen of Australia: TheStrength of Hearts thatServe; Ison A (2009) TheHistory of Anglican Womenof Australia.

ABOVE: At lunch at the Gippsland Diocesan Conference 1985 were Jenny Ross, BarbaraPriest, Lynette Bignell, Joan Keith, Bishop Neville Chynoweth, Joan Chynoweth, ValerieBeal and Anita Johns.

ABOVE: Mrs Evanne Garnsey (left) plants a snow gum inthe grounds of St Paul’s Cathedral, Sale, at the 20th an-niversary celebration of AWA in Gippsland.

ABOVE: Pat Cameron hasorganised AWA bus trips.

February 2012 Our Diocese - Missions and Ministries - Anglican Women of Australia 7


By Jeanette Severs

THE major purpose of An-glican Women of Australia(AWA) in Gippsland was, asit was nationally, to unitegroups of church womenacross the region. Thesewomen were dedicatedchurch workers whose loveof God and their fellowhuman beings was the in-spiration for the tasks theycarried out. They commit-ted themselves to upkeepand maintenance ofchurches and church build-ings and industriouslyraised funds to help localneeds and missions, as wellas those of the widerchurch.Today, AWA promotes

service and worship, pro-vides a point of contact, or-ganises retreats,conferences and rallies andoperates to meet the needsof each diocese.AWA aims to work towards

the extension of Christ’skingdom through worship,study, service, fellowshipand giving and promote co-operation and understand-ing between groups thatmay exist in any one parishand to make provision forthose not included in suchgroups (independent orlone members).Membership in AWA in-

cludes all women who be-long to the AnglicanChurch. There is no sub-scription or admission serv-ice.In Gippsland, Bishop Gar-

nsey’s wife, Mrs EvanneGarnsey, is credited withfounding this diocese’s AWAgroup, in 1962. EvanneGarnsey was very involvedwith AWA from its earlydays on the national frontand naturally thought itwould be an ideal organisa-tion to bring togetherwomen across the scat-tered, disparate and remoteoutreaches of Gippsland.Mrs Garnsey was, in fact,

guest speaker at the 20thanniversary of AWA inGippsland. Other Bishop’swives have been activesupporters of AWA in Gipp-sland, particularly Mrs EnaSheumack and Mrs JoanChynoweth. Mrs Garnsey founded what

was then known as the An-glican Women’s Fellowshipin 1962, shortly after herhusband became the fifthBishop of Gippsland. Fol-lowing the diocesan guildrally held in Sale on Octo-ber 2, 1961, a committeeled by Mrs Garnsey met toplan the formation of an or-ganisation to link up thevarious women’s groups atwork in the diocese.The following May, Mrs

Garnsey sent a letter to allladies guilds in Gippsland

outlining the committee’srecommendations, whichincluded the Bishop ap-pointing Mrs Garnsey chair-man of the organisation, tobe known initially as Gipps-land Churchwomen’s Fel-lowship. She explained shesaw this as a temporary ap-pointment, believing lead-ership of the group shouldbe in the hands of womenwho were not clergy. MrsGarnsey went on to bechair for the next 10 years.The chairman benefittedfrom the appointment ofthree people to the role ofvice chair each year.A planning meeting was

set for October 2, 1962, inSale, with representativesof all rural deaneries. Out ofthis meeting, a fellowshipmanual with prayers for useat home and at meetingswas compiled and pub-lished, designs for a fellow-ship badge wereconsidered, a leadershiptraining day for women wasorganised at Morwell, onFebruary 14, 1963, withstudy sessions on the spiri-tual basis of leadership inthe church and practicalsessions on committeemembers’ roles.There was also a picnic at

A’Beckett Park organisedfor March 1963 and a com-mitment to supporting thecamp. The first project wasto raise money to build anablutions block on the siteand buy new rubber mat-tresses for the 10 beds inthe old house (more mat-tresses would be needed forthe new dormitory blocks,which were expected tobegin building in 1964).The parish ladies’ guildgroups were active in rais-ing this money.Mrs Garnsey’s vision for

AWA is what it became. Ameans to link women to-gether at annual rallies forworship in a larger congre-gation than normal, fellow-ship and learning from aguest speaker; the ex-change of ideas and knowl-edge; educationalprograms to help womenparticipate fully in all as-pects of church and com-munity life in the home andat parish and diocesanlevel; affiliation with othergroups in the diocese andnationally; and supportingA’Beckett Park, an assetgiven in trust to the Gipps-land Diocese by the A’Beck-ett sisters.In 1967, Mrs Garnsey ac-

knowledged the support ofthe Guilds, with specialcontributions enabling 84pillows to be purchased forthe A’Beckett Park camp onRaymond Island. Surplusfunds were put aside for fu-ture needs at the camp.Mrs Garnsey wrote regu-

larly to parish women’s andparents groups, linkingthem with news of AWA’sactivities and informationabout mission giving andother happenings in thediocese. From the first, sheheld strongly that regularcorrespondence kept mem-bers interested and in-volved. In 1967, her letter sug-

gested members make aneffort to invite to the rallies,women who are not mem-bers of any parish organisa-tion.The name, Anglican

Women of Australia, wasadopted in 1980.The annual women’s re-

treat came into being in1982 and rapidly became apopular activity of AWA.Also in 1982, at the 20thanniversary, attendeeswere set the task of dis-cussing the future of AWA,particularly in responding tothe question of what bondlinks them together in acommon mission and fel-lowship. Discussion in-cluded seeking help tobroaden horizons, deepenfaith and quicken spiritualawareness; and to grow inknowledge about the role ofgroups, that even two peo-ple meeting together areblessed by our Lord’s pres-ence.In 1983, Mrs Anne Con-

nelly took on the role ofAWA diocesan mission sec-retary and attendees at therallies heard about planningfor retirement and ageing.In October 1985, Gipps-

land hosted the tri-ennialAWA national conference.During her time with AWA,

Mrs Ena Sheumack was astrong supporter of AWA’sinvolvement in supportingmedical missions andA’Beckett Park. MrsSheumack was vice-chair ofAWA Gippsland for a num-ber of years before takingon the role of mission sec-retary in 1991 and 1992.Mrs Chynoweth chaired

AWA Gippsland for fouryears.Mrs Annabel Gibson, wife

of past Dean of the Cathe-dral, Archdeacon Ted Gib-son, was chairperson forfour years and during thistime the format for the ral-

lies changed, to all be heldin one week each year. MrsGibson wrote a number oftimes of the care and sup-port offered her regularly inher role, from other mem-bers of AWA. MrsSheumack was mission sec-retary during this time, suc-cessfully encouragingstrong support for medicalmissions and a wider visionof various mission needs,including ABM (AnglicanBoard of Missions - Aus-tralia).On June 16, 1990, a dis-

play of AWA, including itsactivities and affiliatedgroups was part of the openday and dedication of StBarnabas chapel on Ray-mond Island.AWA honored the Dea-

conesses in 1990, raisingmoney to pay for a woodenmemorial cross and plaqueto be placed in honor of theDeaconesses, lay workersand nursing sisters. Callig-raphy for the plaque (andcopies) was completed byJohn Delzoppo.AWA members began

compiling and contributing

information and photo-graphs about the life of theDeaconesses in Gippslandat about this time. TheDeaconesses of Gippslandwas authored by Archdea-con Ray Elliot and publishedin 1996.In 1992, the first Sunday

in October was chosen tobe AWA Sunday, to take ef-fect in 1993. Until then,Mothering Sunday was usedas a joint acknowledgementof AWA.Annabel moved in to the

role mission secretary whenMrs Elvie Olden, a lay per-son, was appointed chair byBishop Colin Sheumack. Mrs Valerie Jones was

chair of AWA Gippslandfrom 1995 until 2000, whenshe moved into the newlycreated role of immediatepast chair.Mrs Lindy Driver took on

the role of vice chair whileher husband, Jeffrey, wasBishop of Gippsland andMrs Merrill Johnston andMrs Michele Chidgey wereeach in the role of chair.This was at the time AWA

Women dedicatedto Christian values

ABOVE: Lindy Driver, Heather Baker, Peggie Arthur, JeanEast and Pat Cameron at the Anglican Women of Australiadeanery rally at Bruthen, in 2002, the centenary year ofthe Diocese of Gippsland.

continued next page

8 Our Diocese - Missions and Ministries - Anglican Women of Australia February 2012


from previous page

drove support for the Cashfor Cows program, an initia-tive to help with rebuildingparishes in Rwanda, sup-plying a dairy cow to eachpastor. In 2004, a novelway of promoting the pro-gram in parishes wasformed, with various AWAmembers acting as milk-maids and others as cows.The Cash for Cows programwas launched at the AWArallies in 2004.Other initiatives, driven by

Bishop Jeffrey Driver, in-cluded supporting a veteri-narian and a geneticscompany to provide artifi-cial insemination for thecows and training for theRwandans caring for thecows.At the end of September

2004, the appeal had raisedmore than $34,000, en-abling every parish inGahini diocese to receive acow, support the AI andveterinarian program andbuy dry feed. Subsequently,some parishes enabled twocows to be donated to someparishes.In 2003, a diocesan group

began working towardshalting a ‘downhill slide’ inthe condition of A’BeckettPark. In 2004, Bishop Jef-frey brought the issue toAWA’s general meeting inMay.Bishop Jeff reported the

park was the diocese’sgreatest asset but therewas concern about its run-down state. The park wasrarely used by parish ordiocesan groups. The focuswas on improving the facil-ities and environs. Ideas in-cluded selling a portion ofthe park to raise funds tobuild self-contained self-catered cottages. BishopJeffrey reported the groupwas seeking architecturaland legal advice about theproposed changes. AWAhad already established theEna Sheumack Appeal andBishop Jeffrey was sympa-thetic that any money con-tributed from this appeal tosupport A’Beckett Parkwould be used respectfullyand with the cooperation ofAWA.Bishop Jeffrey also

brought news to this meet-ing, on May 11, 2004, of hisinvolvement in draftingleglisation for GeneralSynod regarding the ordi-nation of women to theEpiscopate and his work inlistening to and speakingwith people in everyprovince in Australia in aneffort to bring them to-gether and care for thosepeople who do not supportthe idea of a womanBishop.In 2002, to celebrate the

centenary of Gippsland Dio-cese, attendees at the AWArallies in March were en-couraged to wear colonialcostume.Also in 2002, described as

‘the beautiful diocesan ban-ner’, was designed andmade by Anne Connelly,with timber work crafted by

John Delzoppo. The bannerwas dedicated at the AWAdiocesan rally at St Paul’sCathedral in Sale on Octo-ber 15, 2002; also the 40thbirthday celebration of AWAin Gippsland. The banner eventuated

after the centenary serviceheld at St Paul’s Cathedral,Melbourne, in October2001. Gippslanders attend-ing noted other diocesesprovided banners, but thisdiocese did not have one.AWA members took on thechallenge of raising moneyto pay for and gift a bannerto the diocese and MrsAnne Connelly was asked toundertake the work.The rallies in 2002 fo-

cussed on history, with pre-sentations from historiansand various members onpeople of note in the historyof Gippsland and the Angli-can church in the diocese.People of note included Eliz-abeth Alfred, of Bairnsdale,Bishop Charles Murray, ofBruthen, the Deaconessesof Gippsland, Annie Pain,wife of the first Bishop ofGippsland, Beatrice A’Beck-ett, organising secretary ofthe Fellowship of GippslandWomen in the early 20thcentury, Edith Reece, whocame from England in 1920and worked in East Gipps-land.Gippslanders, led by Mer-

rill Johnston, attended thefirst AWA rally in BendigoDiocese on May 7, 2002.They were treated to aflower display by BarbaraWatson, with a history ofworking on the ChelseaFlower Show in England.By 2002, the third Sunday

of October had been chosenfor AWA Sunday.In 2003, the triennial na-

tional conference of AWAwas held in Gippsland, May5 to 9, with the Primate, DrPeter Carnley, attending asguest speaker. Invitationswere sent to South Africa,United States of Americaand New Zealand, as wellas throughout Australia.Gippslanders were well rep-resented on the organisingcommittee, with Merrill

Johnston the national con-ference coordinator, MrsValerie Jones the nationalcoordinator of AWA and MrsEthel Armstrong the na-tional secretary. Bishop Jef-frey and Mrs Lindy Driverprovided hospitality at Bish-opscourt.

Bus tripsIT would be remiss to not

mention the annual AWAbus trips. The first six bustrips were organised by MrsJoan Chynoweth, wife ofBishop Neville, with helpfrom Joan Less of Maffraand Shirley Ferguson ofSale. There was an histori-cal tribute to the bus tripsin The Gippsland AnglicanDecember 2011 issue.Mrs Chynoweth was keen

to encourage the women ofthe diocese to get to knowone another and saw thebus trips as one way toachieve this.The first trip was in 1982

and has been every yearsince, to 2011; except1988. It would be sadly re-miss if The Gippsland Angli-can did not pay tribute toMrs Pat Cameron, who hasbeen a leader and organiserof the bus trip since 1989.Pat worked with Anne

Connelly and Joan Lees in1989 and with Anne andBev Barnes in 1990, beforeMerrill Johnston came onboard (so to speak) in1991. Anne and Pat organ-ised the bus trips of 1992 to1997 collectively, then Mer-rill and Pat worked on the1998 trip to Ballarat.This partnership continued

to 2011 and Pat was absentlast year only because ofhealth concerns needingfurther investigation at thetime of the bus trip.In 2010, when AWA began

having problems with gain-ing enough people for theexecutive committee, Patwas adamant at that annualgeneral meeting that thebus trips would continue in2010 and 2011.The last celebration of

AWA is on March 6 at Sale.

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The Anglican Women’s PrayerEternal God,the Light of the minds that know you,the Life of the souls that love you,and the strength of the wills that serve you.Help us so to know you,that we may truly love you,so to love youthat we may fully serve you,for to serve you is perfect freedom,through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen

Leaders of AWA GippslandChairman: Evanne Garnsey, Audrey McDonald, Au-

drey Delbridge, Audrey Matthews, Joan Chynoweth,Judy Reynolds, Annabel Gibson, Elvie Olden, ValerieJones, Merrill Johnston, Michele Chidgey, Jane Mac-queen.Chaplain: Reverend Janet Wallis, Rev. Lyndon

Phillips.Vice chair (up to three): Joyce Knife, Dr Kathleen

Taylor, Mrs Littlejohn, Nancy Darley, Audrey McDon-ald, Jenny Ross, Mrs Batten, Mrs Holloway, ElvieOlden, Shirley Ferguson, Eileen Cox, Elinor Scott,Joyce Elliot, Val Manchester, Annabel Gibson, JennyRainsford, Fay Woodward, Gloria Baker, JudyReynolds, Jan Huggins, Ena Sheumack, Anne Con-nelly, Trish Shiboaka, Merrill Johnston, Pam Pincini,Ethel Armstrong, Beryl Brien, Pat Cameron, MarionJones, Heather Baker, Roma Durham, Margaret Scott,Lindy Driver, Neila Peart, Jane Macqueen.Secretary: Gwen Graves, Nancy Darley, Elinor Scott,

Margaret Smallbone, Eileen Cox, Shirley Ferguson,Nell Jones, Trish Wright, Anita Johns, Jenny Ross,Cherry Ireland, Beryl Brien, Pat Cameron, Ethel Arm-strong, Pam Davies, Sue Gerard, Carolyn Raymond.Treasurer: Miss E Whitehead, Eileen Cox, Hazel

Fuhrmeister, Shirley Ferguson, Joan McLauchlan (orMcLaughlin), Joan Lees, Rosemary Cooper, AnitaJohns, Beryl Llewellyn, Pat Cameron, Merrill John-ston, Edna South, Ethel Armstrong, Marion Jones,Jane Macqueen, Heather Toms, Denise Rich.Mission Secretary: Joyce Knife, Anne Connelly, Mar-

garet Pamphlet, Ena Sheumack, Annabel Gibson,Joyce Elliot, Merrill Johnston, Michele Chidgey, PatCameron, Ethel Armstrong, Elizabeth Crichton.Publicity: Audrey Matthews, Michele Chidgey, Edna

South, Claudette Mogensen, Roma Durham, PatCameron, Pam Davies, Michele Chidgey.Mothers’ Union: Joyce Elliot, Jenny MacRobb, Marion

Jones, Jan Misiurka, Karin McKenzie.Executive members: Beryl Brien, Heather Baker,

Roma Durham, Pat Cameron, Edna South, MargaretScott, Claudette Mogensen, Peggie Arthur, Jane Mac-queen, Pam Davies, Marion White, Margaret Down,Lynne Beaty, Denise Rich, Carolyn Raymond, Eliza-beth Crichton.Retreat organiser: Claudette Mogensen, Ethel Arm-

strong, Merrill Johnston, Jane Macqueen.

February 2012 Our Diocese - Clergy Ministries 9


THE diocesan TheologyWorking Group, establishedas a result of Gippsland’sSynod, is planning a seriesof activities in 2012, follow-ing the seminar in April2011 with Reverend DrDavid Powys.Readers of The Gippsland

Anglican and attendees atSynod last year will remem-ber the Primate’s presenta-tion on the AnglicanCovenant and a listeningprocess. A further articleabout the Listening Processis on page 15 of this issueof The Gippsland Anglican.In July last year, Bishop

John McIntyre asked theTheology Working Group tooversee a Listening Processwithin our diocese. Thegroup is convened by DeanDr Don Saines, with MrPeter Anderson, Archdea-con Edie Ashley, ReverendBruce Charles, Rev. GregMagee, Canon Amy Turnerand Dr Colin Thornby. The group aims to find a

way of implementing theListening Process, develop-ing it as a model for usewhen we encounter dis-agreements in our life to-gether and to provideresources to support the lis-tening process. Linked tothis is the provision of re-sources to encourage us tothink about how we under-stand and use the Bible. The first event planned for

2012 will be led by Dean ofTrinity College TheologicalSchool, Reverend DrDorothy Lee, on the topic‘How do we read theBible?’; on July 7 in Drouinand on July 8 at St Paul’sCathedral, Sale. Your prayers for the work

of the group and any feed-back is welcome. You canprovide your feedback andkeep up-to-date with thework of the group, atwww.gippsanglican.org.au

Contributor: Don Saines

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Main Office: WONTHAGGI/INVERLOCH (03) 5672 1074 176-178 Graham Street, Wonthaggi, 3995 Fax: (03) 5672 1747

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Readingthe Bible

ABOVE: Enjoying the Christmas carol service at St John’sMetung were Reverend Canon Barbara Logan and musi-cians, Sarah Caddie and Ernie Walker.

Photo: Jacki Walker

BISHOP Alexis Bilind-abagabo, of Gahini Diocesein Rwanda, has beenelected President of TheCouncil of ProtestantChurches of Rwanda, a fel-lowship of 23 Protestantchurches and Christian or-ganisations. The CPR wascreated in November 1962to create a forum promot-ing unity and cooperationamong the Protestantchurches of Rwanda andhas worked tirelessly topromote healing, forgive-ness and reconciliationamong all Rwandans, fol-lowing the genocide of1994. It is respected by church

and government leaders forits transparency, unity andharmonious operations andpromoting the same acrossall denominations andChristian organisations.In November last year,

Bishop Alexis visited Gipps-land while in Australia. OnNovember 2, Bishop Alexisvisited Leongatha parish.

Bishop Alexis said hismotto is “People beforePrograms” and his joy is tobe with people. That joywas evident in the enthusi-asm with which he spoke ofGahini and the partnershipwith Gippsland. He visitedus to celebrate with us andto consider future directionsfor the partnership.Bishop Alexis urged Leon-

gatha parishioners to con-sider June 2012 a perfecttime for a group to visit. Inthe third week of Junethere will be a large con-vention in Gahini. Thebishop described the part-nership between Gippslandand Gahini dioceses as“friends walking together asthe Spirit leads”, thankingGippslanders for their sup-port through the provisionof cows for parish pastors,and the Seeds of Peaceproject. He said the 12 rooms now

completed at the guesthouse and Conference Cen-tre are “just beautiful” andwill be a big asset to thediocese. Through small in-vestments, we are able tocreate assets, both materialand human, of great value. Bishop Alexis commended

his book, Rescued by An-gels, for anyone planning tovisit Rwanda. He said infantmortality is falling, as very

few women now give birthwithout medical assistance.The Gahini hospital is oneof the oldest in the country,built in 1822 and belongs tothe Anglican Church. It is ingreat need of improvementto its infrastructure, as thegovernment of Rwanda hasbeen concentrating its re-sources on rebuilding itsown hospitals and schools.Primary education is avail-able to all and there is acampaign to extend com-pulsory education first tonine years and later to 12years. The ‘Neighbour’s Eye’ pro-

gram identified 600 chil-dren not attending schooland enabled them to re-ceive an education. BishopAlexis is keen to extend asponsorship program, al-ready operating in a smallway, where Gippslandersassist Rwandan studentscomplete their secondaryeducation. (Reported in Oc-tober 2011, December2011 and back issues ofThe Gippsland Anglican.)“Mission is not from north

to south or south to north,but from everywhere toeverywhere,” Bishop Alexissaid, telling us about hisson, studying at an Ameri-can college, found therewas no Bible study groupon campus; so started onehimself. There are now 15Bible study groups at thatcollege. The American stu-dents have established aproject providing books toschools in Gahini. Rwandanstudents are also training togo as missionaries to Tan-zania.Bishop Alexis and his wife

Grace have 12 children: sixbiological and six adopted.The genocide left Rwandawith 400,000 orphans tocare for, so Bishop Alexisbegan the BarakabahoFoundation, which nowcares for 8000 children infoster families and has pio-neered trauma counsellingin the country. To lead byexample, the Bishop andhis wife adopted six or-phans; they have fivegrandchildren from theiradopted children.Contributor: Heather Scott

ABOVE: Bishop Alexis withLeongatha parishioners andReverend Janet Wallis.

Photo: Heather Scott

A journey begun in Febru-ary 2008 ended in Novem-ber 2011 for ReverendCanon Barbara Logan andDr Colin Thornby when theygraduated from the LivingWell Centre for ChristianSpirituality’s four year for-mation program for spiri-tual directors.Spiritual direction is a

ministry in which one per-son, the spiritual director,helps another, the directee,become more aware ofGod’s self-communicationin his or her life, respond tothis self-communicationand live out the gifts of thatrelationship. Spiritual direc-tion is a ministry in theChurch concerned with fa-cilitating a person’s growthin intimacy with God whichleads, as a consequence, toright relationship with allcreation. The ministry has along and revered history inthe Christian tradition andhas been practiced by laypeople, vowed religious and

ordained ministers.During the program, Barb

and Colin worked with otherstudents to develop theirspiritual direction skills andunderstand the large anddemanding body of knowl-edge accompanying profes-sional spiritual directionpractice.Participants in the forma-

tion program gather to-gether four times annuallyand spend time listening tolectures, reflecting on con-tent, practising spiritual di-rection skills anddeveloping a contemplativeawareness to inform theirministry. Each participantwas closely supervised andtheir vocation to the min-istry of spiritual directiondiscerned and affirmed.During the year, each par-ticipant was required tosubmit reflective essaysdemonstrating their devel-opment and grappling withthe challenging material.To successfully complete

Graduates’ theses commended

the program, Barb andColin each wrote a minorthesis of 10,000 words,taking their interests andresearch and applyingthese to the real practice ofspiritual direction. Barbwrote on the vocation ofthe parish priest as spiritualdirection and Colin wroteon the spiritual journey ofthe gay Christian. Barb andColin received praise fortheir work and at the grad-uation Eucharist, their vo-cations as spiritualdirectors were affirmed andthey were commended tothe care, support and su-pervision of the leaders ofGippsland Diocese.Barb and Colin practice as

spiritual directors in Gipps-land Diocese and are happyto see any person who isseeking direction. A num-ber of other spiritual direc-tors are also in ministry inthe diocese.

Alexis elected toprestigious role

10 Our Diocese - Youth Ministries February 2012


THE Dux of GippslandGrammar and the Dux of StPaul’s Anglican GrammarSchool are looking forwardto careers in medicine,along with some of theircontemporaries. Dux ofGippsland Grammar, LachieEvans, of Bairnsdale,achieved an ATAR score of99.45 and accepted an offerto study medicine atMonash University this year.Dux of St Paul’s in War-ragul, Sanamdeep Dhillon,who received an ATAR scoreof 99.5, will study medicineat James Cook University,with a focus on rural health.Both students were school

prefects and combined busyschool lives, sport and in-volvement in their commu-nities with their secondarystudy.Last year’s final VCE re-

sults were another strongperformance for GippslandGrammar. The school’smean ATAR score was 77.8;25 per cent of students ob-tained an ATAR score of

more than 90, putting themin the top 10 per cent of thestate; 71 per cent obtainedan ATAR score in excess of70, placing them in the top30 per cent; 96 per cent ofstudents placed in the top50 per cent of Victoria’sstudents. At St Paul’s Anglican

Grammar School, the VCEresults are another strongperformance for the school;10 per cent of students ob-tained an ATAR score above95, putting them in the top

five per cent of the state;39 per cent obtained anATAR score above 80, plac-ing them in the top 20 percent; 91 per cent of stu-dents placed in the top 50per cent. The school’s mean ATAR

score was an impressive73. Four boys and two girlsobtained ATAR scoresabove 98.

ABOVE: St Paul’s Dux,Sanamdeep Dhillon, withprincipal, Ms Lisa Moloney.

Top students benefit fromAnglican school system

GFS honors Neil’s20 years’ serviceTHE adult friends of GFS

Kidsplus+ Gippsland held athanksgiving service in No-vember last year and madea presentation to ReverendNeil Thompson in apprecia-tion of his 20 years’ serviceas Chaplain to GippslandGFS, CEBS and Kidsplus+.New diocesan GFS chair-man, Lauren Jankovic, andoutgoing chairman, MaryNicholls, are pictured withNeil at St Luke’s Moe(above).The plaque has theGFS motto Bear one An-other’s Burdens [Galatians2] inscribed on the Gipps-land red banksia wood. During the service we

were pleased to welcomeGippsland’s first male GFSmembers to the fellowshipand national network.In January this year, the

22nd National Council ofGFS Australia Inc (Kid-splus+) was held at StCatherine’s College Ned-lands, Western Australia.The Victorian contingent of17 attendees included sixGippslanders supportingLauren Jankovic of Moeparish as she continued herJunior delegate role on Aus-tralian executive. Lauren presented her re-

port presentation on her2011 experience at WorldCouncil in Ireland.Bishop Kay Goldsworthy of

Perth presided at the open-ing service held at StGeorge’s Cathedral. Na-tional chaplain, Rev. JosieSteytler, welcomed all toseek ways to better serve inour ministry to children,youth and families. We were implored to take

up the challenge of recog-nising our God given gifts

(often recognised throughour passions) and en-trusted to us to use in fur-thering God’s kingdom. Wewere challenged to use themethod which comes mostnaturally to us, be it testi-monial, confrontational, in-tellectual, interpersonal,serving and caring or invi-tational. “Be a, make a,bring a friend” we were en-couraged.

Business of the confer-ence included highlightsfrom world, national anddiocesan reports. Such re-ports help us recognise thebreadth and diversity in theworld wide ministry of GFS,recognizing local needs andmaking a response.Solomon Islands was wel-

comed to GFS world mem-bership. Solomon Islands’ministry to training womenfor leadership commencedthrough GFS Australia someyears ago; in January itwas accepted as the worldwide mission project. Fund-ing will support a Train theTrainer program over thenext three years and per-sonnel, supported byGrafton Diocese.The 2008-2011 Papua

New Guinea world project,providing training and pro-duction of children’s min-istry resources based onthe Lectionary, was com-pleted thanks to Val Grib-ble, Cheryl Selvege andother GFS leaders.Australian GFS has agreed

to finance followup trainingand maintenance of theGFS Training CommunityCentre in Poppendetta.In South Korea, the GFS

Café Grace project has ex-

Photo: Annette Lade

continued next page

February 2012 Our Diocese - Youth, Family and Children’s Ministries 11


from previous page

panded to two cafes, eachproviding training and em-ployment for North Koreanrefugee girls.GFS has commenced a

World Emergency ReliefFund, inspired in reaction tothe Japan Tsunami aroundthe time of the last WorldCouncil. The Australiantrading table at the IrelandCouncil meeting raisedmore than $1000 for thefund.Australian GFS is prepar-

ing a proposal to host the2017 World Council inPerth.National secretary of Cebs

The Anglican Boys Society,Chris Oliver, reported oncurrent initiatives and vi-sion for boys ministry andMothers’ Union Australiavice chairman, Kaye Healy,reported on MU’s ministry,much of which is comple-mentary to our work amongwomen and girls.Attendees at the gathering

were privileged to have theservices of Dr Jenny Bick-more-Brand, who led usthrough a series of work-shops for ministry and per-sonal growth. Initially wewere challenged to view ourministry’s statement of pur-pose within a frameworkwhich encouraged inten-tional programs focusing onGod, self knowledge,growth and community andoutreach. A consciousness and con-

tinual evaluation of our corebusiness, gifts, skills (trea-sures) and new initiativeswas encouraged.Jenny Bickmore-Brand led

us through personal reflec-tions based on ideas fromRick Warren’s book, A Pur-pose Driven Life. As individ-uals, we were given spaceto reflect on how Godshapes us for our ministry,through our spiritual gifts,heart, abilities, personalityand experience, SHAPE.This conference can benoted as one of the experi-ences which has encour-aged us for our ministry inthe diocese and beyond.A social day out was much

enjoyed where an intro-ductory DVD on the life andtragic death of C Y O’Con-nor, engineer of Fremantleharbour and the WesternAustralia water pipeline.This inspired the bus route. The final service was held

at Swanbourne parishwhere Bishop Goldsworthycommissioned the new ex-ecutive for the next trien-nium. Ms Julie Smith,current Tasmanian GFSchairman, has been electedas national chairman.Our Gippsland council par-

ticipants, Gary Prosser,Lauren Jankovic, Mary andGraeme Nicholls, Dean andMatthew Prosser weregreatly appreciative of theencouragement and spon-sorship received from Bal-larat Diocese, State GFS,Melbourne GFS and the PatFranklin Memorial fund.

Camp for kidsALL boys and girls aged

between 6 and 18 years areinvited to join us at thisyear’s diocesan Kidsplus+camp. Application Formswere sent to parishes lastNovember, however furtherforms can be obtained fromsecretary Carol Johnstone,03 5174 4885 or MaryNicholls, 03 5127 2929.The camp will be heldMarch 23 to 25; with a costof $120 per camper. Parishes are asked to con-

sider potential participantsand approved group lead-ers are most welcome toattend with their members.Offers of sponsorship ofchildren would be greatlyappreciated and enquiriesto obtain sponsorship arewelcome and should be for-warded through the tele-phone numbers above.Contributor: Mary Nicholls

TOP: Victorian and Gipps-land delegates at the Na-tional Council of GFSAustralia, held in WesternAustralia in January.ABOVE: Lauren Jankovic,Gippsland GFS chairman.

Photos: Mary Nicholls

RIGHT: The Christmasservices in Bairnsdaleparish were well attended;the family service onChristmas Eve popular, with130 family members at-tending. As well as carols,there were readings withchildren participating. Thelifelike figures of the nativ-ity by the communion railadded to the atmosphere atthe midnight Eucharist.

Photo: Judi Hogan

THE Crib service held at StPauls, Korumburra beganthe Christmas celebrationswith about 140 parents andchildren present to partici-pate in the presentation ofthe Christmas story.Carol singing opened the

service and then Santa ar-rived and gave each child acandle. He then sat downand began to tell his elvesabout the true meaning ofChristmas. At intervals inthe story, while appropriatecarols were sung, childrenbrought parts of the nativ-ity scene (right) and putthem in place in the ‘stable’at the front of the church.When this was complete,Santa told the elves theyneeded to give their heartsto Jesus (below right). They were a bit reluctant,

trying to leave their heartsby the manger, but whenthey moved away theirhearts came with them. Fi-nally Santa had to use hisspecial scissors to cut thestrings tying up their heartsand so the elves were ableto give their hearts toJesus. In return Jesus gavethem new hearts filled withlove; these on the nightcame in the form of choco-late hearts which the elveshanded to each person asthey left the church at theconclusion of the service.

Photos: Lyn Gilbert

AT St Mary’s Morwell, theSunday School involvedmany children in an involv-ing play, led by ReverendJoedy Meers, about theChristmas story; the starrole was the innkeeper.Everyone in the congrega-tion helped the child actors,supplying sound effects forthe story, such as theknocking on the door andthe innkeeper’s snoring. For some years, St Mary’s

has hosted the Carols byCandlelight for the city ofMorwell. The parish is sup-ported by Rotary whichsupplies a barbecue, sopeople can meet for a mealbefore the carols.At the children’s service

on Christmas Eve, childrendressed as shepherds, wisemen and angels. The fig-ures of Joseph and Marywalked around the churchon their way to Bethlehem.The service finished with amodern rendition of the 12Days of Christmas in whichchildren held up numberposters.

Contributor: C Raymond

Christmas among the parishes

12 Our Diocese - Family and Children’s Ministries February 2012


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Bain M and Horton L (2011) Me Too! Plan-ning, starting and running a ministry withchildren. RRP $25.

By Jo White

ME Too! is a training program designed for smallchurches to prepare for or enhance their ministryto children. Me Too! is presented as two CDs so ac-cess to a computer and some simple computerskills are needed to use this training tool.Disc one contains all the video presentations for

the program while disc two conveniently providesall the documents needed to run the training pro-gram. It is simply a matter of loading the disc, se-lecting the document, printing a copy andphotocoping the materials for each session. Disc two also provides material for God’s Big Res-

cue, a 14 week Children’s Ministry Program. Thisprogram does not need many leaders or elaborateresources and could be used as a holiday program,on camp or as an afterschool program. The first thing you notice about the video pre-

sentations, is these are Australian presenters. MattBain and Libby Horton present their ideas clearlywithout resorting to fancy tricks or flash graphics.It’s like having the best trainer come to yourchurch. The downside is you cannot ask questions. The

upside is you can replay what they said and workthrough suggested outcomes together, while build-ing a strong sense of ownership and team work.Each training module (of which there are six)

takes about one-and-a-half hours to complete andincludes times for the practical application of newlearning. The material is based on sound educa-tion principles and Biblical examples. The presen-tation of ideas respects the children to whom theministry is directed and those undertaking train-ing. At every step, projected outcomes are pro-vided and good clear summaries help reinforcelearning. The material is broken up by visuals and activi-

ties, provided via participant worksheets. Eachmodule builds on the previous one, so it is impor-tant those who decide to serve God as children’sministers are able to commit to six sessions. Doingthe activities together will help build a strong andsupportive team but, if someone was unable to at-tend a session, they could catch up on their own.I particularly liked the Ministry Environment Audit

(module two), a challenging activity but one offer-ing a chance for those involved to discuss andrecord how they wish to minister; what that mightlook like in their context; what the current ministryis like; and what needs to change.Having things like this written down provides a

great evaluation tool and an excellent motivationto effect change and celebrate achievements.The leader’s notes are extremely thorough. It is

important as a leader to prepare well so everythingruns smoothly. This material is ‘fool proof’. Every-thing has been carefully set out so the leaderknows exactly what will be required prior to eachtraining session. This kind of detail gives anyonethe support they might need to confidently leadthe training course. The expected outcomes set the scene for each

session. A list of needs sets out everything theleader will require, right down to paper and pen-cils; you could use this list as a checklist or evendelegate this part of the preparation. I really likedhow the leader’s preparation included a list ofthings to pray for. The session agenda which follows these prepara-

tions is set out, including when to play and whento stop the DVD, as well as little suggestions to ei-ther farewell the group or (if you are continuing onto module two) direct the group to refreshmentsand a break.

The participants’ handouts follow the same for-mat as the leader’s notes. They include expectedoutcomes and activity instructions identical tothose contained in the leader’s notes. Activities re-quiring written responses are carefully set out soparticipants are guided to review and reinforcenew learning. These handouts are an essential partof the training program but also offer a way to takehome and review learning. Again, there are suggestions for prayer at the end

of each session. For example, pray for children youknow and the ministry you hope to have to and

pray with them.Both the leader’s notes and the participant’s

handouts are clearly set out with the minimum useof colour so printing costs are kept low.God’s Big Rescue is a separate children’s ministry

program, serving as an example of what can bedone following the training program offered in MeToo! The program offers a very quick summary ofsalvation history. It chooses key stories in theoverall flow of the Bible to help young people tracethe great themes of God’s ownership of the worldand the work of salvation through Jesus.The purchase of the Me Too! Package allows free

use of God’s Big Rescue for the purposes of Chris-tian ministry within the context for which it wasoriginally purchased; however it cannot bechanged, modified or claimed as your own. Withinthis context, owners of Me Too! can make unlim-ited copies of the files provided.This program is again clear and beautifully set out

step by step. Pictures, games and stories are pro-vided in full. Suggestions for songs are also pro-vided; largely from Colin Buchanan, an AustralianChristian musician whose CDs are easily available.Each session includes introductory questions, a

kind of attention grabber; a time to pray; a game,usually chosen to support the theme’ a song (ifyou have a live musician, so much the better); astory, presented in a variety of ways throughoutthe program; a skit or a dramatised interview, thescript for which is included in full; an activity, thematerials are not too difficult to come by; a time toreview with a quick quiz; and a time to pray andfarewell the children.The 14 sessions include 12 sessions for children

and two sessions for parents or carers to attend.This would be a great time to celebrate and linkthe children and their families into whatever else ishappening in the life of your local ministry setting.

Color-in picture: Mary Jones and her bible

Copyright: Bible Society of Australia

Children’s ministry

February 2012 Our Diocese - Missions and Ministries 13


THE Anam Cara Commu-nity’s mission is to providesupport, fellowship and re-sources for those who aremaking the inner journeyinto God. Each year, a num-ber of events are held on aSaturday across the dioceseand in Canberra. Theseevents are designed for pil-grims to come together,learn and encounter God.Everyone is welcome to at-tend any event and infor-mation about membershipof the community is avail-able at an event or on thewebsite www.anamcara-community.orgThe first event for 2012

will be held on Saturday,March 11, at Christ ChurchDrouin, learning about theway of Christian medita-tion. The day will be pre-sented by Ms Ruth Fowler, asenior teacher from theAustralian Christian Medita-tion Community. Ruth was the co-founder

of the Christian meditationcommunity in Australia in1985 and led the commu-nity in its formative earlyyears. She is national coor-dinator of the School forChristian Meditation and inthis capacity has presentedSchool weekends in Aus-tralia and New Zealand. She also contributes at an

international level as amember of the Interna-tional Resource Group of‘The School’ to develop re-sources for the WCCM. Ruthleads a meditation groupand has given many pre-sentations to groups inter-ested in ChristianMeditation. She has lived in western

and eastern monastic set-tings and is interested inthe points of meeting be-tween the two.Everyone is welcome to

attend this activity, begin-ning at 9.30am with re-freshments and concludingwith worship at 4pm. Atten-dees should bring their ownlunch. Tea and coffee sup-plied. A small donation of$5 or $10 is suggested. Forfurther information, contactColin Thornby, [email protected] or telephone 0403776402.Meditation is a universal

spiritual wisdom and apractice we find at the coreof all the great religious tra-ditions, leading from themind to the heart. It is away of simplicity, silenceand stillness. It can be practised by any-

one from wherever they areon their life’s journey. It isonly necessary to be clearabout the practice and thento begin; and keep on be-ginning.In Christianity, this tradi-

tion became marginalisedand even forgotten or sus-pect. In recent times, re-covery of the contemplativedimension of Christian faithhas been happening. Cen-tral to this is rediscovery ofa practice of meditation inthe Christian tradition thatcomes to us from the earlyChristian monks, the DesertFathers and Mothers and al-lows us to put into practicethe teaching of Jesus onprayer in a radical and sim-ple way.John Main, a Roman

Catholic Benedictine monk,has a major role in this con-temporary renewal of thecontemplative tradition. Histeaching of this ancient tra-dition of prayer is rooted inthe Gospels and the earlyChristian monastic traditionof the Desert.Meditation has the capac-

ity to open up the commonground between all culturesand faiths today. Whatmakes meditation Chris-tian? Firstly, the faith withwhich you meditate, somesense of personal connec-tion with Jesus; then thehistorical scriptural and the-ological tradition in whichwe meditate.Also, the sense of commu-

nity it leads to: ‘when twoor three pray together inmy name, I am thereamong them’; the othermeans by which our spiri-tual life is nourished, theother forms of prayer likescripture, sacraments andworship. Meditation doesnot replace other forms ofprayer. Quite the reverse; itrevives their meaning. Finally, but also primarily,

we meditate to take the at-tention off ourselves. In theChristian tradition it is seenas a work of love. It is notsurprising then if we findwe become more lovingpeople as a result of medi-tating and this will expressitself in all our relation-ships, our work and oursense of service especially.Meditation helps people of

all ages and cultures find asimple and practical way toawaken and deepen theirspiritual life. Children canand do meditate and theirexample shows us all howsimple and natural it is.Contributor: Colin Thornby

Anam Cara encouragesmeditation

ABOVE: Church recordsdating back to the 1870sand all handwritten are nowconverted into digital im-ages, thanks to collabora-tion between St PhillipsAnglican Church, Phillip Is-land and District Genealog-ical Society and PhillipIsland Historical Society. Avaluable archive of all An-glican church baptisms,marriages and burials arenow preserved onto com-puter discs. David Rathgendelivered a copy of theserecords to Margaret Han-cock, secretary, St Phillip’schurch and John Janssonof Phillip Island HistoricalSociety. Other churchrecords will be similarlyrecorded in due course. Allenquiries for family tree re-search are welcome by thePhillip Island GenealogicalSociety on 59523736 or [email protected].

Contributor: D. Rathgen

ABOVE: At a Mothers’ Union working bee at Warragul, be-fore Christmas, Jeanette Blackstock, Jenny MacRobb,Hazel Carne, Jan Osborne and Ethel Armstrong wrappeddolls and gifts for Anglicare. Some dolls were new, somepreloved and renovated. The dolls are hopefully to go toSudanese refugees.

Photo: Bev Foster

Reaching out

CHURCHES across Aus-tralia gave generously tothe Christmas Bowl, help-ing rebuild communitiesand save lives in some ofthe most conflict-ravagedregions of the world. TheChristmas Bowl is the an-nual program of Act forPeace, the international aidagency of the NationalCouncil of Churches in Aus-tralia. Funds raised willsupport Act for Peace’spartners who are helpingmore than one million peo-ple affected by conflictworldwide.Churches in Victoria and

Tasmania have thrown theirsupport behind the Christ-mas Bowl. The BrightonCovenant Churches, agroup of Anglican, Catholic,Uniting, Churches of Christ,Baptist and Assemblies ofGod churches in suburbanMelbourne, have for eightyears held a street collec-tion outside the local super-market in Brighton, withvolunteers from eachchurch collecting donations.Act for Peace executive di-

rector, Alistair Gee, said:“In 2012, thanks to theChristmas Bowl, Act forPeace will be able to imple-ment food security pro-grams in Zimbabwe,provide health care in re-mote northern Pakistan,support refugees living incamps along the Thailand–Burma border and more.

Generousto the Bowl

14 Our Diocese - Celebrating Ordained Women February 2012


By Jeanette Severs

REVEREND Elizabeth Al-fred, born in 1914, was just17 years old when she feltGod’s call to ministry. Thiswas at a time when the op-tions for women in generalin society and in the Angli-can Church in Australiawere limited. Elizabeth thought to live a

life of ministry in thechurch, for example, as acurate, meant she wouldhave to marry a clergyman.Elizabeth Alfred went on to

be an inspiration to otherwomen with her courageand commitment and, 20years ago in December,1992, she was the firstwoman ordained priest inthe Anglican church in Vic-toria.Elizabeth Alfred was born

and raised a country girl.She was born in Yarra-wonga and moved with herfamily to Bairnsdale whenshe was three year’s old.Elizabeth completed herprimary schooling in Bairns-dale, graduating as equaldux of Bairnsdale PrimarySchool (754) at the end ofgrade six when she was 10.Elizabeth was one of sixgirls, with an older brother,and the family worshippedat St John’s Bairnsdale,where Elizabeth joined thechoir.“I went to Sunday school

and church. I loved singingthe canticles and psalms.When I was nine and a half,I decided I would go tochurch every Sunday andsing in the choir,” she said.Elizabeth’s father, a bank

manager, was also choirmaster and both parentswere very involved in thechurch.The family moved to

Bendigo after Elizabethcompleted primary school,where they joined the AllSaints parish. She joinedthe brownies troupe of StPaul’s Anglican church inBendigo, progressing toguides at All Saints whenshe was 14.Elizabeth’s continued as a

guide well into her adult-hood, eventually serving anumber of years on StateCouncil.“I found guiding a wonder-

fully fulfilling life, like my

work in ministry,” she saidrecently.When she was 18, her fa-

ther retired and the familymoved to Melbourne. Eliza-beth, as already men-tioned, felt a strong callingto ministry, but did not feelcalled to be a missionary orto the sisterhood of theCommunity of the HolyName. Nor did she feel acall to the work of Dea-conesses.She applied for nursing. In

the meantime, she was of-fered a role as typist at GirlGuides headquarters inMelbourne and took this up,rejecting an offer to train asa nurse.The family joined the con-

gregation of St John’s EastMalvern, when Elizabethjoined the choir and be-came part of St John’s fel-lowship, a congregation ofyoung people worshippingin St John’s East Malvernand in Latrobe Street in thecity.She recalls during this

time her spiritual life wasdeveloping deeply. Then,several people said signifi-cant things either to her orin her hearing.In one conversation with

Mrs Baker, the wife of thethen Bishop of Bendigoagain urged Elizabeth tospeak to Deaconess Kath-leen. Percy Baldwin, chap-lain at St John’s EastMalvern, in an address said,if you are a Christian, youshould be doing a job thatis worthwhile, making a dif-ference. Canon Hudson, ofSt Paul’s Cathedral in Mel-bourne, preached thatsometimes you have got totake your courage in bothhands.Elizabeth was running a

guide company and hadcompleted the first year ofa ThA at Ridley, with theencouragement of PadreGordon. She knew she didnot feel called to being asister of the Community ofthe Holy Name and had herdoubts about being a Dea-coness. She found out fromDeaconess Kathleen whatdeaconess students weredoing.“I felt God wanted me to

do this work, such as parishvisiting and running youthgroups,” she said.

“I applied for and was ac-cepted as a student at Dea-coness House andcontinued studying the sec-ond year of the ThA.“At the end of my first

year in Deaconess House,they wondered what to dowith me. Normally, awoman would study thetwo years of the ThA duringher training at DeaconessHouse, but here was I, hav-ing completed it at the endof my first year. So theysent me off to Ridley tostudy the ThL.”At about the time she was

graduating from the degreethree years later, MelbourneUniversity began a coursefor youth leaders.Elizabeth was enrolled and

took up one more year oftraining. At this time shewas already working as atraining women’s worker atSt Mark’s Fitzroy.She felt an ambition to be

a professional youth leaderin the Anglican church buteventually answered God’scall to be a Deaconess andwas ordained in 1944. Shespent the next three yearsat St Mark’s and remem-bers her “admiration for themost remarkable people inFitzroy”.Her life in ministry contin-

ued in Melbourne diocese,with only two years else-where; one year in Englandas a tutor in missionarywork and one year inBendigo teaching Divinity atGirton Grammar College.(Elizabeth is now the old-

est living ex-Girtonian.)

Battle beginsAS the poem states ‘There

was movement at the sta-tion ...’ and internationallythe movement was for theordination of women in theAnglican Church (or Churchof England). The firstwoman to be ordained apriest occurred in HongKong, although there wasvery quick pressure appliedto the Bishop to reverse thedecision. In England, women began

to believe they could be or-dained to the three-foldministry.In the 1960s, Archbishop

Woods called together acommittee, chaired byBishop Muston and peopledby Elizabeth, in her role asprincipal of DeaconessHouse, the ReverendMother of the Order of theHoly Name and others.“That’s when the battle

began in earnest in Mel-bourne. We began to be-lieve women could becomedeacons,” she said.Bishop Muston travelled to

England and took somepersonal time to speak withother Bishops and learnabout the Movement for theOrdination of Women(MOW).“He returned to Australia

and said we need to be pre-

pared to push for women tobe ordained priests.”Melbourne Synod was only

prepared to accept Dea-conesses if they sat in theHouse of Laity. Elizabeth re-members feeling angryabout this as she knew theDeaconesses in Gippslandsat in the House of Clergy.The Archbishop wanted torecommend a reluctantElizabeth be elected toSynod.“But Bishop Arnott said it

was the only way at thetime for the Deaconesses tohave a voice and it was im-portant women were repre-sented,” and Elizabethagreed. She was one of twowomen at Synod and joinedMOW, which was growing inAustralia.(Bishop Arnott had taken

the position of Bishop Mus-ton, who had moved toPerth, Western Australia.)During this time, Eliza-

beth, in her role as principalof Deaconess House, usu-ally supervised five traineeDeaconesses but the size ofthe building meant theycould take in boarders.From her nine years in therole, Elizabeth rememberswomen who were kinder-garten teachers, a womanfrom Korea and one fromZimbabwe who were study-ing other courses and twodomestic science teachersfrom Tanzania who werestudying for post graduatequalifications at EmilyMcPherson College.Elizabeth negotiated for

teachers to travel to Dea-coness House from the uni-versity in Parkville, ratherthan the Deaconessestravel from Fairfield, whichwas a fair distance.After nine years, Elizabeth

had completed an addi-tional CPE qualification andsought advice on where hervocation lay, as she felt hertime as principal of Dea-coness House needed tocome to an end.“I had this feeling within

me that God wanted me tomove on.”In 1970, Elizabeth began

working as a full time chap-lain at Royal Women’s Hos-pital in Melbourne. She feltcomfortable in this role but

uncomfortable with howshe was being treated.“It took them about a year

to make up their mindsthey would have me,” shesaid.“I convinced them my role

was to listen, not preach.”(Fortunately, Elizabeth sat

next to a hospital boardmember at lunch one dayand this woman explainedwhy they were unsure ofher; it was because theythought she might interferewith the doctor’s work andpray over the patients. Eliz-abeth was able to reassurethe board and everyone re-laxed about having a chap-lain in the hospital.)

Wish grantedELIZABETH retired on Jan-

uary 10, 1979 but main-tained an active interest inMOW, which had becomenationwide by this time,and the politics of ordainingwomen.When the decision was fi-

nally made to ordainwomen as deacons, Eliza-beth was quick to ask theArchbishop to include her.“Because I had been

working so hard for it, forso long and I realised Godwas calling me to this,” shesaid.“I spoke to Archbishop

Penman about my wish tobe ordained and how I feltthat if I came out aboutthis, other women wouldfeel inspired in seeking tobe ordained.”On June 2, 1986, Elizabeth

was the second woman inthe first group of women tobe ordained deacon in Vic-toria. The first woman wasMarjory McGregor, who wasthe senior Deaconess at thetime. The first group of women

were all Deaconesses, ex-cept Kate Proud who was aministry student. (Kate wasordained at the same timeas her husband, Roger.) The other women were

Olive Dyson, Kay Goldswor-thy (now Bishop of Perth,WA), Angela Carter, CarlieHannah and Bessie Pereira.Six years later, however,

Elizabeth Alfred had thedistinction of being the firstwoman ordained priest inVictoria, on December 13,1992.(I interviewed Elizabeth in

January this year, after sheturned 98, and I found hera delightful, articulate,humerous woman, still pas-sionate about women inministry. She said she praysevery Tuesday for thewomen clergy of the Gipps-land Diocese and Dea-coness Nancy Drew.)

ABOVE: Reverend ElizabethAlfred in June last year atthe 25 year celebration inMelbourne of the firstwomen ordained deacon.

Photo: Anglican Media Melbourne

A priest with courage and commitment

February 2012 Our Diocese - Faith Issues 15


By Dr Don Saines and Dr Colin Thornby

CONTROVERSY in thechurch has been a commonexperience throughout itshistory. One only has toread the Hebrew Scriptureto realise differences ofopinion and practice pre-date the coming of Christ.Most of our Christian theol-ogy was sharpened, andoften changed, in the faceof controversy and debate,especially as these relatedto our understanding of thenature of God’s savinggrace through Christ in theSpirit.Very early, the church had

to come to terms with anencounter with differentpeople and different cul-tural practice. The ApostlePeter’s God-given visionopens the way for a moreexpansive understanding ofthe people of God; butPeter took some convinc-ing. When he hears the tes-timony of the Romancenturion Cornelius, hisconclusion is: “God hasshown me that I should notcall anyone profane or un-clean” [Acts 10.28]. Controversies have contin-

ued, including over the dateof Easter, the role of thePope, the nature of thechurch, the nature of Jesus,the forms of ministry andso on. In more moderntimes, we are familiar withsignificant controversiesover the ministry of womenin the church and the pas-toral care of divorced peo-ple. The use ofcontraception for birth con-trol, we might be surprisedto realise, was a key ethicalissue frowned upon by theLambeth gathering of Angli-can Bishops until the mid-20th century and later.Some of the issues in the

life of the Church are smalland are, perhaps, mattersover which we can agree todisagree; they are ‘thingsthat do not make a differ-ence’ to the heart of ourChristian faith (for whichthe term in Greek is adi-aphora). Part of the prob-lem the church has isdefining what things mightbe termed adiaphora andabout which Christians canlegitimately disagree whileremaining in fellowship. Akey issue in our discern-ment here is the way weread and interpret theScriptures. At present, there are a

number of issues causingdivision, pain and disorderin the life of the church. Theplace of people in thechurch who are of homo-sexual orientation has beenand remains an issue forsome within the church andhas been an issue that hascaused hurt and divisionwithin our Anglican Com-munion. At the core of thisdifference is the disagree-ment about the nature of

the Bible and the ways itcan be interpreted andused. The 1998 Lambeth confer-

ence has been for Anglicanssomething of a watershedin this matter of differenceand fellowship. At this 1998conference, the issues ofsame sex unions and atti-tudes within the church topeople of homosexual ori-entation led to a specialcommission set up by theArchbishop of Canterburyon how to deal with diver-sity and conflict. This has led to the devel-

opment of the AnglicanCommunion Covenant cur-rently being considered byAnglican provinces aroundthe world. It grows out of arealisation that, as achurch, we need to grow inour relationship, trust andresponsibility to each other. A decade later, at the 2008

Lambeth Conference, in re-sponse to high levels ofconflict and discord, thebishops present committedthemselves to a process de-signed to provide a theolog-ical way of exploring theissues and seeking thecommon mind of thechurch. This way is knownas the ‘Listening Process’and although it is com-monly thought of only inconnection with questionsabout homosexual people,it is, in fact, a communica-tion process about whichwe can all learn. This verymuch echoed the call in2003 by the Archbishop ofCape Town, who pleadedfor “an ethic of together-in-difference”.There is in this listening

process a strong Christianethic; though not limited orunique to Christians, ofcourse. It can be thought ofas a helpful and healthyway of being in communityor in relationship with oth-ers more generally. Too often our communica-

tion as Christians has in-strumental value at its fore;what we can get out of it orachieve in terms of what wethink is right or wrong. Nomarriage or friendship willever survive this way of re-lating. The listening process is a

respectful way of encoun-tering the world andthought of another personor group to whom you arelistening and, correspond-ingly, a commitment ontheir part of encounteringyour world and thought.There is no presumptionthe process will result inagreement or disagree-ment, it is simply an at-tempt to be presenttogether, honestly, respect-fully and empathetically. It is designed to bring

people together, askingquestions such as ‘Whatwould I feel in that situa-tion?’, ‘What would I havedone?’ ‘How does that per-son think, what is her world

view?’ rather than, ‘Howcan I counter that argu-ment?’The listening process is

therefore not a debate. It isa meeting of people, not anattempt to persuade orseek a compromise. It isalso not intended to definetheology or win the theo-logical argument. Anglicans‘do theology’ through thelens of Bible, tradition andreason. We also, today, add expe-

rience and learning fromthe human sciences as partof our understanding ofreason. All this goes towardour Anglican way of inter-preting scripture and ofdoing theology. Anglicans have a high doc-

trine of scripture but wehave a living faith and An-glicans have always heldthe view the church is the‘guardian and interpreter’of holy scripture. Scriptureis never to be viewed in iso-lation from a community ofinterpretation. Our commu-nity listening may influencetheology and, inevitably,will change the way wespeak in different times andcontexts about God’s greatlove for the world.In July last year Bishop

John McIntyre asked theTheology Working Group inthis diocese to oversee alistening process withinGippsland Diocese. TheGroup is convened by DeanDr Don Saines and includesMr Peter Anderson,Archdeacon Edie Ashley,Reverend Bruce Charles,Rev. Greg Magee, CanonAmy Turner and Dr ColinThornby. The aim of thegroup is to find a way of im-plementing the listeningprocess and developing itas a model for us to usewhen we encounter dis-agreements in our life to-gether. The group has met twice

and is planning to run a se-ries of events throughout2012 and provide resourcesto support the listeningprocess. Linked to this isthe provision of resourcesto encourage us to thinkabout how we understandand use the Bible. Your prayers for the work

of the group is welcome, aswill any feedback you have. Further reading: Philip Groves (ed) (2007)

The Anglican Communionand Homosexuality: A Re-source to enable listeningand dialogue; London:SPCK.Introduction by Michael

Kirby, foreword by BillCountryman (2011) FiveUneasy Pieces: Essays onScripture and Sexuality;Adelaide: ATF.Church of Australia Doc-

trine Panel; Faithfulness inFellowship: Reflections onHomosexuality and theChurch: Papers from theDoctrine Panel of the Angli-can Church of Australia.

Listening in GippslandTHE Listening Process within the

Anglican Communion is availableonline for study, athttp://www.angl icancommu-nion.org/listening/index.cfmThe Gippsland Anglican briefly

outlines the content of these on-line pages, particularly for readerswithout access to the internet. Inthe online pages you will find re-sources to assist your church inthe commitment of the AnglicanCommunion to listen to the expe-rience of gay and lesbian people.The pages also contain a sum-

mary of the work of monitoring theresponse of the provinces of theCommunion to the commitmentmade by bishops at the 1998 Lambeth Conference to lis-ten to ‘homosexual persons’. These summaries were pre-pared in 2007.There is also an introduction to the work of Mutual Lis-

tening requested by ACC-13 and following ACC–14 beingtaken forward in Continuing Indaba.What is on these pages?What is the Listening Process?: This page sets out an un-

derstanding of what is meant by a Listening Process ingeneral terms. It encourages you to be involved whereyou are. You can also refer to chapters one and two of TheAnglican Communion and Homosexuality.Listening to the experience of gay and lesbian people:

This page sets out some general principles for listening tothe experience of homosexual persons; a commitmentmade on behalf of the Anglican Communion by the bish-ops at the 1998 Lambeth Conference. You can also referto chapters two, six and seven of The Anglican Commun-ion and Homosexuality.Practical advice: This section offers some practical ad-

vice for those seeking to commit themselves to listeningto the experience of gay and lesbian people. You can alsorefer to chapter two of The Anglican Communion and Ho-mosexuality.The Anglican Communion and Homosexuality: These

pages support the book published by SPCK in 2008; it of-fers resources and insights from across the Communion.It has been commended by a wide range of people and isa unique resource for listening. The webpages offer theintroduction to the book in full and each chapter, bibli-ographies and additional resources linked to source texts.Contributions from around the world: These pages have

contributions submitted to the ACO office from around theworld and allow you to hear the voices of a number of per-spectives. You can also refer to chapters three, four, fiveand eight of The Anglican Communion and Homosexual-ity.Reports from the Provinces: These pages present the re-

sult of the monitoring process of 2006. Provinces wereasked to summarise how they responded to the commit-ment of their bishops to listen to the experience of ho-mosexual persons. The agreed summaries were publishedin 2007 and are available on these pages.Mutual Listening: ACC-13 asked the Communion Office

to facilitate mutual listening. ACC–14 endorsed the Con-tinuing Indaba project as a practical response to this re-quest. Continuing Indaba is a journey of conversation tostrengthen relationships for mission. Continuing Indabahas its own section on the Communion Website.

The Listening Process

16 Our Diocese - Faith Issues February 2012


Col, Pal & Brad SemmensFUNERAL DIRECTORS

~Servicing Gippsland~Maffra 5147 1954Sale 5144 1954Heyfield 5148 3354

24 Hour Service

Our Family Caring For Your Family Since 1979Brad Pal Col

Perspective ...on being AustralianBy Sue Jacka

WE have just celebratedAustralia Day. What does‘being Australian’ mean toyou? My father grew up in a mi-

grant family. His parentsleft England with one youngson and, although my fa-ther was born here, he wasvery conscious of Englandas ‘home’. He had no relatives in Aus-

tralia until his uncle’s fam-ily migrated after my fatherwas already married. Dad encouraged me to be-

friend migrant children,who were always welcomeat our place. My life was en-riched as I experiencedGreek dancing, sampledErika’s Jewish treats atschool (I lived in Ormond)and helped classmate Markfrom Poland (now a doctor)with his English grammar. I grew, along with Aus-

tralian society, because weopened our neighborhoodsand our lives to these im-migrants. We know howmuch they have con-tributed to our nation, inwealth, cultural diversityand compassion. In Gippsland, our farming

and mining communitiesparticularly benefittedgreatly from the contribu-tions of people who wereborn ‘across the seas’. Aus-tralians have always saidwe value giving people ‘afair go’ and want to see ajust and compassionate so-ciety. Many would see our coun-

try is based on Christianvalues of Jesus’ golden rule,‘Do unto others as youwould have them do toyou’. As ambassadors ofJesus in our churches andlocal communities, we arecalled to speak out theGospel in our everydaylives. I recently read a damning

article from a Christian psy-chologist who worked atthe Woomera Immigrationcentre about the way our

current detention policiesadd further damage torefugees. Lyn Blender writes: “I wit-

nessed riots, hungerstrikes, escapes, attemptedsuicides (including by chil-dren as young as 10 yearsold) and depression so pro-found as to render the suf-ferer mute and inert. “I sat in the dust with de-

tainees and heard acountsof war, persecution, tortureand loss. “It was clear this environ-

ment was re-traumatisingand toxic. No treatmentcould neutralise this im-pact. What was needed bydetainees was ‘normal’ life.” From her experience, Lyn

Blender writes that asylumseekers display uncommonresilience and courage; adifferent image than thatthe media often portrays inits quest to sell a sensa-tional story. Blender con-cludes that refugees needto be accorded their legalrights under the refugeeconvention and to receivejustice and respect ratherthan their current treat-ment. You can read (or listen to)

the full article at www.eu-rekastreet.com.au January9, 2012 edition. As I pondered this report,

I wondered how many ofthe migrant families I grewup with would have beenlocked up while they were‘processed’. Would theyhave been able to over-come these additional prob-lems caused by detentionto contribute positively toour community? How do we respond as

people who seek to followJesus? For those of us fromparishes where there arefew recent arrivals, perhapswe can partner withparishes that have mem-bers for whom this is firsthand experience. Maybe inthe listening and under-standing, we can open our-selves to where the Spirit isleading us.

By David Pettett

CLARA is a widow aged in her earlynineties who lives in her own home, is anactive member of her local church and reg-ularly connects with her adult family. Formany years, Clara visited prisons and sup-ported the families of prisoners. She nowattends a regular hospital outpatient clinic.Clara and her therapist were talking as

she went through her exercises. She askedhim if he was born overseas or in Australia.His family is from the Middle East but hewas born here, attending a Catholic school.The therapist asked Clara what she

thought of the boat people issue. Clarasaid: “I think they should be processed inAustralia”. He replied he thought so andasked why Clara was so supportive of

mainland processing.Clara replied: “I guess we are like the

older brother in the parable of the prodigalson. God has given to us everything weneed so generously. We live in this beauti-ful land with food, clothing and shelter. Theelder brother did not want to share any ofthe Father’s things with his brother whenhe came back. If we don’t let other peoplein and share it, well, they might neverknow peace or have enough food and theymay never hear the Gospel of Jesus orknow its freedom; and if we close ourdoors, well, they might never hear it.”Clara calls this chattering the Gospel, en-

gaging in conversation about current is-sues and referring to the Gospel withoutneeding to ‘kick goals’.Source: Southern Cross, December 2011

Chattering the Gospel

TWENTY women fromcountries including Aus-tralia, Bangladesh, Ugandaand India will visit the An-glican United Nations Office(AUNO) next month to en-gage with the UN’s 56thCommission on the Statusof Women, which this yearhas ‘empowerment of ruralwomen’ as its prioritytheme.“Members of the Anglican

Communion have alwaysbeen involved with speak-ing out for and with thosesuffering injustice and theeffects of poverty,” saidRachel Chardon, SpecialAssistant at the AnglicanUnited Nations Office. “Increasingly Anglicans

around the world are recog-nising they share particularissues common to all theirprovinces: promoting birthregistration, the impact ofclimate change and envi-ronmental degradation, theabuse of women and girls.“One key Communion-

wide initiative, endorsed bya range of Primates andbishops, including the Arch-bishop of Canterbury, is thecampaign to end sexual vi-

olence. Anglicans and Epis-copalians worldwide are al-ready working with otherChristian traditions and theWorld Council of Churchesto address violence againstwomen.”The International Anglican

Women’s Network (IAWN)is helping to promote thisinitiative, one aiming to endan abuse affecting peopleworldwide. The Interna-tional Anglican Family Net-work (IAFN) is focussing ontackling violence withinfamilies.”At an event hosted by

AUNO, the Anglican womenwill hear a presentation onthe latest developments inthe campaign by the Angli-can Communion Office’sNetworks’ coordinator, Rev-erend Terrie Robinson.Other speakers includeprovincial delegate CanonJill Hopkinson, who is theNational Rural Officer forthe Church of England.Another topic for discus-

sion is the urgent need forclean, safe, sufficient waterfor all. Global water re-sources continue to be de-pleted due to rising global

temperatures, pollution andunsustainable extractionfrom rivers and deep wateraquifers. Commodification of water

restricts access for vulnera-ble communities andcauses ecological harm inthe name of profit. The Anglican UN Office

and Anglican CommunionEnvironmental Network arepursuing a program of edu-cation and advocacy aroundthese issues.Other topics to be dis-

cussed at the event includeIAFN’s emerging initiativeto promote universal birthregistration, empoweringwomen and girls and thescourge of human traffick-ing.Note: The women attend-

ing are from Australia,Bangladesh, Burundi,Canada, Haiti, Japan,Kenya, Korea, NewZealand, North India, Pak-istan, Philippines, Scotland,South Africa, Tanzania,Uganda, United Kingdomand the United States.

Source: http://www.an-glicancommunion.org/acns/news.cfm

Empowering rural women a priority

THE Archbishop of CapeTown, Dr Thabo Makgoba,has written to the Arch-bishop of Canterbury, re-flecting on the AnglicanCovenant as “necessary”for Anglicans “in recallingus to ourselves” and urgingthe provinces to vote infavor of the Covenant. He argues the Covenant

must be considered on thebasis of its ability to helpAnglicans recover their truevocation within God’s One,Holy, Catholic and ApostolicChurch. This includes grow-ing more fully into the lifeof “mutual responsibilityand interdependence”which the 1963 TorontoCongress identified andfrom which the Communionhas since drifted. Recalling how the Com-

munion was able to stand insolidarity with SouthernAfrica in the past, he seesthe Covenant as being aneffective vehicle for morefully expressing Anglican-ism’s theological, pastoraland missional understand-ings and callings. Therefore, he says, it is a

mistake to focus too nar-

rowly either on the dis-agreements around humansexuality, or on seekinglegally or structurally basedsolutions to current Angli-can difficulties. The identityof the Communion’s mem-ber churches “should notprincipally be conveyedthrough legal prisms,whether of some form ofcentralising authority, or ofprovinces” constitutionsand canon law which mustbe “safeguarded” from ex-ternal “interference”.’ Though recognising the

reality of human fallibility,the Communion should lookto “the salvific work ofJesus Christ” and put itstrust in him, rather thanappearing to seek struc-tural or legal solutions to itsdifficulties. He sees theCovenant as a means fordoing this, since it “placesGod’s vision for God’sChurch and God’s worldcentre-stage; and then in-vites us to live into this asour ultimate and overridingcontext and calling”. Source: http://www.angli-

cancommunion.org/acns/news.cfm

THE Anglican Allianceisseeking views on develop-ment, relief and advocacy.The Anglican Alliance has

launched an online consul-tation about the prioritiesto overcome poverty andinjustice worldwide. Youcan take part in the consul-tation, until February 29, athttps://www.surveymon-key.com/s/anglicanalliance The results will help the

Alliance take forward aglobal workplan on devel-opment, relief and advo-cacy. Anglicans in Africa, the Pa-

cific, Asia and Latin Amer-ica and the Caribbean wereconsulted over priorities forthe Anglican Alliance and asummary of the workplan isavailable on the AnglicanAlliance website.

Survey seeksAnglican views

Makgoba argues for Covenantbut against legal solutions

February 2012 Our Diocese - Parishes 17


ABOVE: It was open house at the Trafalgar rectory forNew Year’s Eve. During the evening, a good number ofparish families visited to enjoy some fellowship and givethanks for 2011. There was lots of talk about 2012 andour plans and hopes for it. Rhiannon Mason tried out thestilts, with a little bit of help. Her sister Charlotte Amelieenjoyed the Connect 4. The rectory garden provided apleasantly cool place for a bring and share meal.

Photo: Ross Jacka

ABOVE: The Australian Electoral Com-mission has issued a 2012 calendar com-memorating the 50th anniversary of theIndigenous right to vote. The Louderthan one voice calendar includes imagesof Indigenous community leaders andcultural identities. All are recognised byIndigenous Australians for their achieve-ments and community contributions. Fortheir part, the calendar participants arestrong advocates of other IndigenousAustralians exercising their democraticrights. In March 1962, the Common-wealth Electoral Act 1918 was amendedto allow Indigenous Australians to enrolto vote in federal elections, a changewhich enabled participation in the his-toric 1967 referendum. The calendar wasdesigned by Indigenous designers.

ABOVE and below: Early in January, the three parish centres of Cowes Phillip Islandcombined to hold the annual parish fair and a secondhand book stall. The fair has all theusual stalls, including lots of food, plus very popular visit from an animal nursery. In De-cember, the Centrelink travelling roadshow parked their van in the driveway of St Philip’sand were able to takeadvantage of our central position to inform many passersby of thebenefits and programs available.

Photos: Ralph Leditsche

18 Literary and Media Reviews February 2012


Genova L (2011) LeftNeglected; UnitedKingdom: Simon &Schuster

By Jeanette Severs

THIS work of fiction isheavily based in fact andthe quality of the work re-flects the extensive re-search of the writer. LeftNeglected is multi-layered,involving, insightful andeven amusing. Lisa Genovadeals with a number of sub-jects but in particular, andwith sensitivity, with the lit-tle-known syndrome of LeftNeglect.The main character, Sarah

Nickerson, is forced to goon a journey that is as con-fronting as it is unexpected.We meet Sarah as a career-obsessed wife and mother.Her constant refrain is, thatas a Harvard-educated per-son, she should be able tocome up with a solution toany and all problems andchallenges in her life. Thisincludes her love life withher husband, her relation-ship with her children, herhigh flying career and eventhe injuries resulting fromthe car accident that leavesher with traumatic brain in-jury and Left Neglect.Genova enables the reader

to travel with Sarah on herjourney as she learns abouther situation, participates inrehabilitation, comes toterms with her new life andher relationships; and re-alises what matters themost in her life. Her rela-tionship with God also

changes, from a cursory ac-knowledgement to moredeeply understanding therole of God in her life andhow Sarah can herself helpothers.Along the way she recon-

nects with her mother andcomes to terms with thelongterm effects after herbrother drowned whenSarah was six years old.Through Sarah’s journey

with Left Neglect, there areso many amusing passagesin the book it is apparentGenova’s sensitive researchenabled many of the peopleshe spoke to, to be frankabout their achievementsand their challenges as they

recover, or not, from LeftNeglect. The characters shehas drawn of each actor inSarah’s life, are sympa-thetic and believable; theseare people with flaws andstrengths who could be liv-ing next door to you or me.This is a story to remind

the reader how important itis to make time in life toenjoy our relationshipsfully, to make time tobreathe and be still, to lis-ten, to give of ourselves toothers and allow them togive of themselves to usand simply to be.Left Neglected is available

in Australia at bookstoresand department stores.

Book explores faith and life

Story of love and faithBrooks G (2011)Caleb’s Crossing;Fourth Estate.

By Sue Fordham

THE publisher’s blurb onthe back cover describesthis novel thus: “In 1665, ayoung man from Martha’sVineyard became the firstNative American to gradu-ate from Harvard College.From the few facts that sur-vive of his extraordinarylife, Geraldine Brooks cre-ates a luminous tale of loveand faith, magic and ad-venture”.While Caleb Chee-

shahteaumauk’s achieve-ment provides theframework on which Geral-dine Brooks hangs herstory, of equal import is thestory of Bethia, his Puritanfriend and supporter. An in-telligent girl, Bethia is de-nied the education shecraves because of her gen-der and strictures of the Pu-ritan world she lives in.Structurally, this book is

written in three parts, fol-lowed by an historical after-word. The first section, Great

Harbour 1660, details theearly years in which Bethiaand Caleb meet, develop anunsanctioned friendshipand Caleb is taken intoBethia’s missionary house-hold to be prepared for aneducation to equip him withthe skills and knowledge toconvert his people. In the second section,

Cambridge 1661, we seeCaleb, Bethia and Bethia’sbrother, Makepeace, moveto a preparatory school inCambridge so the boys maybe prepared for Matricula-tion and thence go on toHarvard University. Bethiatakes on an indentured roleto pay for her brother’s tu-ition.Section three, Great Har-

bour 1715, is a reflectiveaccount of what followedgraduation.The narrative voice is

Bethia’s as she becomes asort of diarist of what sheconcedes is a “dissonantand tragical lament”.

The story is freighted withinjustice, death, hardshipand disease. It covers thegamut of wars between theIndians and the English set-tlers, drought, epidemicsand fires. Yet, despite theblackness occasionally per-vading the narrative, thereis still the brief light ofhope; the faint hope whiteman and Indian may ulti-mately co-exist; the hopethat gender equality mayone day become the norm.But for the Christian, this

wonderful novel raises thedilemma that has faced somuch of mission activitythrough the past 2000years. So often, the imper-ative to convert has over-ridden the imperative toserve, with disastrous con-sequences to life and cul-ture. (Barbara Kingsolver’sThe Poisonwood Bible is themost graphic account of theworst of these excesses,with the best of motives, Ihave yet to read.)New ways of doing and

understanding mission, ofdoing and being the gospelrather than preaching it in arigidly prescriptive and ex-clusivist way, had yet tocome to the world of Puri-tan America. Some mighteven say to modern Amer-ica. The world of this novelis the one where the fleeingpersecuted Puritans be-come the persecutors intheir turn.It is only towards the end,

when Bethia seeks a way tohelp Caleb, that she isforced to compromise herChristian certainty to ac-commodate and accord re-spect to the Indian‘heathen’. It is only thenshe questions the Puritandogmatism that has formedher and remarks: “I havecome to believe that it isnot for us to know the sub-tle mind of God”.Amen to that, I say.This is a wonderful story.

The crossing of Caleb be-tween two cultures requireshim to back track a littlebecause, as Bethia discov-ers, it is not possible toabandon entirely all thathas formed the person.

Eldredge, J&S (2005) Captivating:Unveiling the mystery of a woman’ssoul. Tennessee: Nelson Books.

By Jeanette Severs

JOHN and Stasi Eldredge have written anumber of books, for men and women, toguide the reader to a fuller relationshipwith God and the life he wants us to live.Captivating is written for women and dis-

cusses subjects such as ‘The Heart of aWoman’, ‘Wounded’, ‘Healing the Wound’,‘Arousing Adam’, ‘Mothers, Daughters andSisters’ and ‘Warrior Princesses’. It includesprayers and inspirational quotes.In Captivating, the Eldredge’s discuss

women as the more complicated of the twogenders “trying to navigate love and lifetogether”. They write about a woman’sheart and soul as treasure with a rich fem-ininity that “speaks to us of the heart ofGod”.The authors encourage readers to get to-

gether with a group of woman friends toread and discuss Captivating and the mes-sages in the book. The text is, in particular,a guide for women to help men understandthem and their desires and spirituality.There is a guide book, Captivating: A

Guided Journal, the authors recommend tobe read with this book. Captivating is avail-able at Christian bookstores.

Woman’s heart speaks of God

February 2012 Literary and Media Reviews 19


Diocesan Calendar2012

TBA Blessing of Ena Sheumack House; Abbey of St Barnabas at A’Beckett Park, Raymond Island

Begins: International Year of People of African Descent, National Year of theFarmer, Year of Reading

February3 Intentional Pastoral Practice Seminar, Bishopscourt, Sale; 8.45am; contact

Archdeacon Heather Marten at the Registry, 03 5144 20444 Dinner with guest speaker, John Leslie OBE, Delbridge Hall, Sale; 6pm to

6.30pm; tickets $25/$20; enquiries and reservations to St Paul’s Cathedral office, 03 5144 2020 or email [email protected]

12 Harvest Festival, Lakes Entrance and Metung parish; auction proceeds to CMS.

14 Induction of Reverend David Head as priest-in-charge, Heyfield parish; 7.30pm

21 Shrove/Pancake Tuesday22 Ash Wednesday28 Mothers’ Union Executive meeting, Morwell; 9.30am to 11.30am; Karin

McKenzie, 03 5662 2148

March3 Safe Ministry Education, Christ Church Drouin; 10am to 12pm; ‘The Many

Faces of Trauma’ with Reverend Brenda Burney; contact Archdeacon Heather Marten or Registry office, 03 5144 2044 to register.

3 Safe Ministry Education, St Matthew’s Bruthen; 10am to 12pm; ‘The Many Faces of Trauma’ with Brian Norris; contact Archdeacon Heather Marten or Registry office, 03 5144 2044 to register.

6 Anglican Women of Australia Gippsland 50th celebration; 9.30am to 2.30pm; St Paul’s Cathedral, Sale; $10 per person; RSVP to your parish representative

10 Growth in Ministry training for candidates, priests and deacons; TBC; Sale; contact Archdeacon Heather Marten, 03 5144 2044 or Dean Don Saines, 03 5144 2020

18 Mothering Sunday23 - 25 Kidsplus+ Gippsland camp, Philip Island; contact parish for application

forms, or Mary Nicholls26 Mothers’ Union Lady Day; St Paul’s Cathedral Sale; 10am to 3pm; guest

Anne Kennedy, junior vice president, Mothers’ Union Australia; BYO lunch; contact Karin McKenzie, 03 5662 2148

April1 Palm Sunday1 Serra Club Golf Day; TBC3 Renewal of Ordination of Vows and Blessing of Oils service, 11.30am to

3pm; St Paul’s Cathedral, Sale; light lunch at Bishopscourt; contact Registry to confirm details, 03 5144 2044

5 Maundy Thursday6 Good Friday7 Environment open day and workshops, The Abbey of St Barnabas,

A’Beckett Park, Raymond Island (Paynesville parish); 10am to 4pm; contact Ann, telephone 0427 445866 or email [email protected]

7 St Nicholas’ Easter Craft Fair and Easter Bonnet Parade, Lakes Entrance; 9am

7 – 9 St John’s Metung Giant Easter Book Sale; donations, telephone Ann and Andrew, 03 5156 2502

8 Easter Day14 – 15 Growth in Ministry training for ordination candidates, priests and deacons;

venue TBA; overnight at Bishopscourt, Sale; contact Archdeacon Heather Marten, 03 5144 2044 or Dean Don Saines, 03 5144 2020

21 Bishop in Council planning day, Registry, Sale25 ANZAC Day30 - May 2 Clergy conference; The Abbey of St Barnabas, A’Beckett Park, Raymond

Island

MayApril 30 - May 2 Clergy conference; The Abbey of St Barnabas, A’Beckett Park,

Raymond Island18 – 20 Gippsland Anglican 36th annual Synod, Sale27 – June 3 Vocational panel interviews; venue TBA29 – 30 Victorian Council of Churches Emergency Ministry Training, Level 2;

Traralgon; contact 03 9650 4511 or email [email protected]

June2 Lay Reader training, 9.30am to 4pm; Korumburra; contact Reverend Jenny

Ramage, Rev. Tony Wicking and Rev. Bruce Charles; register at Registry, 03 5144 2044

13 Mothers’ Union June Join In; St Mary’s Morwell; 9.30am to 3pm; Karin McKenzie, 03 5662 2148

14 Safe Ministry Training; 7.30pm to 9.30pm; St Paul’s Cathedral, Sale; ‘The Many Faces of Trauma’ with Brian Norris; contact Archdeacon Heather Marten or Registry office to register, 03 5144 2044

16 Safe Ministry Training; 10am to 12pm; St Peter’s Leongatha; ‘The Many Faces of Trauma’ with Reverend Sue Jacka; contact Archdeacon Heather Marten or register with Registry, 03 5144 2044

Dates and events as provided to The Gippsland Anglican at time of printing

By Fay Magee

I THOUGHT we could lookat some of the musical op-portunities for the comingseason of Lent. Maybe aLenten discipline could beto look at a different angleon our usual Sunday reper-toire. I have been in congrega-

tions which sing a Eucharis-tic setting who have thenused a different version ofthe Kyrie for Lent, number736 in Together in Songfrom the Ukrainian Ortho-dox church. It is relativelyeasy to learn and sing un-accompanied in three to sixparts and has a wonderfulresonance in the simpleharmonies. This is worth trying even if

you don’t usually sing theKyrie; and the Greek lan-guage version is easy tolearn, too, and adds to theexperience.Another idea is to use one

song for several weeks asthe Gradual, the song be-fore the Gospel reading.One suggestion, Create inus a clean heart by DigbyHannah, is number 712 inTogether in Song. This is asimple ‘chorus’ which couldalso work as a more or lessspontaneous song to singduring the reception ofcommunion.Love with be our Lenten

calling is a text by ElizabethSmith which uses the wellknown tune Picardy, 684 inTiS.

Elizabeth writes that thissong: “is my attempt atproviding more life-affirm-ing images for the season.It moves gradually from thechanges inside us that Godis making (v1), to thechange of direction we takewhen we repent, like theprodigal son of the parableturning home again (v2), tothe end of our self-absorp-tion when we see beyondourselves to the astonishingGod made known in thedeath and resurrection ofJesus (v3).”Love will be our Lenten

calling, love to shake and shattersin, waking every closed, coldspirit, stirring new life deepwithin, till the quickened heart re-members what our Easter birth canmean. If you are wishing to try

new repertoire, it’s good torepeat it on two to threeSundays, in order for it tobecome familiar enough tobe owned by the congrega-tion.(Fay Magee is a musician,

music educator and com-munity music catalyst, alsoresearching aspects of con-gregational song.)Reference: Milgate W and

Wood, D’A (2006) A Com-panion to Together in Song:Australian Hymn Book Ii;Sydney: The AustralianHymn Book Pty Ltd.

Singing through Lent

A NEW Australian Gospelmusical, Nicodemus, writ-ten by Matthew Adams(lyrics and drama) and Rus-sell Larkin (music) is mak-ing it’s Sydney launch inMarch, 2012. Inspired by the fact that

some other musicalstreated Jesus Christ asnothing more than a man,they felt someone ought towrite a musical that showsJesus as the Son of God,complete with the Resur-rection. The result is Nicodemus, a

totally Australian musicalrevolving around the innerturmoil of Nicodemus, the

Chief Teacher of Israel,when he is confronted withthe works of Jesus. Torn between a life of lux-

ury, privilege and entitle-ment on the one hand andthe devastating loss ofeverything he has workedfor and achieved in life onthe other, Nicodemus con-tains all the elements of be-trayal, intrigue andpersonal anguish, address-ing issues relevant to peo-ple today. The cast andcrew of 60 people are from30 churches and denomina-tions throughout Sydney.Purchase tickets at

www.trybooking.com/ZNQ

Australian Gospelmusical launched



Summer in Seaspray

THE sixth ‘Summer in Seaspray’ program organised by Sale parish and staffed by morethan 20 volunteers from St Paul’s Anglican Cathedral was again very successful betweenthe Christmas and New Year period. The program again benefitted from funding byWellington Shire.More than 140 children and their families attended the free activities during the week.

There was four morning activity programs for children, a family fun day on New Year’sEve and a barbecue on New Year’s Eve. A worship service on the New Year’s Day Sun-day, at The Epiphany Seaspray, concluded the program. Seventy-three children attendedone morning activity and more than 90 children attended the fun day. Coordinator of the program, Christine Morris, said families really appreciated having a

place to go where their children could participate in a variety of activities, craft andgames and see Millie the puppet. “Apparently, some children talk about Millie all year and can’t wait to see her again,”

said Christine.Woodwork was introduced this year and was very popular. We had an increase of par-

ents, especially fathers, staying to work with their children. Amanda Ballantyne fromBairnsdale parish assisted Christine. Many locals and visitors were very impressed withthe work conducted by the church in the community and wanted the program offeredon more days.

ABOVE left: Robyn with her daughter, Elle, were on holiday from Tasmania and partici-pated in craft activities.ABOVE: Children holidaying in Seaspray enjoyed watching Millie the puppet.

Photos: Christine Morris

Fete to repair roof

ST Nicholas’ church, in the parish of Lakes Entrance andMetung, held it’s annual fete on Saturday, January 7. Agreat crowd of holidaymakers and local people made theirway to the church grounds early to pick up some bargainsat NicholasJohn Op Shop. There were also stalls of plants,crafts, cards, cakes and bric-a-brac; lucky dips, a spin-ning wheel and a pet parade. An auction of donated goodswas popular, as were devonshire teas. Many other stallholders sold everything from fairy floss to furniture. BruceArnup (a Gippsland antique appraiser) was there all day toadvise many of the people the value of their ‘treasures’. NicholasJohn Op Shop was fortunate to receive a gener-

ous donation of a watercolour painting from a regular vis-itor to the Lakes area. The painting of Nungurner Jetty byDerek Kent was raffled at the fete and the lucky winnerwas Clare of Lakes Entrance.Money raised from the fete and the raffle will go towards

paying for a new roof for NicholasJohn Op Shop.

ABOVE: Working on the craft stall at St Nicholas’ fete wereFay Kleehammer and Renate Grieb.

Contributor/Photos: Sandra McMaster

THE parish of Boolarra Yinnarand Churchill is pleased to wel-come Reverend Marilyn Obersbyas the supply minister, while weawait a permanent incumbent.

A combined service of lessonsand carols was held at Churchillon December 18, followed bymorning tea. It was a wonderfultime of musical and choral itemsand fellowship. A family cribservice was held at Churchill onChristmas Eve and a Commun-ion service at Boolarra later inthe evening. On Christmas Daythere was a 9am service held atboth Churchill and Yinnar. George and Rae from Morwell

had a picnic trip to Walhalla onDecember 29 and attended aspecial communion service at StJohn’s, joining a congregation of30, including three holidaymak-ers. It was the final servicethere taken by Rev. Neil Thomp-son, just prior to his retirement.On January 1, an appropriate

Service for the Turning of theYear was included in our Com-munion celebration. Seasonalhymns added to the atmosphereof new life and hope.

Contributor: Rae Billing

New lifeand hope

A GROUP of parishioners at Metung and Lakes En-trance got together and wrote their own bright newscript for a Nativity Play, following the traditionalGospel narrative but involving just a lttle touch ofpantomime.The modern touches were a surprise but wel-

comed by the audiences. The Angels announcedthemselves to Mary with blasts on plastic vuvuzelatrumpets as used at the last World Cup soccer,played in South Africa; Mary, on the road to Bethle-hem, used the time-honored traveller’s phrase: “Arewe there yet?”; and the knees of the three ageingWise Men sounded like exploding popcorn as theyknelt before the Baby Jesus.Serendipity also played a part in the magic mo-

ments; the somewhat mature actors playing Maryand Joseph at Lakes looked uncannily like Abrahamand Sarah and the lad who was chosen to help theTown Crier by ringing his bell turned out to benamed Sam, thus prompting the immortal line:“Play it again , Sam”.The pantomime was acted before Metung Primary

School, Metung Seniors’ Group and the congrega-tion of St Nicholas’ church, who all enjoyed the per-formance. The players appreciated Reverend BarbLogan’s encouragement and participation.Thank you to all our players, helpers and musi-

cians who had the courage to be involved. Discus-sions are already underway for next year. Can youimagine the classic pantomime format such as:King Herod: “I’m really a very nice king.”Audience (shouting): “OH NO YOU’RE NOT !”

Contributor: Alan Marchant

A new take on an oldstory, of Jesus’ birth

Documents

The Gippsland Anglican, February 2012