Encounter June/July 2017

ENCOUNTER JUNE/ JULY 2017 | ISSUE NO. 472

Praise

&Thanks

PRAISE AND THANKS

SOCIAL JUSTICE

Q+A

Reflections on Bishop Greg's enduring legacy and his message to the Diocesan community.

It is time to act with compassion in regards to asylum seekers and our Indigenous Australians.

Which of the seven gifts of the Holy Spirit is most important for you to live out?

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REFLECTIONS

Dear Friends...

BISHOP PETER STUART bishoppeter@newcastleanglican.org.au

As I write this letter we are preparing as a Diocese to farewell Bishop Greg and to hold a special synod of session. The news, in March, that Bishop Greg was resigning took people by great surprise. We never expected to farewell him in 2017 and he is greatly missed in the Diocese.

Bishop Greg has received some very moving expressions of gratitude and encouragement. Our prayers remain with him, Kerry and their family in this time of transition.

I invited the Synod to take the opportunity to renew the Diocese's commitment to facing the past and shaping a healthy future for this part of God's Church. Under Bishop Greg's leadership and following the Royal Commission we are more fully aware of and shamed by the reality of the abuse of children, youth and vulnerable people within our Diocese and the culture which permitted this to happen. The Synod met with the responsibility of making some important decisions right now; decisions shaping who we are as a Diocese and how we are seen. Our commitment is to be a safe and valuable contributor to

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the communities that we serve in order that we can properly witness to God's way of mercy, justice and love.

Much of our work as a Diocese is still influenced by the evidence during the Royal Commission hearing into events in our Diocese (case study 42) and the hearings examining the Anglican Church nationally (case study 52). We heard clearly that we must address the culture of the Diocese. The Commissioners have not set a date when their formal report into case study 42 will be released.

The Royal Commission has reported publicly that in the period to 31 December 2016, the Diocese had made 27 payments totalling $4.57million with an average payment of $183,000. Our budget for 2017 and 2018 factors in possible redress in the order of $1.5million.

There is material before us that suggests that our estimates for redress may be too low. With the evidence before the Royal Commission, and changes in NSW law, some survivors are rightly seeking to revisit their past redress.

Other survivors are also coming forward.

Our commitment as a Diocese is to an open trauma-informed approached aimed at providing a prompt, pastoral and appropriate response to people seeking redress.

The Diocesan Council has given a great deal of attention to developing a diocesan financial strategy that ensures we meet our obligations in a timely way.

As a Diocese, we are doing what we can to face the past and shape a healthy future. As part of that process the Diocesan Council has received a report from KPMG on diocesan governance and has made significant progress in implementing the recommendations. The Diocesan Council and Professional Standards Committee have also received the report of the independent review of

professional standards and redress, and work has begun on implementing its recommendations.

As part of the Bishop Election process, we have invited the Rev'd Sandy Jones from the Diocese of Melbourne to lead an intentional consultation process aimed at helping us identify what we are seeking in the 14th Bishop of Newcastle before we begin calling for nominations. Sandy has extensive experience in senior level recruitment and assisted the Dioceses of Adelaide and Tasmania in their recent election processes. Sandy will also be available to assist the Bishop Nomination Board in its work.

One of the real joys of my ministry as a bishop amongst you is to be in parishes on Sundays, and to be at events held at Samaritans, Anglican Care and in our schools. In each of these communities I see Anglican Christians loving God and loving our neighbours. I see clergy and people expressing the Five Marks of Mission of the Anglican Communion in practice. The Encounter and our regular Electronic News tells a hopeful and encouraging story in words and pictures.

As we embrace the big questions of ensuring that the church is seen as a safe and valuable contributor to the communities we serve within a society that continues to change its relationship with religion and with institutions, we need to focus on some of the basics of our church work – heartfelt worship, creative teaching, loving service, genuine care and faith-filled outreach. We exercise this vocation as companions together knowing the companionship of God. We can have great confidence that guided by the Holy Spirit we will, as a Diocese, discern what God is seeking of us and together find the courage to do all that He needs us to do. +Peter

LIFE OF AN ARCHDEACON

Communicating THE VENERABLE CANON DAVID BATTRICK BSG REGIONAL ARCHDEACON MAITLAND

One of the great revolutions in instant communication in our lifetimes has been the ability to send text messages on our mobile telephones.

Where once we sent letters and cards, or made telephone calls, many of us now regularly send short text messages instead – "How are you?"

"Can I call you?" "What time shall we meet?"

When I first came across the concept of sending text messages it rather defeated me, and it is certainly still not my preferred method of communication, unlike some of the more tech-savvy clergy in the Maitland Archdeaconry whose texting is prolific.

One of the problems for me, even now, is that I don't understand most of the abbreviations that people use in their text messages. It is like conversing in a different language!

When texting first started I noticed that I received quite a lot of texts that ended with "LOL". I presumed that this meant "lots of love", and I was quite touched by this display of affection, particularly from people that I had not previously considered to be close friends. So I started routinely putting "LOL" at the end of many of the text messages that I sent to people as well.

It took some time before a friend corrected me, after I sent a message to someone whose relative had just died ending with what I thought was the abbreviation for "lots of love", only to be told that it stood for "laugh out loud". It turned out that putting "LOL" at the end of some of my texts had not only been confusing but entirely inappropriate!

Whatever situation we find ourselves in, there is a language to be learnt if we are to communicate clearly and effectively.

One of the signs of the Holy Spirit at work in the Church is the ability of the disciples of Jesus to communicate his good news to others.

This month we celebrate the Feast of Pentecost, the experience of the Holy Spirit coming upon the Church with such power that the first apostles were able to communicate in languages that they had not previously been taught.

We have to work much harder than they did, to learn the languages of our neighbourhoods so that we can communicate effectively within them. The disciples of Jesus in the Maitland Archdeaconry continue to seek to respond to this challenge to communicate the good news with our neighbours.

There isn't space here to update you on all that is going on, but I want to share with you exciting news from four of our parishes, for your encouragement, and for which we can all give thanks to God. In Maitland the community at St Mary's Church finds itself right in the middle of the action each year when Steamfest comes to town. Steamfest is the largest steam festival in the country and Fr Chris and his parishioners were on hand again this year to welcome some of the 50,000 visitors who passed by the church during the festival weekend.

There is much to celebrate at St Mary's, especially with the growing ministries amongst young families.

The pre-school and carers' group now has a waiting list to join and a second group for mothers whose children have recently started school is underway. We owe a great debt to Fr Chris Butterworth, who will conclude his ministry in the Parish at the start of July, for his many years of dedicated leadership here.

Next door in the Parish of Mt Vincent and Weston the parishioners offer a similar welcome to the many visitors who come to the Kurri Kurri Nostalgia Festival each year. Their Barney's Contemporary service at St Paul's Church has extended into a school age kids club – Barney's Club and now a play group called Barney's Juniors through which they are sharing the story of Jesus.

In Cessnock, the community at St John's Church is once again hosting a Grandparents as Parents Kinship Support Group. The Rev'd Michelle Hazel-Jawhary and the congregations have welcomed the group back to the Church site, and are also working in partnership with the local Uniting Church to offer a Mainly Music program for young children and their carers as they seek to reach out to those who live around them.

Up the road in the Parish of TelarahRutherford the two Anglican communities have made the decision to move all of their worship to one building (St Christopher's) in order to remodel St Luke's Church at Telarah as a hub and op shop.

This has been a decision that has been made carefully and with hope for the future as they have been led prayerfully by their parish priest Mother Moira Evers. The St Luke's Church building is geographically at the heart of the Telarah community and there are many possibilities ahead for new connections in this next phase of the parish's life.

So we are giving it a go across the Archdeaconry! What are we learning? It looks different in every community, but led by the Holy Spirit we can have confidence to seize the opportunities, learn the language, and communicate the good news.

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THIS EDITION 2 Relfections 3

Life of an Archdeacon

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Topics

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Praise and Thanks

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Thinking About Faith

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Social Justice

TOPICS

A blue candle burns for justice in Newcastle Cathedral

22 Q+A 24

Around the Diocese

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What's On

31 Puzzle/Recipe Cover Photo: Portrait of Bishop Greg Thompson by KMackay Photography The Anglican Encounter, the magazine of the Anglican Diocese of Newcastle, is published bimonthly from February to December. The Anglican Encounter is a member of the Australasian Religious Press Association.

Contact Details PO Box 817 Newcastle NSW 2300 P: 02 4926 3733 F: 02 4926 1968 E: editor@newcastleanglican.org.au www.newcastleanglican.org.au Production Team Editor/Designer: Louise Mackay Publisher: The Rev'd Murray Woolnough Editorial Committee: Robyn Ashley-Brown, Kath Dockrill Proofreaders: Kath Dockrill, Pat Dring, Barbara Sweet, Judith Weaver, Pamela Lusty Printing & Distribution Printer: BlueStar Web Distribution: House With No Steps, Newcastle Subscriptions Local $30 per year; Overseas $40 AUD per year. To subscribe send your name, address and a cheque made out to the Anglican Diocese of Newcastle, to The Editor, PO Box 817, Newcastle NSW 2300.

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Next Deadline: July 7, 2017

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On Wednesday March 12 clergy and laity from across the Diocese of Newcastle came together at Christ Church Cathedral to renew their commitment to Christian ministry.

The service, led by Bishop Peter Stuart, reflected on the year that has been. He said, "One of the people I have got to know well through the Royal Commission work has expressed to me the hope that the Church will not be wilfully blind to what it needs to see. They were inviting us to embrace the reflections from those who were not part of the Diocese but who have grown to understand us and want us to see, learn, change and mature."

Speaking after the service, Bishop Stuart said, "We will not turn back on our commitment and obligation to ensure that all people participating in our churches are safe, especially children. We are redressing the wrongs of the past and we will continue to do so."

Father Stephen Williams, Dean of the Cathedral, felt that it was a significant turning point for the diocese to come together at the Cathedral.

"For many reasons the Cathedral has been a focal point for people during the hearings of the Royal Commission and so it was good for the diocesan community to gather as we come to terms with all that we have heard," Dean Stephen said.

During the service a blue candle was lit and placed on the high altar where it will be lit each day until the end of the liturgical year.

"The candle will be a simple reminder to all who see it that we are committed to joining with survivors in praying and working for justice," Dean Stephen said.

"We chose the colour blue because many clergy and laity have been involved in training by the Blueknot Foundation into the traumatic effects of domestic violence and sexual abuse."

The Blueknot Foundation says, "Blue is the colour of the sky and a clear blue sky provides the space for new possibilities."

"I hope that when people see the candle burning week in and week out they will know the Cathedral leadership and congregation along with the whole diocesan community is committed to learning, changing and healing," Dean Stephen concluded.

Seeking Support: Discussing child sexual abuse can be difficult. If you need immediate support call Lifeline on 13 11 14.

An extensive list of care and support services can be found at www.newcastleanglican healthyfuture.com/seekingsupport

TOPICS

Samaritans becomes Hunter's first White Ribbon Workplace Samaritans is the first Hunter-based organisation to become a White Ribbon Workplace, after completing a rigorous 18-month accreditation process that affirmed its commitment to preventing violence against women.

Samaritans is the only Hunter-based workplace to be accredited by White Ribbon thus far, leading the way locally in taking a stand against violence against women.

"Samaritans has been acknowledged as an employer taking active and effective steps to stop violence against women. We are very excited about this announcement and will continue to stand by our commitment toward true gender equality which means that we will never tolerate violence," Mr Gardiner, CEO of Samaritans, said.

White Ribbon Australia's Workplace

Accreditation Program is a world first program that provides organisations with the tools to be able to respond to incidents of violence, whether

it occurs inside or outside the workplace, and to prevent this violence from occurring in the first instance.

ADVERTISE WITH US Advertise with the award-winning Encounter and take advantage of great rates. Contact the editor for a rate card and bookings on 4926 3733 or editor@newcastleanglican.org.au

IN BRIEF CLERGY MOVEMENTS The Rev'd Paul West has been appointed Honorary Minor Canon with the responsibility for the Arts from March 23.

The Rev'd David Davies was commissioned Priest in Charge of the Parish of Williamtown, Medowie and Mallabula on April 20.

The Rev'd Tim Goldsmith has resigned as Associate Priest in the Parish of Kincumber effective April 16.

The Rev'd Bryce Amner was commissioned Priest in Charge of the Parish of Georgetown on May 22.

The Rev'd Simon Elliott has been appointed Locum Associate of the Parish of Kincumber for an initial period of three months.

The Rev'd Pam Fraser has been appointed Priest in Charge of the Parish of Merriwa. Pam will commence late September/early October 2017.

APPOINTMENTS The Rev'd Scott Dulley was appointed Chair of the Newcastle Anglican Schools Corporation Board on May 1.

Ms Jenny Cappellacci was appointed Chair of the Samaritans Board on May 1.

DIOCESAN OFFICE Mrs Nikola Schubert resigned as the Diocesan Finance Officer effective April 21.

Mrs Robyn Morillas has been appointed as the Diocesan Finance Officer. Robyn commenced on April 19.

MEMORIAM Mrs Margaret Childs, wife of the late Rev'd Bill Childs died on March 16.

RETIREMENTS

The Rev'd Jenny Foley's father died on April 11.

The Rev'd Ramsay Nuthall has announced that he will be retiring on June 30.

Mrs Kathleen Blayden, The Rev'd John Dring's mother died on April 12.

The Rev'd Chris Butterworth has announced that he will be retiring on July 1.

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Praise & Thanks

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PRAISE AND THANKS

An Enduring Legacy

BY LOUISE MACKAY EDITOR & DIOCESAN COMMUNICATIONS MANAGER

On March 16, 2017, Bishop Greg Thompson announced his resignation from his role as Bishop of Newcastle.

Bishop Greg served the Diocese of Newcastle as Bishop for three years and has been a strong advocate for survivors of child abuse during his tenure. Bishop Greg's leadership has given us an enduring legacy, which has been a deep catalyst for cultural change in the diocese.

Bishop Greg was installed as the 13th Bishop of Newcastle on February 2, 2014 at Christ Church Cathedral.

At that time, Bishop Greg had little knowledge of what would unfold in the Newcastle Diocese during his leadership. "I had very little awareness [of the history of abuse] before I came to Newcastle. I was as aware as most people were through the media matters that had come out in the three to four years before I came," Bishop Greg said. "Apart from that I was completely unaware of the key people involved in that abuse within the diocese."

In the beginning of his first 12 months, Bishop Greg felt like he was uncovering a maze of deceit, dishonesty and a significant history of abuse in the diocese. "I was very much in the dark. It was a bit of maze figuring out what was what, and realising what I discovered had a story behind it of not only significant, serious abuse, but there was this narrative that explained why this had gone on for so many decades," Bishop Greg said.

Bishop Greg felt there were a number of key moments of deep awareness in his first 12 months that led him to understand the scope and seriousness of what was before him.

On May 14, 2014, only months into his appointment as Bishop of Newcastle, Bishop Greg received a summons from the Royal Commission. In the next two months that followed the police announced their taskforce on the Diocese.

As Bishop Greg read a list of names across two pages of his summons, he not only gained a sense of the extensive history the Royal Commission was interested in, but he also saw the name of one of his own perpetrators. It was at this moment he realised that his personal life was going to be captured by this examination of the church.

"Within nine months I realised my personal life was going to be closely examined."

And closely examined he was. In his time as leader of the diocese, everything Bishop Greg wrote and every email to do with these matters of child sexual abuse were before the Royal Commission. "I think because we're in this moment of being publicly examined you realise everything you do and everything you say can be reported back to you through the media," Bishop Greg said. "I don't think any previous Bishop has had that. I don't think anyone, apart from George Pell, has had that as a Bishop."

"It was a bit of mystery that I had to unravel," Bishop Greg said. "I think we are still unravelling it because I still don't think we know everything that has gone on."

Bishop Greg felt that the church community underestimated the nature of what was going to come to light in the Royal Commission and the impact that would have on not only himself, but also his family. "There were people who commented, 'Oh well, we'll move on'."

"But there's going to be generation [of people] moving through the implications of this and people won't move on if they haven't had a sense of being heard and reconciled. If that hasn't taken place then this will continue to come to us."

Over time Bishop Greg began to realise that survivors and their families didn't feel this sense of

reconciliation either. "I had a series of reflections through meeting survivors who had come for either a formal apology or simply for me to hear their story. I began to realise that people were not confident that the church was listening or was at all sorry," Bishop Greg explained.

"I remember a man coming to see me who had four or five pages of questions of me as the Bishop, and what was I going to do about these things," he said. "It was in the proximity of hearing the stories of survivors that I realised that I needed to make a formal, public apology."

On Wednesday June 17, 2015, on his 500th day, Bishop Greg made a media statement concerning our church's response to child abuse. "To you who have experienced abuse I want you to know as a Diocese we feel shame and profound regret that people within the Church harmed you and harmed you again when you came forward to speak of what had happened."

The formal apology to victims of abuse by Bishop Greg was a critical step forward in the healing process, and gave the victims of sexual abuse the courage to come forward and tell their story. "There were a lot of things feeding my thinking to come to the 500 days – to raise awareness in the church, to educate, to appeal to survivors and their families to come forward."

And many did. "We had a number of people tell us their story and a number of people were named as offenders that we weren't aware of. A lot of histories came out that we weren't aware of and that gave explanation to some of the traumas the church had been living with which had not been dealt with."

The public apology was also a fundamental step in educating the church about historic abuse matters and created a language to enable

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PRAISE AND THANKS the church and wider community to talk about these matters. "I think one of the things I found during the listening process when I first came to the diocese was that there was no language so people felt able to talk about sexual abuse, or feel comfortable talking about the abuse history. I realised there was a sense of ignorance, and misinformation and lack of information, around how much offending had gone on," Bishop Greg said. "The apology was a way of me expressing how can we talk about this; and can we set people on understanding the complexity and the range of abuse that had gone on, as well as the change that was required to address that for us."

It was this public apology that set into motion the intention to Face the Past and Shape a Healthy Future. This intention was a commitment from the church to listen to survivors of abuse, to respond with compassion to all those who have been harmed, and to deal appropriately, transparently and fairly with those accused of abuse and negligence. This commitment formed a framework for building trust and changing the conversation about abuse in our churches. In terms of facing the past in the coming years, Bishop Greg believes our intention needs to focus on remembering well. "It's not to ignore the pain of people's experience but to integrate it and to help people find a way of remembering well without denying it.

"In the wake of ANZAC Day, we have a lot of anniversaries where we remember traumatic times. It's a part of how we integrate trauma into our histories without being overwhelmed by it," Bishop Greg said. "Anniversaries are about acknowledgement, recognition, and remembering well in order for us to grow into a hopeful future. When we fail to remember well we either ignore significant matters, we cover them up and we don't allow people to integrate the wounds of their story in the church or community."

For Bishop Greg, facing the past is not about digging up or constantly going over this historic trauma, "It's about trying to remember well that these things happened in a history which has had a lot of good things".

"Remembering well is placing the trauma into a larger context; where

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there were and are generations that did care, and are committed to caring. Remembering well is not ignoring it, not denying it, not forgetting it. When the past is not remembered well then our families and our community continues to experience the living trauma."

Shaping a healthy future requires the church and community to develop disciplines of self-care and of proper boundaries. "It's about safeguarding, it's about learning to look after community well, and to ensure people are being supported," Bishop Greg said.

With the revelations of the appalling accounts of child abuse performed by clergy and church workers during the Royal Commission, Bishop Greg established the Parish Recovery Teams to work with church communities to address past abuse histories, and assist survivors and communities to find a measure of support and recovery. "Parish Recovery Teams have radically made an impact," Bishop Greg said.

The Parish Recovery Teams have ensured fundamental training and a broader number of people are now trained to support our Professional Standards and safe ministry. "I think the Parish Recovery model has galvanised a lot of people to support the necessary changes and not see them as impositions, but rather as essential responses to ensure the church can be seen as a place that children can come to," Bishop Greg said. "People are more skilled and alert to know how to support one another and to take seriously the trauma of others."

The diocese is now taking essential steps in shaping a healthy future; a future that he hopes the whole of the community will make a commitment to. Prior to the second set of hearings into Case Study 42, Bishop Greg began work on a Child Safe Charter that is about "a whole of the community being committed to protecting children and looking after the vulnerable."

"I had in mind the idea of a Child Safe Charter for organisations and communities to commit to being vigilant and committed to working together to ensure children are safe and protected," Bishop Greg said.

"I'd be interested in participating in wider conversations, not only between churches, but across denominations and with government organisations, so that the whole of the city and the whole of town declare where they stand."

Bishop Greg's unwavering dedication to responding to the Royal Commission, listening to and supporting survivors, and establishing a commitment of care and compassion in the church will be his enduring legacy from his time as Bishop of Newcastle. He was overwhelmed with messages and prayers of support and appreciation throughout the past 12 months. "I want to say how heart-warming it was to receive cards, emails, letters and communications both from Anglican parishes and people, but also from Uniting, Baptist, Pentecostal and Catholic churches," he said. "I know a lot of people wrote to me, survivors, people in churches and people who have left churches.

"These things are very important to me to signal that there has been good done, and so I want to thank people for their support and openness to my leadership. It's not been easy for people to realise that we were going through a hard time; and people have risen to that with their prayers, a huge number of prayers, and I feel the effect of that.

"I also want to say thank you to a number of good-heartened people, and a lot of people who wanted to walk with me in the last several months. I feel supported, I feel appreciated, and there is a wave of support for the next Bishop who will come."

As a "son of the diocese", Bishop Greg felt that in going back to the place you grew up in can be a moving occasion. "Whether it be walking along Newcastle Beach, or visiting Muswellbrook, or going to the Scone church anniversary, these places I'd been as a child or a young person; there is a deep sense of being in continuity with the place you came from," Bishop Greg said.

"Even though we do change and we do see the world differently as we get older, the seeds of your beginnings are always in your life.

The imprint of the people who were

PRAISE AND THANKS

kind and good towards you come to mind when you go back; of course sometimes the bad things come to mind as well, but I think those occasions where I went to places where I had been to as a child or a young person were memorable for me."

For Bishop Greg it was often the experience of thinking that his 12-year-old sense would have any idea that one day he would become the Bishop. "It was just not in my thinking. So there is a kind of 'surrealness' of going back to your origins."

There have been some important moments for Bishop Greg in the past three years where he has "felt deeply

connected to this place, my own person journey."

There have been some wonderful moments for the Bishop at the Diocesan conferences, conferences at schools, and clergy days. "These are the moments you realise that there is a lot of good going on, so I feel very positive about the faithfulness, and the hope and the pleasure that people have being a part of our church," he said. Bishop Greg said there have been many festivals and moments where he thought, "There is a lot of love in this diocese. It is heart-warming and encouraging that the efforts you put in does have fruit."

Bishop Greg brought with him a lifelong commitment to social justice in the diocese, particularly endeavouring to build bridges with Indigenous and migrant communities in the diocese. One of Bishop Greg's first acts was to acknowledge the Awabakal people as traditional custodians of the land on which the Cathedral is placed.

Throughout his time as Bishop in the diocese, Bishop Greg has seen greater movements towards recognition and reconciliation.

"There has been a consciousness in the parishes and clergy about recognising the country that we are in, in the liturgies, and through

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PRAISE AND THANKS Welcome to Country, and by intentional initiations to Elders to come to special events," he said. "There's been opportunities through our agencies and schools to celebrate the First Peoples in Australia on big moments and occasions, such as the Cathedral NAIDOC celebrations. I remember the wonderful Indigenous dancers coming and I thought, 'Wow, that's great'. There's a strong warmth towards Aboriginal people coming into our spaces and there's a lot of people in the church community who are wanting that to continue."

But Bishop Greg believes the diocese has long way to go to begin thinking beyond the parish. "I think as people of God we need to think beyond ourselves to partner with one another where there is potential collaboration," he said. Bishop Greg recognises signs of parishes collaborating where there has been encouragement from a regional leader, in particular the youth and children ministry out at Cessnock, Branxton and Kurri-Kurri.

He encourages the church community to continue this ministry by forming strong relationships with Aboriginal people. "I think we struggle on the day-to-day relationships that you need with Aboriginal people to be formed and shaped in conversation, not only the big events and at the symbolic moments, but really in the everyday life of the church," he said.

"If you're going to have long-term reconciliation you've got to have everyday relationships with people."

Over the past months Bishop Greg has found comfort in spending time with his loved ones and feels his health is improving following his formal leave. "It has been good to see my grandchildren, my children and their families. That's been a great reminder that there are a lot of good things going on in the world in spite of the pains and difficulties that we face," he said.

"I know we have got Indigenous people involved in our church and that's a wonderful sign and I think we need to keep looking to partner Indigenous people in ministry."

In 2014 Bishop Greg announced the appointment of Archdeacons to serve as regional leaders of the diocese, and to serve as collaborators and enablers in their region. "It was about strengthening the missional edge to the diocese by having a more present leader of the diocese in each region. It has been effective in identifying the challenges in a region that are different to every region and has also strengthened the sense of regional identity and supporting people within proximity of one another."

"I think there is a lot to celebrate over the past three years. I have no regrets," Bishop Greg said.

"There are a lot of simple things and everyday things that remind us of grace, kindness, opportunity and new beginnings. Grandchildren help you get perspective, so I think spending time with family has been critical."

So where to from here? "I think that is still being worked out. I think it will be great to be near family," Bishop Greg said. "I've got ongoing health needs that I need to focus on until I feel in a better place to return to work. I'm not going onto a role at this point, but I know that in time God and people will see a place for me to work again."

"Who knows, life has a curious turn of events."

"When we fall over we hurt ourselves and we disappoint ourselves; we might disappoint others, we might fail others. But life in God's Kingdom is always about getting up and standing up. And that might be different for every person, but the diocese needs to continue to learn to stand up, to be a standing people.

The diocese needs to be a praying people on their knees, but it needs to be a standing people who are comfortable in being who they are, knowing God loves them, but resolute in living out the character of the Christian life and follow Jesus.

"I think the falling over, which the diocese has recognised it's done, is not the end of the diocese or the end of the people, its about how we get up from our knees and learn to stand up. I always think of the story of Jacob wrestling with the unnamed man, later to be an angel. He's given a new name called Israel, which is to "stand up". I think Jacob learnt to face his limitations and his failures, and in one sense his new name was given by God as someone who didn't run away from who he was. He learnt to stand up and be who he was before God. "I think the shame of the journey we have been through is not the end of the story, and in fact there are lots of new beginnings. Survivors show us what it means to stand up; families who have been through crisis show us what it means to stand up. And I think we are standing up. And we can be proud. Standing up means we don't deny the past, we learn to live with it, and welcome something better that we're responsible to contribute to." ď Ž

Bishop Greg then shared his final message for the Diocesan community.

"Survivors show us what it means to stand up; families who have been through crisis show us what it means to stand up. And I think we are standing up. And we can be proud."

- Bishop Greg Thompson

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PRAISE AND THANKS

A Retrospective View BISHOP PETER STUART bishoppeter@newcastleanglican.org.au

Perhaps one of the most hurtful moments for Bishop Greg in the last three years was to read two letters from a small group of parishioners which challenged his experience of abuse and his management of the Diocese thus challenging his commitment to deep change that would ensure a safe church.

On arriving in the Diocese, Bishop Greg quickly appreciated the negativity and undermining that his predecessor, Bishop Brian, and other diocesan staff experienced. He never expected the response from a small number of people to be so harsh and so personal. Yet, it would be a complete tragedy if the milestones of his time in the Diocese were viewed only through this lens. Across the Diocese, he has enjoyed strong support from clergy and laity, and

people are deeply saddened that his ministry has been cut short.

One of Bishop Greg's first actions was to tour the deaneries to consult with the laity and clergy about the needs and opportunities facing the Diocese. These meetings were able to celebrate the success of building missional communities across the Diocese but stressed the need for greater flexibility. This was quickly followed by a round of Deanery feedback meetings in which Bishop Greg proposed the reintroduction of regional leadership. Regional Archdeacons would coach and mentor the clergy of their region and be the first point of contact for resolving questions and conflicts.

Their ministry development role was to be funded from the Morpeth

Trusts. Bishop Greg consciously chose archdeacons representing the diversity of the diocese. He often spoke of his team and was willing to trust them and the new archdeacons with key areas of delegation. Alongside this, Bishop Greg and Bishop Peter established a remarkably close collegial relationship shaped by their common faith and values regularly listening to and responding to people's joys and concerns about diocesan life.

Just as these plans were falling into place Bishop Greg received his first major summons from the Royal Commission requiring a major reorientation of diocesan priorities.

This was followed by news of a special investigation by NSW Police. ď ľ

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PRAISE AND THANKS In the face of this Bishop Greg celebrated his 500th day as Bishop issuing an historic and heartfelt apology from our church to all who had been abused by church leaders and members, or by the church institution. Only later would we learn and come to understand the impact of these events because of his personal experiences. Bishop Greg committed himself to ensuring the Diocese responded fully to the Commission and was transparent to the community. He was never going to be satisfied with surface change.

He wanted the cultural forces which enabled abuse to occur and go unnoticed to be addressed. Carefully and regularly consulting with people, inside and outside the church, he called us to Face the past and Shape a healthy future.

Among the many outcomes of this work was the creation of the Parish Response Teams to enable parishes hearing of the news of abuse by clergy and laity to receive expert support. Throughout his ministry with us, the Professional Standards team has been investigating serious allegations as well as supporting Royal Commission work.

As our new bishop got to know his diocese, he learnt of the excitement of the Dean and other leaders to refurbish the Cathedral tower and enhance the Cathedral precinct.

This visionary project required lots of consultation and many plans. The Bishop was a key backer from the outset. It is fitting that just before his episcopal ministry ends, the first stage will be completed with the tower being reopened. For nearly 10 years, the diocesan leadership has worked hard to address the financial demands the stewardship of the iconic building creates as well as the Cathedral's long-term administrative issues.

Bishop Greg came to a diocese where the enrolments in the local certificate and diploma program were declining. Despite the significant increase in the number of students taking undergraduate and postgraduate courses in theology and religion, the University of Newcastle decided to withdraw from its partnership with the diocese and the Broken Bay Institute. The diocese has since entered a new partnership with the University of Divinity and Trinity College in Melbourne for the theological education. Bishop Greg

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confirmed the diocese's commitment to ordained local ministry, selfsupporting ministry and stipendiary ministry in which a parish or agency would become the formational community. The interest on the Morpeth Trusts continues to fund initial clergy education and postordination training.

When Bishop Greg was elected he learnt that as far back as the early 1990s there had been discussion about the possibility of selling Bishopscourt. Around that time significant changes were made to the Bishopscourt Trusts. He learnt that in 2012 the Trustees had again considered its sale because of concerns about the unreasonable cost of maintenance being an aging large house on a large site. After careful consideration Bishop Greg and Kerry made the decision not to live in Bishopscourt. He promoted extensive consultation about the future of Bishopscourt ensuring that the Synod in 2014 had plenty of time to discuss its possible sale.

Early in 2015 the Diocesan Council invited submissions from every Synod member about the proposed sale but very few were received. Bishopscourt was sold, both contributing to the capital of the Diocese to provide an income stream to meet the cost of episcopal ministry and enabling the purchase of a low-maintenance home for the bishop.

Bishop Greg recognised that a number of diocesan leaders had been working on governance reform in the diocese. He brought his considerable experience and training through the Australian Institute for Company Directors and then the Oxford Leadership Course to this work. Our bishops worked closely with external advisors, to set up a governance review and a professional standards review to follow the Royal Commission.

These reviews will bring continued improvement to this aspect of diocesan life.

Early in his ministry here, Bishop Greg became concerned about conflicts of interest in decisionmaking especially in the area of professional standards. Under his leadership, the Diocesan Council established a model code of conduct for Board members. He oversaw the development of the Responsible Persons Ordinance which set out the expectations of people in leadership

roles in the diocese and provided a mechanism for removing people from office where they were not abiding by those expectations. This Ordinance is expected to be used rarely but has proven to be pivotal in confronting poor conduct in the diocese.

He was also passionate about local mission and local engagement; leading by example. His door was open to local leaders who wished conversation. Bishop Greg enjoyed connecting with leaders of other churches and other faiths. In his first year he made a priority of seeking to engage with local indigenous leaders. In this first year, he also asked parishes to develop Mission Action Plans through which they would think carefully and prayerfully about the new things they could do to engage their communities. He is saddened that when he leaves the diocese he will not have been to every parish but has worked to be in every region on a number of occasions. The diocese was never Newcastle-centric in his thinking.

Bishop Greg was deeply committed to encouraging the diocese to see the bigger picture of the worldwide Anglican Communion. He invited the South East Asian Anglican Bishops to hold their annual gathering in Newcastle. He welcomed the diocese's partnership with the Diocese of Guadalcanal.

As a teacher Bishop Greg was a gifted story-teller, connecting life and ministry experiences with the deep truths of Scripture in a way that was both engaging and deeply stirring. He had a passion for social justice, inclusion, and truth-telling.

And he taught in contexts as varied as the pulpit or in engagement with cinema and popular culture.

History will record Bishop Greg as the key leader for these times – visionary, clear, focused, courageous and honest. His ministry will leave a unique imprint on the diocese, and the deep cultural change he called us to embrace will continue to bear fruit into our future. Indeed we are changed for the better through his ministry. ď Ž

PRAISE AND THANKS

Praise and Thanks...

Archdeacon Sonia Roulston: On September 14, 2013 our Synod gathered to elect its new Bishop, Bishop Greg Thompson. As we began the Synod we were perhaps feeling apprehensive, but very quickly it seemed apparent that God's Spirit was hovering over us. Bishop Greg's election as our Diocesan Bishop seemed to me, and to others I spoke with, to be a work of the Spirit.

As we gathered at the Cathedral on February 2 to welcome Bishop Greg to the Diocese we celebrated with great joy his arrival amongst us as our 13th Bishop.

As someone who worked closely with Bishop Greg I came quickly to appreciate his clarity of vision, his compassion, and his honesty and integrity which I deeply admired.

As a Diocese we saw each of these reflected in his ministry in various ways as he led into our future – a future that would mean facing the difficult truths of our past.

Bishop Greg led us in cultural change, helping us by his words, at Synods, and in retreat work, to be people who were truly "Facing Our Past and Shaping a Healthy Future".

Bishop Greg's leadership through the time of the Royal Commission was a significant part of his work in this Diocese. I admired his leadership in a time that was also personally demanding of him. He was a light of truth shining out in these difficult days.

I wish to pay tribute to Bishop Greg as one of the great Bishops of our Diocese. He has made us different people. He has been loved and respected by many, many people. I wish him and Kerry a very happy and fulfilling next chapter in their lives.

O Archdeacon Arthur Copeman: I first met Bishop Greg in the early 90's when he came to Southlakes Parish to undertake a BCA deputation. After that Bishop Greg attended a number of Diocesan events here in Newcastle on behalf of BCA. Later Bishop Greg and I served together on the Standing Committee of the General Synod for a number of years. Bishop Greg was also chairing the national Long Service Leave Board. I then heard Bishop Greg preach at the Consecration of Bishop Stuart

Robinson as the Bishop of Canberra and Goulbourn. So Bishop Greg had already had a significant ministry across Australia and had made a contribution to the Church before he was elected our Bishop in 2013.

When Bishop Greg was elected our Bishop I was impressed by the way in which he appointed a number of people into positions of leadership and assured those people that his expectation was that they carry out the role with his full support and backing. Bishop Greg's focus on requiring all of us to have developed Mission Action Plans for our ministries has been of great assistance across the Diocese.

As Bishop Greg continued to lead us the Royal Commission investigations drew closer. Through Bishop Greg's leadership it became clear that there was a dark side to this Diocese which had remained covered up for many years. Bishop Greg has showed great courage in confronting this dark side, although that has been at great personal cost. My prayer as we go forward as a Diocese now is that we will be able to continue the outstanding work which Bishop Greg commenced amongst us. ď ľ

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PRAISE AND THANKS The Very Rev'd Stephen Williams: Bishop Greg leaves our Diocese with the immense admiration, gratitude and sincere goodwill of the Dean and leadership of Christ Church Cathedral.

His life is interwoven with that of artists, journalists and indigenous people and he invited us at the Cathedral into that amazing network of friendship beyond the boundaries of the Church. His ministry to those "outside" is in part shaped by his understanding of street life in the inner city of Sydney and commitment to God's priority for the poor and the oppressed.

We are thankful for Bishop Greg's sharing with us his passion for movies and his teaching us to reflect on them in a theological and prayerful way.

Bishop Greg has met our need in the Diocese for faithful and truthful leadership at what turns out to be perhaps the most difficult time in our story, and at great personal cost to himself.

He will be remembered very much as the Bishop who was here for those who have been wounded by the culture of the Church and who has gifted us all, by his words and example, with a call to move on into a fresh and Christ-like culture.

O Archdeacon Les Forester: Greg and Kerry Thompson are owed a great debt of gratitude by the Diocese of Newcastle, and the wider church. They have laboured long, through a season more oppressive than a Darwin wet season thunderstorm. They have given up their lives, and paid the price of costly leadership in public and private ways.

Bishop Greg understood that in order to move ahead into a healthy future we are required to face our past. He took decisions that named our Diocesan demons, and gave us hope that they might be exorcised, and that, eventually, we might be returned to our right mind. Greg grew from childhood to manhood in our local communities. In his return to us as our Bishop little did he expect to find himself living out the saying

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that a prophet is without honour in his own home town.

We give thanks for Greg's 1000 watt smile, his genuine spirit, and his faithfulness as a leader who did not avoid difficult matters.

May Greg and Kerry Thompson continue their journey of discipleship and ministry with the risen Jesus, turn their new house into home, grow a grape vine, and reach old age in the company of friends and grandchildren.

O Archdeacon Rod Bower: A Prophet is not without honour, except in his own town (Matthew 13:57).

The hometown child is supposed to support the local team, no matter what; there is an expectation to maintain and never to challenge the abiding culture, to collude with the domination system, not to confront it.

Bishop Greg is a born and raised child of the Diocese of Newcastle, the first to become our bishop in 170 years. In doing so he answered the call to prophetic ministry. This is always an act of service that comes at an extremely great cost and we can now never repay our debt of gratitude to him for this godly expression of episcopal ministry.

Those who know me well understand that tributes to the episcopate do not flow easily from my pen but I gladly honour Bishop Greg for showing such courage in the face of tyranny. He was not only a Bishop to me but also a friend, as we know he was to so many others.

The extent to which we as a Diocese can walk into the future with dignity and integrity is in a very great measure due to the Rt Rev'd Gregory Thompson and so it is with deepest gratitude and apologies to Shakespeare that we can say "I have come to praise Caesar not to bury him".

We bless Bishop Greg and Kerry with all our love and our determination to carry on their work.

O

Archdeacon Charlie Murry: Meeting Bishop Greg Thompson for the first time I had met an incarnational leader. He didn't pretend to know any answers about Newcastle in advance. Rather, he was listening, focused to hear who we thought we were then. His apparent mildness was nonetheless somehow confident. I came to see his confidence as trusting that all people are sacred, and that insight and possibilities for truthful action arise through prayerful, respectful enquiry, probing, imaginative and honest.

Bishop Greg once characterised leadership to me as "empathetic presence". He brought that presence to the process of discerning his call as our bishop. Doubtless many of us had hoped to enjoy his empathetic presence amid our ministries for longer, more directly and more often.

As it turned out, his chief call among us was about justice, costly presence with fellow victims of historic sexual abuse.

That graphic artist's tree in the purple circle—rooted in the Hunter Valley, confronting the dark, growing towards the light—symbolises for me Bishop Greg's legacy, our converted stance. I also hope it speaks of God's steadfast presence in Bishop Greg's process. May his characteristic incarnational enquiry continue leading Bishop Greg to light and abundant life.

O Archdeacon Wendy Dubojski: Years ago I read an advert for a ministry position in the Northern Territory, it was a very compelling advertisement, the kind that makes you want to find out more about the position and the Diocese. My enquiries led me to someone who knew this Bishop Greg Thompson of the Diocese of the Northern Territory, "You know him" she said "you really admired his work in St John's Darlinghurst". Some thing's though are not meant to be. So I was very pleased when Bishop Greg was elected as Bishop of our Diocese because I still remembered that advertisement with such clarity as it displayed for me a person of great compassion and integrity. Finally I would be working with this person

PRAISE AND THANKS

whose ministry I had quietly admired for a number of years. Sometimes those we admire from afar are not the same close up.

But Bishop Greg was and a great deal more. He shared the same excitement in relation to the possibilities for the future Church.

And a delightful sense of humour.

I learnt very quickly not to look at him during meetings when I found something ridiculous. I have been deeply affected by Bishop Greg's humility and honesty. I have been profoundly changed as a person in the service of God through Bishop Greg's gentle strength and profound grace. Bishop Greg has changed the landscape and the behaviour of the Anglican Church of Australia forever, something Anglicans and the world are grateful for.

O

Archdeacon David Battrick: The big headings of Bishop Greg's achievements in his ministry of leadership amongst us will rightly continue to be heralded both locally, nationally and internationally, and that is as it should be. Alongside this, I also want to join with others in giving thanks for his gentle pastoral leadership and care for parishes and their clergy and people.

Bishop Greg visited our parish on four occasions in 2014 in the early months of his leadership of the Diocese.

He came to baptise, receive and confirm members of our congregations. He came again to meet with the clergy of the deanery to listen to our priorities for ministry and our concerns, then he came back to meet with the lay leaders of the deanery to hear our hopes for the future. He came the fourth time to renew the Tri-Diocesan Covenant with our Roman Catholic brothers and sisters.

In these first four encounters with us, we quickly saw Bishop Greg's passion for the growth and discipleship of the local church, his calling for us to move forward and outwards in our mission planning, and his desire for us to grow deeper in our relationship with our Roman Catholic neighbours.

Thank you Bishop Greg for leading us in facing the past, and also for inspiring us towards building a healthy, outward looking and vibrant future.

O Alison Dalmazzone: It was a terribly sad day for me when Bishop Greg told me that he was resigning as the Bishop of Newcastle and leaving the Diocese. It was extremely hard to hear that this was the path that he had chosen but in my heart I knew it was the best choice for him. ď ľ

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I have been extremely lucky to have had the opportunity to work with some fantastic people and Bishop Greg is certainly at the top of that list. I have worked as Bishop Greg's Secretary since he commenced as the Bishop of Newcastle and from the beginning we hit it off.

Bishop Greg is a person of strong morals, courage and integrity. I have great admiration and respect for him and for where he has taken the Diocese in the time he has been with us. I am incredibly grateful that I have been able to share this journey with him.

I wish Bishop Greg, Kerry and their family all the best for the future.

O

Gill Fletcher: I'd like to say it gives me pleasure to write this piece, but the reality is that I have very mixed emotions. A great sense of sadness at the circumstances which have led to Bishop Greg's decision to leave the Diocese, gratitude for the selfless contribution he has made to this community, and a selfish sense of loss at losing a valued working relationship.

At each step on the journey of parish recovery, Bishop Greg's determination to bring justice for survivors, to right the wrongs of the past, and to ensure openness and transparency, has been both unwavering and inspirational. Despite the enormous personal toll, he never lost sight of the need for deep and

Thank you...

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lasting change and I thank him for the privilege of being part of this journey.

To Bishop Greg and Kerry, my prayer for you is one that has always had special meaning for me The LORD bless you and keep you; the LORD make his face to shine upon you, and be gracious to you; the LORD lift up his countenance upon you, and give you peace.

(Numbers 6:24-26) ď Ž

THINKING ABOUT FAITH

The Symbols of Pentecost THE REV'D CAMERON FREESE RECTOR MEREWETHER

With Pentecost upon us it is, I think, worth reflecting on what we come together to celebrate and what some of our symbols and liturgy might mean. The most common thing I have seen since my ordination is churches decorating themselves with fiery colours, balloons, cut-out images of doves, flames etc etc. Some have also chosen to have "Birthday Cake" at Pentecost because, after all, it is the day we celebrate the birth of the wider church. I have also, over the years, adopted a small liturgical element from Common Worship whereby on Pentecost, the gathered come forward and light votive candles from the Paschal Candle.

After that is done we extinguish the Paschal Candle and then charge people for ministry in the world while they hold the light of Christ and are challenged to take it into the world. Our Liturgical colours change to red and, as those who know me have heard, while I love the church in purple, it is at its most spectacular in red. All of these things make our celebration of Pentecost a wonderfully and deeply moving and symbolically charged event as the Easter Season draws to a close.

Having said that, I do wonder how moved and changed by all of this we are. All of the things we do at Pentecost are "nice" but in looking back at Acts 2, I wonder how unsettling the coming of the Holy Spirit was and how unsettling it should be to us now. For me, the question comes as I explore Celtic liturgy and its differing world view and symbols. Many Christian traditions employ the Dove as the primary symbol of the Holy Spirit.

And for good reason — it is a Dove, after all, that descended upon Jesus during his baptism. The Dove also represents "peace" or "shalom," which are essential elements of Christian identity.

And while I recognise the sparsity of documented evidence, it has often been observed that Celtic Christians have tended to use the Wild Goose as a way to talk about the Holy Spirit. Celtic Christians often forged their symbols out of the ordinary, daily things of the earth that they saw in front of them. For them, the untamed, uncontrollable, erratic nature of the Wild Goose more closely characterised the movement of the Spirit than the more peaceful and serene image of the Dove. This may have been because a Wild Goose is always on the move, always doing unexpected things; it is loud, passionate, sometimes frightening, and unsettling.

So, as we look back at Acts 2 we read: And suddenly from heaven there came a sound like the rush of a violent wind, and it filled the entire house where they were sitting.

Divided tongues, as of fire, appeared among them, and a tongue rested on each of them. All of them were filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other languages, as the Spirit gave them ability.

None of this, in my mind, suggests "niceness" or "neatness". And "So

what", we might think. But I think we need to come to Pentecost expecting the very things the symbol of the Wild Goose depicts. We should expect that God will do the unexpected.

It is an event that should remind us of the surprise, bewilderment, and astonishment that rattles our bones when the Spirit of God descends upon us. And while I would not seek to replace our symbols or liturgy, I do think it is important that we look at the symbols, imagery and understandings of other aspects of the Christian tradition in order to be challenged and unsettled so that we can look deeper into core of the Church's beginnings. And I say this because, it (i.e. the Wild Goose) is imagery, I think, that gives voice to the "messiness" of human life and of community and relationships. And as one writer put it, "by creating a holy mess of confusion, the Spirit leaves us with two choices (and maybe we need to hear this in our bones at this time of upheaval and change): give up and remain confused, or work together to find meaning".

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SOCIAL JUSTICE

No resurrection for Asylum Seekers

BY THE VENERABLE ROD AND KERRY BOWER PARISH OF GOSFORD It is time to act with compassion, Is it time to look into our own darkness...

At 4.30pm on Friday July 19, 2013 a desperate Kevin Rudd signed an agreement with Peter O'Neill, PNG Prime Minister, that would catastrophically impact the life of any person seeking asylum who arrived to Australia by boat; they would be sent to Manus Island and never allowed to settle in Australia.

Many were already in transit; some already being held off landing on Christmas Island in a cruel irony that would see them fall into this "no human's land" abyss. Julia Gillard had already reopened Nauru detention centre a year earlier, and the rest they say is history.

What has happened since that date to these men, women and children amounts to a litany of documented human rights abuses which include illegal indefinite imprisonment, torture and abuse. That the men and staff on Manus Island came under sustained gunfire from allegedly intoxicated PNG defence personnel

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on Good Friday is testimony to the menace and recklessness of this policy. As at January 31, 2017, 1241 men, women and children still languish in detention camps on Manus Island and Nauru, while 1351 continue to be held in mainland detention, many coming up for four years.

So why is this so when we know 66% of people seeking asylum in Australia over the past decade arrived by plane? Why have these "asylum seekers" never been sent to Manus Island or Nauru? This is just one anomaly in this diabolical policy. Maybe it is time we looked into our own darkness in an attempt at understanding who we are, and it is way past time we asked of ourselves some deeply disturbing and uncomfortable questions.

What is it about the "boat person" that we find so threatening? Why do we reject, harm and remove these desperate people from our sight and our consciousness? Is it because they represent the weak and vulnerable in

us that we cannot bear to own? Is it because we Australians of European heritage deeply reject our own "boat person" identity? Is it that we are still too formed in our colonial "White Australia" psyche? Is it tribalism; that we would much rather a blonde, English person arriving by plane than a dark-haired person of Middle Eastern appearance who comes by boat?

The answers are complex and subjective, and thus far there is an obvious lack of will within the Australian people to examine these questions. However, one thing we can be sure of; there was no resurrection this Easter for our brother and sister human beings who arrived on our shores in leaking boats seeking our help; ashamedly we have them well and truly locked in the grave. ď ľ http://www.aph.gov.au/About_Parliament/Parliamentary_ Departments/Parliamentary_Library/pubs/rp/rp1415/ AsylumFacts#_Toc413067443

EASTER SOCIAL REFLECTION JUSTICE The Australian Churches' Refugee Taskforce speaks out on Manus Island violence The Australian Churches' Refugee Taskforce has condemned the violence that erupted on Manus Island on the evening of Good Friday and calls for the camp to be evacuated.

As many as 100 shots were reportedly fired into the Manus Island camp on Good Friday, according to Iranian journalist Behrouz Boochani, who is being held inside the compound. Live rounds were fired and some locals threw rocks at asylum seekers. Three asylum seekers were injured along with some Australian officers.

Taskforce Chair, the Very Rev'd Dr Peter Catt said, "It is with deep sadness that on the evening of Good Friday, marking the Cross of Christ, we hear of the violence and fear that has erupted on Manus Island, PNG, including gun shots being fired into the centre.

"We mourn the fear of those attacked and to hold the anger and hatred that came from the violence itself.

"The darkness of betrayal and abandonment that we are familiar with, in the Jesus story, is being felt keenly by those on Manus Island this weekend. As the Australian Churches turn towards the theme of resurrection on Sunday, the context of our offshore processing can be ignored no more."

The Australian Churches' Refugee Taskforce has worked collaboratively with other agencies across Australia for four years to call for the closure of offshore detention. For the latest outbreak of violence to occur on Good Friday, an important part of the Christian calendar, there can be no ignoring the synergy of suffering.

The Australian Refugee Churches Taskforce calls on the Government

to act with compassion: to lift the veil of re-traumatisation and fear for refugees and asylum seekers, and to evacuate the camps on Manus and Nauru.

"Even if the arrangement with the United States continues, we must act to create safety and security for those who have languished in

offshore detention for too long. By bringing people to Australia, the US deal may continue. More importantly, the healing of those who have been damaged by our nation's policy can begin," The Very Rev'd Dr Peter Catt said. ď ľ

"What is it about the "boat person" that we find so threatening? Why do we reject, harm and remove these desperate people from our sight and our consciousness?"

- Rod and Kerry Bower

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SOCIAL JUSTICE

Refugee Week 2017 - What Can You Do? Refugee Week is an annual event which promotes positive images of refugees and celebrates the valuable contribution refugees make to Australian society. This year Refugee Week is being celebrated June 18-24.

What can my parish or school contribute?

The Refugee Council of Australia is encouraging organisations to celebrate a unified Refugee Week based around the theme With courage let us all combine. The theme is taken from the second verse of the national anthem and celebrates the courage of refugees and of people who speak out against persecution and injustice. It serves as a call for unity and for positive action, encouraging Australians to improve our nation's welcome for refugees and to acknowledge the skills and energy refugees bring to their new home.

A Resource Kit is being designed to help community organisations, faith organisations and teachers to prepare for Refugee Week. Keep your eye on the website for resources to use in your parish or school and download it as soon as it is available - please go to refugeeweek.org.au and follow the link.

by holding a range of events throughout the year and selling merchandise such as t-shirts and bumper stickers.

Time: 6pm Location: Pachamama, 21 Gordon Ave Hamilton www.facebook.com/ refugeeactionnetwork newcastle

Events To explore events that you or your parish can support in your local area click on What's on, or perhaps your parish or school can plan to host their own Refugee Week event.

You can also support the following regular local events: •

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Refugee Action Network Newcastle: Meets on the last Wednesday of each month.

RANN advocate for a more inclusive and compassionate policy towards those legally seeking asylum. They do this

•

Newcastle Weekly vigil against detention of refugee children: This is a vigil of the Hunter Asylum Seeker Advocacy Group, Grandmothers Against Detention of Refugee Children and a number of other groups and individuals who want Nauru and Manus detention centres closed.

Time: 5-6pm Every Thursday

Location: Cnr Hunter and Auckland Sts, outside Sharon Claydon's office •

Newcastle #Can't Stand By rallies: Nation-wide events on the same day.

Time: 2pm first Saturday of every Month Location: Wheeler Place, Newcastle

•

Toronto Weekly vigil against detention of refugee children: Vigil in support of refugees and asylum seekers.

Time: 5-6pm Location: Toronto Uniting Church carpark, intersection of The Boulevard and Carey Streets Toronto. 

SOCIAL JUSTICE

NAIDOC Week THE REV'D CANON DR. JULIA PERRY CHAPLAIN SAMARITANS FOUNDATION

"Do this in remembrance of me!"

We frequently and regularly hear our Saviour's command and strive to obey. Remembering is central to our faith; not only because we live in the awesome light of long gone events but because we live in the midst of the stories of the apostles and disciples who were first to try and imitate Christ. Whenever we strive to live only by copying human (even Christian) standards – we might well fall far from that tree and long emptied tomb.

We remember, because we remember with regret and even despair, those times our antecedents' lack of hospitality and charity have caused harm, and because we know that it is only in Christ that those wounds are healed and we cease to scar with our carelessness and disinterest of past and present events.

We remember, because we remember with thankfulness and with gratitude the inclusive love and lived experience of compassion that Jesus

showed for those on the edges as well as more central to power.

It's nearly a century since those earliest protests were offered – and only now have Indigenous soldiers led ANZAC parades this year having served in all the major conflicts this and last century.

NAIDOC, in the first week of July, is a great opportunity for Indigenous Christians to be recognised as leaders in many of our congregations, as they have been faith leaders around our country for longer than they served in war.

NAIDOC celebrations are held to celebrate the history, culture and achievements of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples and celebrated beyond Indigenous communities, too, in increasing numbers of government agencies, schools, local councils and workplaces.

We need to remember the narratives and stories of Aborigines and Islanders – as they are told to us with

as much care as we remember the narratives of the earliest disciples.

We need to be grateful for the earliest Christians who learnt the languages of the 250 + Aborigines' and Islanders' language groups so that Christ might be named.

The 2017 theme - Our Languages Matter - aims to emphasise and celebrate the unique and essential role that Indigenous languages play in cultural identity, linking people to their land and water and in the transmission of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander history, spirituality and rites, through story and song.

May we remember, repent, and celebrate in all our languages of God this NAIDOC week!

Factual information gleaned from the NAIDOC www.naidoc.org.au And reflection from Julia Perry Samaritan Chaplain and member of the Samaritan Reconciliation Action Team.

NAIDOC Week is held July 2-9, 2017.

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Q&A

Which of the seven gifts of the Holy Spirit is most important for you to live out?

THE REV'D ROB LLEWELLYN PRIEST IN CHARGE GLOUCESTER The gifts of the Holy Spirit first listed in Isaiah 11. The Messiah, the shoot from the stump of Jesse (v.1, code for being the royal descendent of King David), will have the Spirit resting on him and empowering him with wisdom, understanding, counsel, might, knowledge and the fear of the Lord (v2, these six were expanded to also include piety through the church's history).

Often when I ask my kids a question about any topic related to the Bible or faith, they answer "Jesus!" They've rightly come to realise that Jesus is the answer to most questions.

The answer to this Q&A question is no exception. Jesus is the answer to the seven gifts of the Holy Spirit.

They are written in promise of him, he perfectly embodies them and lives them out. As believers it is through our union with Jesus that we are also

enabled to live them out.

As I consider which gift is most important for me to live out, the thing that strikes me is that they are primarily gifts given to Jesus. He is the divine word of God who is our wisdom (John 1:1, 1 Cor 1:30).

By turning to him we come to a true knowledge of God's wisdom and counsel (Jn 1:30, 1 Jn 1:1-4).

In practice, the way that I live out the gifts of the Spirit is by turning to Jesus. I am given wisdom, true knowledge and counsel through Jesus' word, the Bible. I trust that God's power is displayed in Jesus

by his death conquering my sin and death. His resurrection gives me assurance of eternal life. Jesus has poured his Spirit into my heart to enable me to live for him day by day.

So really, I think that all of the gifts are important for me to live out, following Jesus who lived them out perfectly.

MELINDA MCMAHON ORDINAND & INTERN CHAPLAIN BISHOP TYRRELL ANGLICAN COLLEGE

Hmm! "Which of the Apostle Paul's gifts of the Spirit is most important?"

OK. I turned to 1 Corinthians and started pondering. A very Anglicostal question, indeed! But. Hang on! There are nine gifts listed here‌ the question referred to seven gifts‌

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I delved into my theological library in search of a list of seven spiritual gifts, to find a passage in Isaiah 11:2-3. Here, Wisdom, Understanding, Knowledge, Counsel, Fortitude, Piety and Fear of the Lord are shown to be seven gifts of the Holy Spirit, received at Baptism. When I was a baby, God endowed me with seven significant gifts through which He would do His work of grace throughout my life.

So, which one "is most important to live out?"

As I meditated on each, I learnt through Wisdom, we appreciate more intimately what we believe through faith. Understanding enables us to glimpse the very essence of faith.

Counsel is that God-given ability to respond wisely when faith is challenged. Fortitude allows us to

stand strong. Knowledge assists us to determine God's purpose for our lives. Piety reflects our reverence of God and the Fear of the Lord strengthens hope, that our Lord will supply much needed grace to serve Him in love.

While obviously intertwined and building upon each other, right now I believe the gift of Counsel is dominant. Why? As Christian Studies teacher at Bishop Tyrrell Anglican College, this term I am taking an apologetics approach, encouraging students to investigate the truths of the Faith. There is bound to be lively discussion. I know I will need to draw upon the Holy Spirit's Counsel to adequately defend, with grace, truths that have held me strong my entire life.

Q&A KERRY BOWER PARISH OF GOSFORD The gift I choose is fortitude or courage, because being married to the Rector of Gosford requires this above all else. However, before you assume, let me explain!

Rod's schedule as a high-profile priest is demanding and at times overwhelming, and I walk beside him as researcher, sounding board, and "peg". I also have my own role, as an advocate for asylum seekers in long-term detention. Each day we both attempt to stand up for what we believe is right before God, and strive, aware of our own human brokenness to answer the call of the Gospel in defending the marginalised, the vulnerable and those without a voice. This vocation is challenging, polarising to many, and abounds in paradox. We feel passionately hated and passionately loved. We are eager and weary, and comforted and disturbed all at the same time. We regularly draw on our reserves of courage, nonetheless we

are frequently afraid.

We give thanks for the grace of a precious gift, while being weighed down by its demands.

Threats at the door, on the phone, in the mail and via social media are common, at times intensely destabilising our equilibrium, the more ominous reported to Rod's detective. At times we feel unable to sustain the journey, and it is on these days we revisit a conversation we have had a hundred times before. We go to bed resolute, "We're done!" Yet we awake to ongoing injustice each day, abhorrent cruelty to asylum seekers, Indigenous inequality, the suicide of another LGBTI person, vilification of our Muslim friends, poverty, homelessness, environmental

destruction and media vandalism.

And so, it is that each morning our resolve, firmness of mind and burning desire for justice, as laid down by the One who came before us, fuels our passion to keep going.

THE REV'D CHRIS ORCZY RECTOR MORPETH

Piety.

We enter.

Small rustles.

Quiet.

Silence. …from whom no secrets are hidden: cleanse the thoughts of our hearts by the inspiration of your Holy Spirit, Is my heart open to God at this present moment? Search….

Cast me not away from your presence and take not your Holy Spirit from me.

Lord have mercy Pardon you and set you free……

I am free, I am relieved, I am kept in his presence, I know he is with me.

Welcome with meekness the implanted word that has the power to save your souls.

The word surrounds us, it penetrates us, it grasps and holds us.

I am challenged and loved in a moment.

Tones. Colour.

Candles flicker with small sharp movements.

This the boldness we have in him, that if we ask anything according to his will, he hears us.

Incense and light.

Colour and sound.

Muted. Gentle. Calm.

A soft space the suffering of those we love is present to us and to you, Lord.

A candle for every hardened heart.

Silence envelopes us.

We are present in remembering.

The past is present. …..a bell rings….. gather into one all who share in these holy mysteries, filling them with your Spirit and confirming them in the truth, This is the truth.

This will save all, this can save the world. have mercy on us. grant us peace.

The peace is pregnant with expectation. A yearning for Christ.

Those who eat my flesh and drink my blood abide in me, and I in them.

Lord, give us this bread always.

Always.

Keep me in eternal life.

The peace of God… The peace is a cadence for a new beginning.

Quiet.

Silence.

Small rustles.

We exit.

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AROUND THE DIOCESE

30th Anniversary of the Ordination of Women Celebration Eucharist In 2017 the Diocese of Newcastle is celebrating the 30th Anniversary of women ordained in the diocese. To mark the anniversary, the diocese held a Eucharist on Wednesday May 10 to celebrate the first ordinations to the Diaconate.

Ecumenical service at Redhead Beach

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Parish of Belmont

Parish of Gosford

AROUND THE DIOCESE

Sometimes it feels as though this flag wanted to be reborn The Birdwood Flag was discovered in Christ Church Cathedral a few years ago, looking like a bag of dark brown confetti and dust. Something that would normally be thrown out. Except that Bronwyn Orrock's research had shown that it might exist and the Dean of Newcastle had agreed to look for it. People from the Newcastle Museum set it in a box, in layers, so the fragments still remaining would not fall apart.

The flag had a proud history and had once been magnificent. It was Newcastle and Hunter Valley women who gathered resources for it in 1916.

It was a big red Australian ensign and before it went to the battlefield in Belgium a hundred years ago it was made an official flag. It is named after General Birdwood who received it there, as Commander of the Australian troops. So it stood with our men and it stood for our people.

The Dean wanted to restore it. So co-operative work has gently brought

the flag to life again over the last three years.

A committee, grants, careful conservation, university support. The Birdwood Heritage Committee has coordinated it and it has become a work of love to us.

A few weeks ago on a large table at the conservators' workplace in Sydney there was suddenly a flag in front of us. About half of the fragments remain. Up close, it looks patchy. The colours and shapes have been faded and twisted. It was exciting and, more difficult to express, it brought with it a sense of comfort and reassurance. It has been here before.

A re-hallowing service on July 30 at 4pm will receive it into Christ Church Cathedral once more. This flag was

created by our community and all community members are welcome to come to the service.

The theme for this year’s End of Financial Year Appeal comes from the parable of the mustard seed in Matthew 13.

We are all familiar with the phrase ‘from small things, big things grow’, or the many variants of it.

This year we are celebrating the many ways in which the work of our partners overseas is like the mustard seed growing into something bigger than its beginnings. Over the years we have worked with Anglican and like-minded partners to provide the smallest of ‘seed’ investments in projects. We have continued to work with them in the belief that God’s generosity will nurture these initiatives in unexpected ways.

The aim of our development programs at Anglican Overseas Aid is to work with communities to try to build them up. We are thankful for the generosity of people like you. This support really does make a difference. Your donation to our End of Financial Year Appeal will help us to continue to sow new seeds.

Seeds for Life

2017 END OF FINANCIAL YEAR APPEAL

HOW TO DONATE 1 Online:

anglicanoverseasaid.org.au

2 By phone: 1800 249 880 3 By post:

2017 End of Financial Year Appeal Anglican Overseas Aid PO Box 389, Abbotsford Vic 3067

All donations of $2 and over are tax deductible Anglicord: ABN 39 116 072 050

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AROUND THE DIOCESE

Renewal Of Ministry Vows And Chrism Eucharist On the Wednesday of Holy Week the Diocesan family gathered at the Cathedral to reflect on ministry, renew ministry vows, and bless the holy oils for the coming year. This is in line with the wider church's tradition of blessing oils and renewing ordination vows in holy week of each year. This year's gathering, while a long tradition of the Diocese was also new for us.

We began the day with three reflections on ministry today by the Rev'ds Kesh Govan, Marianne Reynolds, and Moira Evers. Each reflected in a different way on the core of their ministry. Common themes which emerged were about ministry as faithfulness, engagement with the wider community, prayer, and on being where God calls us to be rather than where we think we want to be. The timeless practices of ministry were reflected on and encouraged by each of our speakers. Following each of these presentations the gathered congregation had a time of quiet to reflect on the presentation just heard.

The morning then progressed to the Oils Eucharist. In this service Bishop Peter reflected with us on our ministry as a Diocese today and shared some of his personal reflections on what this time in our life is like, and on our call as God's people in these days.

During the service the laity, deacons, priests, and bishop each renewed their commitment to ministry.

As we moved towards communion the oils of healing, commitment (oil of the catechumens), and of blessing

(chrism) were brought forward and blessed by Bishop Peter. These oils will be used in the parishes of the Diocese in the coming year as a part of the sacramental ministries of blessing, healing and setting apart.

It was good for us as a Diocesan family to come together in this way, to be fed by word and sacrament (and by the Cardiff Catering Guild), and to be as one in committing to the ministry before us in this next year.

The first Shared Practice for 2017 Fr Glen Hughes drove from Aberdeen to Christ Church Cathedral on March 11 for the first Shared Practice of 2017.

This is a morning of silence, talks, then sharing that builds on the previous four years of Quiet Mornings in the Cathedral. This first Saturday the participants met for silence in the small sandstone chapel.

Three short talks took them through

Leave a gift in your will to the Church 26

writings about "Lenten Disciplines" of prayer and meditation on holy scripture, fasting and almsgiving.

They learnt that fasting is not just about food; but about simplifying and decluttering to make space for what is important.

Lent, as a time of personal reflection, is not so much giving something up but changing the focus to something more positive, a shift that blesses

for the rest of the year once we explore its possibilities. Talks were very practical. For example, the suggestion that finding time in the day for morning prayer could mean shifting it to midday for someone with young children. Time: lengths of time, freeing time, was a refrain through each of the talks, creating time to listen to our inner voice and what God's spirit may be saying through his word.

Once you have made provision for your loved ones, you have the opportunity to make a lasting gift to God, by leaving a bequest to his church.

A gift in your Will is one of the most valuable and lasting ways you can continue to support its mission and ministry within your community.

Contact Linda Wilson at the Diocesan Office for more information on 4926 3733.

AROUND THE DIOCESE

Samaritans Recognises Dedicated Volunteers Samaritans celebrated National Volunteer Week May 8-14, recognising volunteers and thanking them for their commitment and the difference they make in our local community.

Volunteers play an integral role at Samaritans. With over 700 staff and almost 530 volunteers, many of their services simply couldn't operate without their support.

Samaritans CEO, Peter Gardiner said, "In 2016, more than 1116 volunteer hours were committed to our disability services. This makes a very real and powerful difference to the people we support, especially those who don't often have the opportunity to interact with people other than their support workers and family."

Samaritans retail store volunteers enjoy Volunteer Week celebrations.

Sea Sunday Invitation The annual Newcastle Sea Sunday celebration will be observed on Sunday July 16 with a Sung Evensong in Christ Church Cathedral at 6pm.

This celebration will include the Blessing of the Port of Newcastle by Bishop Peter Stuart.

On Sea Sunday we remember the 1.5 million seafarers around the world who make possible the transportation of nearly everything we use. And we pray for the work of the Mission to Seafarers as we care for seafarers in 200 ports and around 50 countries, including here in Newcastle.

Refreshments will be served at the conclusion of the service. All welcome.

Please RSVP: admin@mtsnewcastle.org.au

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AROUND THE DIOCESE

Samaritans launches Winter Appeal to support young people in need This month Samaritans launched its 2017 Winter Appeal, aiming to raise much needed funds for local young people experiencing or at risk of homelessness.

Enclosed in this edition of Encounter is a letter from Samaritans CEO, Peter Gardiner. In the letter Peter reflects on his meeting with Kate, a local whom Samaritans was able to assist after she experienced homelessness at the age of 14.

Clare, Samaritans staff member and Kate's support worker, said that her work with local youth can be both upsetting and encouraging, all in the same day.

"We are seeing an increasing level of young people within our local community who are becoming homeless. Shockingly they can often go unnoticed for long periods of time while they are couch surfing or sleeping in their cars," Clare said.

"My team at Samaritans can often begin working with a young person months or even years after they become homeless.

"When I first met Kate she had been experiencing homelessness on and off for a few years. She entered Samaritans crisis refuge and from there moved to our transitional program where I worked closely with her to build her independence and living skills.

"Throughout Kate's journey with to Samaritans Winter Appeal today.

Samaritans I was alongside her every Please complete the form on the step of the way, including to help back of the letter enclosed in this guide and support her major goal of edition of Encounter or visit www. securing a private rental; a place to samaritans.org.au/donate. call home.

"As her case worker, I am so proud of the journey that Kate has taken over the past 12 months. It is safe to say that Kate has a very bright future ahead of her and has broken the cycle of homelessness for good," she said.

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AROUND THE DIOCESE

Baptism Sunday at Nelson Bay The Parish of Nelson Bay took church to Fisherman's Bay, Boat Harbour in Port Stephens in March for a special Baptism Sunday. Check out these amazing photos.

MU Lady Day 2017 MU Lady Day 2017 took place at Christ Church Cathedral on Monday March 27. We celebrated the 125th Anniversary of MU in Australia, as well as the 110th Anniversary of MU in the Newcastle Diocese.

Archdeacon Sonia Roulston was presider and preacher at the service.

Five candles were lit to celebrate the special anniversaries – a green candle of mission, a purple candle of compassion, a red candle of prayer, a blue candle of remembrance, and a white candle of light.

All members then lit their own candles in the congregation, a truly beautiful moment.

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WHAT'S ON DIOCESAN CELEBRATION OF THE 30TH ANNIVERSARY OF THE ORDINATION OF WOMEN The Diocese is holding a Diocesan Celebration and Eucharist to celebrate the Ministry of Women on the 30th Anniversary of the Ordination of women to the Dioconate on June 3. All welcome.

Date: Saturday June 3 Time: 11am Venue: Christ Church Cathedral, Newcastle

ANGLICAN WOMEN'S SERVICE Join us on June 6 for the Anglican Women's Australia Conference Eucharist & Diocesan Anglican Women's Service. The theme of the service is Thanksgiving for the Ministry of Women and Facing tomorrow in the Spirit's power.

Anglican Women's Australia Conference Eucharist & Diocesan Anglican Women's Service

Date: Tuesday June 6 Time: 10.30am Eucharist Venue: Christ Church Cathedral Followed by speaker Bishop Kay Goldsworthy All welcome. (Clergy invited to robe)

MESSY WORKSHOP Messy Workshop - Exploring the Five Values.

The Messy Workshop is the first of an annual event sponsored by CEY Ministries in support of All Age and Intergenerational Ministry across the Diocese and beyond.

This will be a hands-on day with plenty of opportunities for questions and your input.

This year we'll be exploring The Five Core Values of Messy Church: Hospitality, Creativity, All-age,

Celebration and Christ-centred.

In the afternoon, there will be an opportunity to experience all of these values in a Messy Church session entitled The Last Supper. The day will end with Messy Communion.

When: Saturday June 17 Time: 8.30am – 4.30pm Where: Bishop Tyrrell Anglican College, 256 Minmi Road, Fletcher Lunch is provided with tea & coffee available all day. Cost to be advised.

CIRCLE OF TRUST RETREAT Let your life speak – A Circle of Trust Retreat - June 23-25, 2017, Kincumber, NSW Life can so quickly get away from us; we desire to live intentionally and yet struggle to maintain our balance amidst the pressure and demand. This retreat is designed for those who wish to cultivate a rich and meaningful engagement with their everyday situation and who would appreciate an opportunity to

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tune in to the deeper energies and intentions that seek acknowledgment and expression in their life.

Based on the Circle of Trust® approach, the weekend will offer a sustaining and reflective environment in which to discern your inner wisdom. Alone and in hospitable community, issues of vocation and integrity are explored in fresh, respectful, creative and engaging ways. All welcome.

PUZZLE

Facing The Past, Shaping A Healthy Future

BY THE REV'D JUDY WALSH PLM CESSNOCK CAN YOU FIND THE MISSING WORD? _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ AMEN AND ASSURANCE COMFORT COMMISSION CONFIDENCE FACING FAITH FILE FORGIVENESS FORWARD FUTURE GRACE GROWTH HEALTHY LIFE LOVE MEND MERCY NURSE PAST PEACE

PRAYER PRESS PRIESTS REBUILD REFLECTION REPENT ROYAL SAFETY SCAN SECURITY SHAPING STRENGTH THE TIME TOLERANCE TOMORROW TRUST TRUTH TURN UNDERSTANDING WHITEN

FEBRUARY/MARCH SOLUTION: YEAR A

RECIPE

Garlic and thyme potato stack INGREDIENTS 8 Red Royale potatoes 50g melted butter 2 crushed garlic cloves 1 tablespoon thyme sprigs 1/2 cup (125ml) chicken stock

METHOD Step 1: Slice potatoes very thinly. Mix with butter, garlic cloves and thyme sprigs in a bowl. Season.

Step 2: Arrange potato slices upright in a 4-cup (1L) shallow dish. Pour chicken stock down the sides of the dish.

Step 3: Roast at 180C for 40 mins or until potato is golden brown and tender.

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Celebrate NAIDOC Week JULY 2-9, 2017

NAIDOC Week Celebrations 2015

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