October 2007
Issue 26, Number 9
PP 565 001/00190 ISSN 0726-2612
Let’s talk about faith
Jill Freear
Moderator-elect Rev Rod Dyson would like us to talk about our faith as readily as others talk about football. Engaging the wider community in Christian dialogue is one of the many things Rod hopes to encourage during his three years as Moderator which will begin next month. “I’d be very happy if I could help the church to really engage with the community - with a very down-to-earth and natural faith,” says Rod. “I’d like our people to be happy to talk about their faith and not be ashamed or embarrassed, but just put it into the conversation as something that matters. “We need to embrace the world very warmly without sacrificing what we believe in.” Rod’s theme during his term in office is ‘Serving the world for the sake of Christ’. He’s keen for the church to start focusing outward after the significant time spent on internal issues such as the leadership and sexuality debate and structural change. “This theme points us outward,” Rod says. “It picks up the fact that Christ is the reason for our existence and that he died not just for the church, but for the world. And also that he came as a servant, rather than to be served. “I want the church to serve in the local community and the world. I want church people to love those in the community without aiming to get them into church. We need to love freely and unconditionally and accept that some expressions of faith may be very different from our own.” Rod’s come a long way since his youth in Port Augusta, where he grew up attending the Methodist Church, with a passion for gardening and a strong desire to be an agricultural scientist. It wasn’t until he reached his midtwenties and was working as an agricultural economist in Melbourne, that he became a Christian. “When I moved to Melbourne I knew nobody, so I wrote to local churches looking for accommodation. “No one offered initially, but then a 93-year-old lady came forward. I lived with her for a couple of years. She was an amazing woman and gave me the freedom to explore faith while at the same time pushing me towards Jesus. She was a wonderful gift.”
Moderator-elect Rod Dyson outside Westbourne Park Uniting Church, where he will continue to serve in ministry half-time during his term as Moderator. Rod returned to South Australia to study theology. While on a rural field trip he realised that God was asking him to leave agricultural science behind and to immerse himself fully in ministry. “It was tough realising I had to give up my first passion in life.” During the course of his studies he took time out, serving a three year stint in Tonga as principal of an agricultural college run by the Free Wesleyan Church. With that overseas mission experience under his belt he returned to Parkin-Wesley College and completed his theological training. He then spent five years as minister at Blackwood Uniting Church, followed by four years in the Synod office as a consultant for Partnerships and Justice. Placements at Dernancourt and Westbourne Park Uniting Church followed. Rod is well equipped to pick up the Moderator’s mantle. He holds to social justice issues as dearly as he does to evangelism. And he is keen for the church to influence the shape of society.
“I’d like to have the opportunity to bring a hope-filled presence to the community,” Rod says. “The church has a real role to play in a world that can be pretty despondent and without hope at times.” Rod’s Installation Service will be at Maughan Church on Thursday 1 November at 7pm.
inside… Presbytery Synod preview
2
Government ‘heavy-handed’
3
Male spirituality
4
Mental Health Week
5
Reflections on Baxter
6
Christian book winners
8
Bishop Spong’s theology
10
Charles Wesley’s legacy
13
Scots’ sustainable garden
15
Christmas postcard
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Rod’s logo and theme during his term as Moderator.
Please hand out at your church door
NEWS
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New Times
‘Face up to poverty’
ISSN 0726-2612 Acting editor: Jill Freear, Ph 8236 4230, email newtimes@sa.uca.org.au Advertising: Russell Baker, Ph 8361 6822, email ribad@bigpond.com Circulation: Jo Watts, Ph 8236 4260, email jo@sa.uca.org.au Production: Joie Creative Printer: Cadillac Printing Circulation: 12,000 Distribution: On the first Sunday of the month Editorial deadline for November: 10 October Advertising deadline for November: 12 October New Times is published 11 times a year by the Uniting Church SA Communications Unit. Articles and advertising content do not necessarily reflect the views of the editor or of the Uniting Church. New Times articles and policies are published on the Uniting Church SA website www.sa.uca.org.au. Office: Level 2, 212 Pirie Street, Adelaide. GPO Box 2145 Adelaide, SA 5001.
OCTOBER 2007
UNITING CHURCH staff have joined thousands of other Australians having their photos taken for a petition urging our political leaders to increase overseas aid. So far more than 16,000 people have added their faces to the ‘Face up to poverty’ photo petition. Uniting Church SA Solidarity and Justice officer Kate Tretheway said the petition provides a unique opportunity before the election to show political leaders the growing number of people who want Australia to step up its commitment to overseas aid. “This campaign is all about making our Government accountable for promises it has already made – to give more support to countries that need to be assisted out of poverty,” Kate said. “It’s terrible to think that every single day 30,000 children are dying because of poverty – poverty that is in many cases preventable, if only wealthy countries would live up to the commitments they’ve made. “It’s just not right that so many people in our world go without basic necessities such as food, clean water and adequate shelter, while in Australia we enjoy so much and could make a difference by sharing just a little of what we have. “As Christians, we are called to love our neighbour as ourselves – and that includes our neighbours on the other side of the world. “To put pressure on our Government, all people have to do is have their photo taken with their postcode and send it to ‘Make Poverty History’. It will then be included in
Uniting Church SA Solidarity and Justice officer Kate Tretheway is encouraging church members to take part in the ‘Face up to poverty’ photo petition. a petition that calls on the Government to live out its commitment.” The petition is part of the ‘Make Poverty History’ campaign that aims to halve global poverty by 2015 by achieving the MDGs (Millennium Development Goals). ‘Make Poverty History’ is part of a global call to action against poverty involving about 80 countries. In Australia, ‘Make Poverty History’ is a
coalition of more than 60 aid agencies, community groups and religious organisations. The coalition wants the Australian Government to guarantee more and better aid, to provide debt relief, fairer trade, to help poor communities keep their governments accountable, to tackle climate change and honour commitments to the MDGs. More information is available at www.makepovertyhistory. com.au/faceup.aspx.
Big issues at Presbytery and Synod Meeting A NUMBER of big issues will come under the spotlight during the Presbytery and Synod meeting at the Royal Adelaide Showgrounds from November 1 – 4. There will be an update on the Uniting Church SA’s Strategic Plan and the proposed Centre for Leadership, a report on how the church is responding to environmental issues and further information on the Strategic Mapping Project. Jan Trengove is due to
present a final report on the new Presbytery Synod Mission Network Structure. Jan has already indicated that likely recommendations may include increasing representation on Standing Committee and separating Pastoral Relations and Placements Committee. Mission Networks will also present activity reports. Parkin-Wesley College principal Rev Dr Andrew Dutney will be involved in the Bible Study and Reflection after Opening Worship on the
Friday and Saturday. Moderator Rev Graham Vawser and General Secretary Rev Dr Graham Humphris are both due to deliver their final reports to the Presbytery and Synod. Moderator-elect Rev Rod Dyson’s Installation Service will be held at Maughan Church at 7pm on Thursday November 1. There will be a Celebration of Ministry Service, recognising retired ministers, at Pilgrim Church at 7pm on Sunday November 4.
COMMENT
New Times
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Government ‘heavy-handed’ Lin Hatfield Dodds
ONE OF THE most contentious social and political issues Australia has faced in recent times is the Australian Government’s national emergency response to child abuse in the Northern Territory. In June UnitingCare Australia joined with Uniting Church President Gregor Henderson and more than 130 other organisations to sign a letter to Indigenous Affairs Minister Mal Brough expressing concern about the Government’s response to the ‘Little Children are Sacred’ report. Through our association with the ACOSS (Australian Council of Social Services), UnitingCare continued to speak out against the Government’s heavy-handed approach. We also advocated for an inclusive, consultative approach based on programs and policies known to help victims and heal and build strong communities. On August 6 the Government unveiled 500 pages of legislation to enact its emergency response, containing provisions more farreaching than expected. Again the Uniting Church joined with other organisations to express our concerns and called for proper and considered parliamentary debate on the proposed legislation. After initially ruling out a Senate Inquiry the Government and Opposition agreed to a one-day hearing. While a number of Aboriginal groups and others were heard, the authors of the ‘Little Children are Sacred’ report were excluded. It was only through an alternative ‘Senate hearing’ organised by Oxfam that the report’s co-authors were able to present their findings and recommendations.
On Friday August 17, with Labor Party support, the legislation was passed. In our inaugural Statement to the Nation in 1977 the Uniting Church pledged to “seek the correction of injustices … to work for the eradication of poverty and racism and …to oppose all forms of discrimination which infringe basic rights and freedoms”. If we are to remain true to our foundation, it is imperative that we speak out when laws are passed that entrench social and racial inequality. I encourage Uniting Church members to look at the Government’s Northern Territory National Emergency Response legislation. Tell people where you see discrimination occurring and basic rights and freedoms being impinged. Write to your local members; take a stand! This legislation includes compulsory five-year government leases over Aboriginal townships and land tenure changes; an end to the permit system; the removal of customary laws in bail and sentencing conditions; the appointment of Government business managers in Aboriginal townships to manage and implement the emergency measures; the abolition of the Community Development Employment Program (CDEP) and a profound shake-up in welfare delivery. A range of extraordinary reserve powers are also included and the legislation specifically overrides the Racial Discrimination Act. The Uniting Aboriginal and Islander Christian Congress and UnitingCare Australia have agreed to take collaborative advocacy action on this issue. We want to shift public perceptions of the reality and drivers of disadvantage for Aboriginal people and communities, highlight what works on the ground and to shift government policy and actions.
UnitingCare Australia national director Lin Hatfield Dodds.
Pokies intervention welcomed UnitingCare Wesley has commended Federal Opposition leader Kevin Rudd’s proposal to wean states off poker machine revenue – and is keen to see more details of how this might happen. “This is the first time we have seen a Federal political party apparently willing to address state governments’ over reliance on gambling revenue,” says UnitingCare Wesley Adelaide minister Rev Peter McDonald. “While a reduction in poker machines will cause a loss of income for the states, it is significant that Mr Rudd appears to be willing to address the issue directly.
“Poker machines cause significant harm in the community. Many families have felt the pain of poker machine addiction. “Uniting Care Wesley would like to see an immediate reduction of 7,500 poker machines and a decrease in the number of licensed gaming venues. “There is overwhelming evidence that easy access to poker machines encourages problematic gambling. “Presently Australia has 20 percent of the world’s poker machines and only one percent of the world’s population.”
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NEWS
4
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ARE OUR CHURCHES failing men and boys? Dr Roland Martinson, professor of Children, Youth and Family Ministry at Luther Seminary, in Minnesota, USA believes in many cases they are. And he ought to know. He has been involved in an extensive US study examining the state of faith among younger men in the church. Roland believes many churches are simply not geared up to meet male needs. He says while church leadership is predominantly male, the culture and sensibilities of the church are largely female. “One of the major challenges we have is to create access for both men and women at the highest levels of leadership, so we have as many women as men leading,” Roland says. “And we need to open up the sensibilities of the church to as many masculine sensibilities and proclivities as we can.” He also argues that the church tends to be primarily verbal, oral and auditory – through its preaching, teaching and music. The problem with this is that men are largely visual. “That means we need to transform worship – and start using more sophisticated ways of communicating visually.” Roland says men, and particularly young adult males, are enormously kinaesthetic – actively learning things through their bodies. Females, on the other hand, like to hear things and then apply them. “We need to engage men by providing opportunities for them to be physically involved through sports or building and construction. We also need to transform the way we provide early faith formation, so that it is visual and active, rather than passive and verbal. “Another thing we can do is to reconsider something as basic as our Christology. There is a tendency to emphasise the gentle, loving, peaceful, compassionate Christ. We tend to exclude the sharp, confronting, adventuring, challenging Christ, who takes big risks and loses his life. “The church has tended to round the edges
off its Christology. We need to adopt a sense of adventure in mission and to challenge both women and men to take big risks for the sake of the Gospel.” Roland claims another issue is that church activities are largely indoors. Yet his research revealed that men regularly experience God through nature. “They feel God in the foamy rapids while kayaking through a gorge; on the mountain top facing the storm; and through adventure sports like snowboarding, mountain biking, surfing, rafting and trekking.” He says churches in the United States are starting to wake up to this and are offering boys and young men “adventure experiences”. “During the course of these experiences conversations happen and men and boys work out how to pray together and maybe how to read scripture – but mostly they just listen to each other.” Roland also suggests that churches should develop richer and broader music ministries - enabling males to be involved through bands and gigs. He recognises that changing church culture to provide a better environment for males to explore faith may be challenging. “A critical thing is to sit down with the grandparents in the congregation and ask them to think about their grandchildren and to wonder if succeeding generations will have faith. “Church is not just about providing them with a comfortable place until they die. It’s about their calling to pass faith onto the next generation.” Dr Roland Martinson’s visit to Adelaide was sponsored by Parkin Wesley College (with support from the Uniting Foundation) and the Lutheran Church in SA/NT. The results of the men’s spirituality study in the United States are available in a book titled ‘Coming of Age: Exploring the Spirituality and Identity of Younger Men’, by David W. Anderson; Paul G. Hill; Dr Roland D. Martinson.
Key to church growth Meera Atkinson CONTEMPORARY WORSHIP and church plants are the key to church growth. That was the message given to the 300 delegates who attended the eighth International meeting of the World Methodist Council in Atlanta, Georgia. Rev Ken Anderson, formerly from Brougham Place Uniting Church, was one of eight Australians to attend the meeting which focussed on developing missionary congregations. Ken views the World Methodist Council as an important international link that can facilitate learning among people from contrasting circumstances around the world. “Just being together identifies us as a family where we can see nations that are struggling, as Australia is, in terms of growing the church in a holistic sense and not just numerically,” Ken said. The meeting heard that the Methodist Church around the world is growing by about one million members a year but this growth is not taking place in first world countries. The new term being used to describe this phenomenon by Christian sociologists is “The Global South”.
While Australia is about as “South” as you can go, our nation is aligned with North America, England and Europe where membership has plummeted and continues to decline in mainstream churches. Delegates heard there are two keys to growth - adding a contemporary worship service and church planting. Other suggestions included that the planting of new congregations be considered a matter of urgency and that attention be given to the development of faith communities, entry point groups, and community worship events. It was also suggested that leaders of growing mainline churches in the US be invited to conduct seminars in Australia for ministers, synods and Assembly councils and agencies. “The whole area of faith sharing and people coming to faith is still a possibility,” said Ken. “In our point of history and in our country there are so many exciting circumstances that demand the Uniting Church has a theology of evangelism to provide opportunities to help people discover their own gifts and do basic training in how they share the faith.”
COMMENT
New Times
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Mental Health Week October 7 -13 Mental Health Week aims to activate, educate and engage Australians in mental health issues. With one in five people likely to experience depression at some time during their lives, chances are we all know someone with the illness. Yet depression is still not widely recognised in the community as a major health problem. Often people suffering depression and other mental health disorders do not seek treatment because they do not recognise the signs and symptoms, they do not know where to get help or they are too ashamed to talk about how they feel. During Mental Health Week we are all encouraged to take the time to think and talk about mental illness. For further information visit www.mhcsa.org.au.
Journey to wellness Rachelle’s story
For just over two years I struggled with life, wondering what was wrong with me until I was diagnosed with a mental illness. I was always good at school but I was beginning to lose concentration. I was hearing and seeing things. My illness slowly turned me against my friends. It got to the stage that I had to leave school. I was using drugs and alcohol to escape the world but coming down only made things worse. I was moving from place to place until finally I got my own house. I was there for two weeks before a doctor referred me for hospital treatments. During the next four years I had many hospital admissions and every anti-psychotic medication available, but my body rejected them all. Every medication had its side effects. I met a lot of great people through the hospital. That’s how I heard of a place called Club 84. Everybody there looks out for everyone and it’s a positive place to be. The workers are easy to talk to and they care. Club 84 played a big part in helping me get better. I am now 20-years-old, off medication and doing better than I ever have. I believe I will be well for the rest of my life. I don’t regret having a mental illness because it’s made me the person I am today. • Rachelle’s story is told with permission. She was supported during her illness by Uniting Church mental health chaplain Rev Mark Boyce.
Mental health chaplain Jan Murchland (left) is based at the Glenside Campus of the Royal Adelaide Hospital.
Caring for the mentally ill Rev Graham Vawser, Uniting Church SA Moderator The numbers of people suffering from mental illness in Australia appears to be increasing at an alarming rate. Mental illness can come in many forms, including depression, anxiety, post-traumatic stress, bipolar disorder and schizophrenia. The Advertiser reported recently that more people die as a result of suicide than are killed in motor vehicle accidents. But who cares for those who have a mental illness? Both the State and Federal Governments are pushing for people in mental health facilities to be moved out into the community. The Government is in the process of implementing the recommendations of the Cappo Report. This entails the provision of different kinds of housing and levels of medical support depending on the degree of mental illness. Last year some mental health patients were placed in half-way housing and supported by day-time carers. A few rejoined the community and are coping well. Caring for people who are mentally ill is not simple. One problem is that their mental health can very quickly change. This means that friends, family and acquaintances may find they do not know how to relate to people when they are
unwell, and they may be unable to relate to us. This is a big concern for all of us. Mental illness can begin in childhood, teenage years or at anytime right through until old age. People who suffer from mental illness experience days when they are a bit ‘upside down’, either feeling flat or really happy. Some days they just do not want to talk to anyone, including the mental health chaplain. Jesus spent a lot of time caring for the sick. The Gospels indicate that although sick people were invisible to the Jewish leaders and the wealthy, they were always important to Jesus. Many of us have come to understand that Jesus expects us to use our gifts to care for the mentally ill, just as he did. This is not just the work of our chaplains – we can all play a part. • The Uniting Church SA has three chaplains specialising in the mental health area. Rev Jan Murchland is a half time chaplain at the Glenside Campus of the Royal Adelaide Hospital. Rev Mark Boyce is mental health chaplain at the Northern Mental Health Service, (Lyell McEwen Hospital) and also helps resource congregations and Club 84. Rev Adam Tretheway works with refugees and asylum seekers and with Semaphore Uniting Church caring for people with mental illness who are living in supported residential 60x48mm Advert facilities.
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COMMENT
Reflections on Baxter closure Frank Tuppin I WAS PART of an ecumenical ministry team, made up of lay people and clergy, who visited Baxter to bring worship, hope and solace. Although those who came to church were isolated and often traumatized by their experiences, there was a very real sense that they had not been abandoned by the wider church. Rev Sam Kobia, from the World Council of Churches and former UCA president Rev Dean Drayton were amongst the church leaders who visited, bringing hope. Sometimes the mood of despair appeared to visibly lift as we worshipped together. Sometimes worship was in English, at other times in a vernacular language such as Farsi. Sometimes we prayed for those in isolation compounds and on one occasion we prayed for the men protesting on the hot tin roof of a compound. Most asylum seekers lived in fear of being deported back to countries with governments that are hostile to them on political or religious grounds. Sometimes
church representatives acted as advocates for detainees with Baxter staff and the Immigration Minister. Residents always offered hospitality, even if it was just a cup of coffee in a plastic cup, with food provided by visitors. Eventually our prayers began to be answered. Long term detainees were granted visas and embraced opportunities to contribute to the Australian community. One Catholic priest who visited Baxter described it as “toxic” for everyone there detainees, staff and visitors. However there were individual acts of kindness that made life bearable and proved that it is always better “to light a match, than to curse the darkness”. I for one will not mourn the closure of the Baxter Immigration Detention Facility, but give thanks to God for the courage of detainees and for those who worked for a just outcome on their behalf. • Frank conducted an interim ministry at Baxter for nearly a year while based at Burra Uniting Church.
Andrew Clarke with Kim Wright outside the Baxter Immigration Detention Centre.
Two cheers for closure Andrew Clarke THE BAXTER Detention centre has closed. Everyone who was incarcerated there must be pleased. It was a centre that had many troubles. The most troubled were the residents who were there for varying lengths of time, sometimes years. It was a place where many were taught they were not wanted. And a place where lives were put on hold, awaiting official decisions. Ninety-five percent of all
asylum seekers detained in Baxter were later deemed to be refugees. The timing and conditions of their release was often puzzling. Some became Christians and faced a possible death penalty if they were deported. All felt isolated and some lost all belief in God.
Visitors often had mixed emotions. There were many conditions and numerous security gates to be passed. There was the almost unvarying courtesy and hospitality of the detainees and
Making a difference every day
the surprise when some officers were particularly helpful. Many visitors commented that they received more from those they visited than they were able to give. It was always hard to leave. Let us honour the ecumenical ministry which was offered at Baxter. I do not expect to worship again under signs warning me that surveillance is in place. Let us also remember that other detention centres have been built at great expense in places where we cannot easily visit.
• Andrew is the coordinator of the Uniting Church SA’s MRN Centre for Refugees.October 2007
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COMMENT
New Times
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‘No closure’ Ranjan Abayaseka
NEWS BULLETINS carried the item without fanfare. The Baxter Immigration Detention Centre would be closed by the Immigration Department on August 19, 2007. Opened in September 2002, at a cost of $40 million, this “purpose built facility” was deemed a suitable place to punish those who dared seek asylum in Australia. It was part of the Pacific solution. On the night of the closure a group of 16 people gathered opposite Baxter’s main gates to remember those who had been incarcerated by the electrified fences and computer-locked doors. In a simple act of remembrance, each person spoke a few words about the feelings and memories stirring in their hearts and minds as they stood in front of this modern day symbol of Australia. Most had visited those inside over several years. One person spoke of the principle of mandatory detention and the hope that Australia would find other ways to treat asylum seekers. A nurse, who had helped six women give birth in Baxter, regretted that the Government had allowed such a momentous event in a woman’s life to occur in such dire circumstances. Each newborn babe was given a Baxter identification number to begin their life in Australia. One man spoke about a young Afghani whom he and his wife befriended from 2003
to 2005. He spoke of their joy when the same young man hailed them in an Adelaide shopping centre, yelling out, “Mum, Mum,” and enveloped his wife in a hug that told all. Another woman who had faithfully visited many young men, found it difficult to express her feelings, as she remembered those who now require psychiatric treatment. The mention of those who were deported, some facing more trauma and even death, evoked anxiety and fear. Although Baxter was closing, closure for many would be far away. A lady from Brisbane spoke of her son who was living overseas during the Tampa crisis. On seeing television news reports he admitted feeling ashamed to call himself an Australian. Despite the shame, the sadness and the horror of Baxter, all agreed it had been a valuable experience caring for and visiting detainees, advocating for them and raising community awareness. We have seen that the human spirit will not be easily destroyed. Friendships begun in adversity, among a diverse group of cultures, colours and creeds, will last a lifetime. The act of remembrance ended with hope. Hope that Australia would see better days and better ways. • Ranjan is a member of the Whyalla Uniting Church. He and his wife have visited and supported Baxter detainees for the past five years.
A sign pointing to the Baxter Immigration Detention Centre, indicating the remoteness of the facility.
‘Totally un-Australian’ Darren Lovell IN NEARLY twenty years of working with people, first as a volunteer, then as a social worker and now as a minister, I have seen the best and the worst of people in Australia. I have seen the best and the worst of whole communities in Australia. The Baxter Immigration Detention Centre was, (along with the way that we have treated our Indigenous community), the worst and most hurtful treatment I have seen the Australian community dish out to people. During the time I worked at Baxter as a chaplain, I not only experienced the suffering of those waiting helplessly, I
dare minimise what happened there. It was totally unAustralian and totally unjust. May it never happen again.
also had to deal with my own sense of helplessness to change what they were experiencing. And I had to deal with a sense of shame in my own country. I also had to listen politely (because that’s what ministers are supposed to do), to ignorant and incredibly arrogant people giving opinions totally devoid of any facts or experience of Baxter. Sometimes I was made to feel that I was doing something wrong in caring for people in Baxter. Unless you visited the place and listened to the extreme suffering of the people unjustly imprisoned there, don’t
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• Darren was part of the ecumenical ministry team at Baxter.
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OCTOBER 2007
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NEWS
New Times
‘The Big Year Out’ PARKIN-WESLEY Theological College is launching an initiative next year for young people interested in a year of service and learning to stretch and deepen their faith. There will be 30 places for young adults in the ‘The Big Year Out’ program. Spokesperson Craig Mitchell says participants will spend a year in community, spiritual formation, active service and crosscultural engagement, preparing to be ‘agents of change’ for Christ. “The course is designed as a gap year, so participants may work part-time if they choose,” Craig said. “A key part of the program is a weekly mission service placement on one or more days a week. The course offers young adults
an intensive year of discipleship training. “Young adulthood is a critical time for identity and faith formation when young people can hear the call of Jesus Christ in fresh ways. “We believe that this initiative is vital for the church. Up until now the church has offered little in terms of intentional, sustained leadership development for young adults. This program will help fill the void. “We plan to call on our experienced young adult leaders across the Synod to provide program input and to mentor participants.” More details are available at http://www. thebigyearout.com.
Winning Christian books A POLITICAL BIOGRAPHY about former Deputy Prime Minister John Anderson has won the Christian Book of the Year Award. ‘Faith and Duty: The John Anderson Story’ by Paul Gallagher was said by one of the judges to be “an engaging and well written account of the political life and personal faith of a prominent Australian public figure”. The book also provides insights “into the personal cost borne by politicians generally”. The judges also liked the fact that the book raises significant issues about the relationship between church and state. Second prize was shared by two titles. ‘Ministry in Disaster Settings: Lessons from the Edge by Stephen Robinson; and Michael Frost’s ‘Exiles: New Times advert Gifts of Love.qxp 9/20/2007 2:47 PM Page 1
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Living Missionally in a PostChristian Culture’. The judges said ‘Ministry in Disaster Settings’ breaks new ground in terms of thinking about Christian ministry in extreme situations and makes a major contribution in an apparently neglected area of ministry involvement. It begins with four case studies of well known Australian disasters and moves on to identify the effects of disaster on those ministering, then reflects theologically on this, raising questions about the presence of God in suffering. Michael Frost’s book challenges Christians to live the exilic life as an outworking of Christian identity and incarnational mission. The latter two books are available from the MRN Resource Centre in the Uniting Church SA office. Enquiries to Heather Bald on 8236 4243.
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New Times
Where two or three gather...
T
his is your Church in the Outback. A sanctuary without walls, an altar of weathered gum, a carpet of rusted dust, a worship filled with the wonder of the Master’s handiwork, and fellowship rich in mateship. A Church rich in unity though separated by vast distances. The vision of Frontier Services is to sustain and grow this vibrant expression of Church through its expanding network of Patrols. There are currently 20 Patrol Ministers spread over 85% of remote Australia reaching out to isolated families and communities. Our ministers travel over one million kilometres each year visiting thousands of families and Outback workers, bringing God’s Word and the hand of friendship, often as the only source of spiritual and emotional support to isolated people. And although sometimes only two or three are gathered, God’s love and grace abounds.
F
Frontier Services’ Patrol Minister John Case supporting a family in remote Australia.
rontier Services’ Patrol Ministry relies almost entirely on donations to continue and you can help to ensure this exciting expression of our Church continues to grow by becoming a Patrol Partner today. Both individuals and groups can become Partners and provide essential support to Outback Ministry. You can choose to partner in one of four Patrols including the Parkin Patrol, based in Hawker, SA. When you become a Patrol Partner, you’ll receive a Patrol profile and information about the Patrol Minister, so you can get to know them. You’ll then receive at least two updates annually with information about the Patrol and community, 4 issues of Frontier News per year ... plus the knowledge that you are working with dedicated ministers to share God’s love with people in the Outback. Patrol Partners commit to contribute $20 each month to a total of $240 per year.
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BECOME A PATROL PARTNER NOW! Simply complete the slip below or email your details to enquiries@frontierservices.org. Yes! Please send me information on the Frontier Services Patrol Partners Program! NAME: ____________________________________________________________________________________________ ADDRESS: _________________________________________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________ STATE _________ POSTCODE ______________ PHONE NUMBER: (
) ____________________________________ EMAIL: _________________________________
Thank you! We will send information to you shortly. Please return to Frontier Services, Reply Paid 2527, Sydney NSW 2001 OR call 1300 787 247.
www.frontierservices.org
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New Times
‘Christianity for the 21st century’? Whether you revere him or revile him, there is no denying that Bishop John Shelby Spong provokes theological discussion. The controversial retired American bishop was in Adelaide in August. As a guest of PCNetSA (Progressive Christianity Network SA) he addressed gatherings at Kent Town and Clayton Wesley Uniting Churches. Bishop Spong was in Australia promoting his latest book ‘Jesus for the Non Religious’. He was also the keynote speaker at ‘Common Dreams’ a Progressive Christianity conference in Sydney. In his latest book Bishop Spong claims that the Bible should not be read literally, as it contains “interpretive portraits painted by Jewish artists”. His book debunks many core Christian beliefs - namely that Jesus was born of a virgin, that he was physically resurrected from the dead and that he ascended into heaven. Bishop Spong says his theological views are not new - that they are in fact “down-right orthodox” and commonplace amongst critical Biblical scholars. He says this new Biblical scholarship doesn’t destroy faith, but rather opens up new dimensions. He doesn’t expect everyone to agree with him. He simply offers ideas and insights for consideration. Bishop Spong says his book attempts to bring accepted Biblical scholarship to the people in the pews, so they don’t need to “check their brains in at the door”. While many claim that Spong is the Antichrist or the devil incarnate, he says he is not faithless or non-Christian, but merely a non-fundamentalist. “I simply don’t think you can be a fundamentalist and a Christian and live in the 21st century with any integrity.
“In the 21st century we don’t think virgins can conceive; we don’t think five loaves of bread can feed 5,000 people and we don’t think Jesus ascended into heaven like a rocket ship – these things were simply not literal occurrences. “We have to engage in the ‘experience’ behind the 1st century explanation.” Bishop Spong has been studying the Bible for 65 of his 76 years and says the deeper he re-examines it, the more he believes it was never meant to be interpreted literally. “People think I don’t believe in the Bible – but that’s not so. I believe in the experience that the Bible is trying to communicate and I believe in it profoundly.” Spong was raised a fundamentalist in America’s segregated south and was taught that every word in the Bible was the literal, inerrant word of God. “I was taught that segregation was God’s will, that women were inferior to men, that homosexuals were either mentally sick of morally depraved and that it was okay to hate Jews and other religions – and the Bible was quoted to prove this.” Bishop Spong distances himself from many things that happen in the name of religion today. The retired bishop claims that rather than killing Christianity, he is reformulating it for the 21st century. “People are afraid of looking at the Bible any other way. I’ve had 16 serious death threats in my life – all from Bible-quoting Christians scared that I was killing their God. What I’m doing is freeing their God to live. There is a Christian alternative to literalism. There is a choice between being a fundamentalist and a secular humanist and that is to find a way to sing the Lord’s song in the strange land of the 21st century.”
Bishop John Spong and his wife Christine, who is also his editor, agent and publicist. Spong’s next book reveals why he believes in the after-life.
Does Spong’s theology fit the Uniting Church? Is there a place for Bishop Spong’s theology within the Uniting Church? Bishop Spong gives the impression that his views are mainstream and commonly held by respected theologians. He also creates the impression that orthodoxy rests on a belief in the supernatural and a rigid biblical literalism. Yet many contemporary theologians believe the stories of Jesus’ life, death and resurrection are far more than remnants of a primitive world view. And for many, the orthodox messages of faith still have radical power. Some critics say it is impossible to follow Spong and to uphold the Creeds in the UCA’s Basis of Union. Others say that Bishop Spong is good at deconstructing but not so good at
helping us reconstruct our beliefs. Rev Dr Andrew Dutney, principal of Parkin-Wesley Theological College, believes Bishop Spong is stuck in the theological debates of the 1960s and says his recent material is supported by only a very narrow field of Biblical scholars. “It’s good that some people find Bishop Spong helpful,” Andrew says. “That they identify with him and find his books and lectures useful for exploring their own concerns. “He’s certainly a good communicator. However theological debate has moved on from Spong. There’s been a generational change and we are now concerned with a different range of issues.”
Calendar annual report again The Uniting Church SA is producing another calendar style annual report for next year, following the popularity of this year’s calendar. The 2008 calendar will be distributed to congregations at the November Presbytery and Synod meeting.
To ensure your congregation receives the number of calendars it would like, preordering is recommended. Contact Jo Watts on 8236 4260 or email: jo@sa.uca.org.au by Monday October 8.
To advertise in New Times: Contact Russell Baker phone 8361 6822 fax 8361 6833 email ribad@bigpond.com
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Rural church similar in Canada and Australia There are many things we can learn from the rural church in Canada and vice versa, according to Rev Rob Stoner who attended the fourth International Rural Church Association conference in Brandon, Manitoba, Canada in July. Rob, who coordinates the Uniting Church’s Rural Ministry Team in South Australia, was struck by the many similarities between the rural church in Canada and Australia. Before the formal part of the conference Rob was hosted by a UCC (United Church of Canada) congregation in the small town of Mossbank, Saskatchewan. THE UCC shares much in common with the Uniting Church in its history and development. They have faced the same issues of theology and sexuality as the Uniting Church and are presently struggling with the question of whether the church will bless same-sex unions. While the Canadian rural community is undoubtedly still more of a churched culture than Australia, the Canadian rural church struggles as we do with the issue of providing ordained leadership. One of the most striking things I noticed was the retraction of small congregations back to larger centres to maintain ministry. Most small rural congregations don’t have and can’t afford full-time ordained ministry. They don’t have Lay Ministry Teams as we do, although some congregations have been leading their own ministry for several years. There is difficulty in attracting and retaining ordained clergy even in larger regional Canadian towns. In smaller places placements are either vacant, or filled with Lay Pastoral Ministers
(LPMs) – the cheapest option for a congregation wanting a paid leader. Lay Pastoral Ministers have a structured threeyear national training program involving regular two-week intensives, mentors and local lay reflection teams. This is a model from which we could learn as we train resource ministers and move into the developing ministry of pastor. Rural worship in Canada was disappointingly bland. Worship services were scripted and predictable and very ministry-dominated.
In rural worship, Australia has much to share with the world. We have significant experience and models of ministry in the rural environment. Our many sources of liturgy and song are as creative and helpful as any on offer. Our experiences of lay leadership, both in churches with ministerial leadership and in lay-led congregations don’t appear to be echoed in other western nations. In fact our experience with Lay Ministry teams is almost without parallel across the globe both in scope and longevity. Our present development of resource ministers is again unparalleled and the Canadians were very taken with this approach. The reality in rural South Australia is that we have a multitude of small lay-led congregations which eventually won’t have the resources to keep their buildings open. I believe a new grass-roots model of rural church will emerge with spiritual gatherings in people’s homes and in larger regional resourcing areas.
Rob Stoner
Rev Rob Stoner recently attended the fourth International Rural Church conference in Canada.
Serving the Outback FRONTIER SERVICES’ patrol minister John Dihm sums up his job in three words; “I’m a conduit”. While people might think patrol ministers spend their time officiating at baptisms, weddings and funerals, these days that accounts for only about 20 percent of the job. “Like my colleagues, I probably travel around 50,000 kilometres a year visiting Outback families and mine sites,” John said. “In the final analysis our job boils down to being available if we’re needed. That might be for a wedding or a funeral, but more often it’s simply about listening to people’s problems, big and small, and helping to negotiate a solution with the outside world.
Frontier Services patrol minister John Dihm (left) visiting Ron McInnis from Glen Oak Station during the shearing season.
Recently, John, who is based in Hawker in South Australia, helped arrange boarding school placements for three children
at a Uniting Church school in Adelaide. “The parents had chosen a school that they simply couldn’t afford. I got onto the principal of one of our church schools and was able to work out an arrangement that they could manage.” Earlier this year John also found himself acting as the “voice” of farmers who’d been hit by heavy flooding. “The official flood relief response was a bit slow and the farmers had legitimate gripes. They more or less looked to me to act as their spokesperson with the various agencies they had to deal with.”
progress with it. I’ve had some experience in this area so I stepped in and helped them complete it.” All in a day’s work for a Frontier Services patrol minister, keeping alive a tradition begun in 1912 by Rev John Flynn. These days the ministers ride in Nissan Patrols and not on the backs of camels but the job is the same - creating Flynn’s “mantle of safety” for Australians struggling with the challenges of isolation and distance.
Most recently John was able to help out a family whose home was destroyed by fire. “There was a lot of complex paperwork involved in making the insurance claim and these folks weren’t making much OCTOBER 2007
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Religion stands accused reduced to an “abstract and fixed set of doctrines”.
With the dawn of the new millennium religious voices have taken on a more strident tone. Around the world extreme religious groups are more vocal and more active. In turn, some secular thinkers have issued sweeping dismissals of religion as obsolete thinking. In this review Jim Stuart takes a look at several books that attack religion. IT WAS just a matter of time. The excesses of modern religion couldn’t be ignored: the rise of militant Islam, the influence of the Christian right in the Bush Administration, the Orthodox takeover of Israel, civil wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, religious terrorist attacks on New York, London and Bali, the pain and poverty of Darfur and the anti-West rhetoric of Iran. These developments demonstrate that religion is indeed dangerous. In response, a new cadre of militant atheist writers is giving voice to their unease with militant religious groups and what they see as their unwarranted influence. They say religion kills and destroys. These atheists are launching an all-out assault and their books are selling well. Richard Dawkins, Professor for the Public Understanding of Science at Oxford University, is leading the charge with ‘The God Delusion’; published in 2006 the book has sold more than a million copies.
‘God is Not Great’ Following closely on the heels of Dawkins’ attack is ‘God is Not Great’ by Christopher Hitchens. Religion, writes Hitchens, “poisons everything”. This book is even more hard-hitting than Dawkins’ and marks a shift for Hitchens from political commentary to a blistering critique of religion. Hitchens combines caustic humour, anger and logical conundrums to make his point. ‘The
God Delusion’
Dawkins argues all religion is toxic and the world would be a much better place if it was banished. Best known for his seminal work on evolutionary biology, The Selfish Gene (1976), Dawkins pulls no punches and states he can find no evidence for the existence of God. Any thoughtful human being, he argues, will acknowledge this and look to the Darwinian principle of natural selection as an adequate and sufficient explanation for life. The problem with religion is that it is a delusional state, where people believe what they want to believe. Dawkins comes down especially hard on theologians. They resort to “splitting hairs”, “shameless inventions”, “obscurantist scholarship”, and “tedious clichés”. “People of a theological bent,” he writes, “are often chronically incapable of distinguishing what is true from what they’d like to be true.” Belief in God is “an infinite regress” and definitely not capable of explaining the organised complexity of the world in which we live. Indeed religious faith, as demonstrated by recent events in the world, is “very, very dangerous”. When not challenged it “poisons children… to grow up into potentially lethal weapons for future jihads or crusades”.
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The book is full of intriguing observations some Christians may find offensive. How could Christ die for our sins, when he did not die at all? Didn’t the Jews know that murder and adultery were wrong before the Ten Commandments? How can a “designer God” be reconciled with the view, held by many conservative believers, that women are imperfect? Nothing escapes Hitchens’ scrutiny: the metaphysical claims of religion are false, the arguments of design reduce God to a “clumsy, straws-in-the-hair mad scientist”; the book of Revelation is the “nightmare” of the New Testament, religion doesn’t make people behave any better, and religion can often be a form of child abuse. If God would just leave the world alone, argues Hitchens, it would be a much healthier and happier place. Hitchens tries to demonstrate that God is an “unnecessary hypothesis” that adds nothing to what science already knows.
‘The End of Faith’ One other book should be added to this emergent anti-religious secularism. This is ‘The End of Faith’ by Sam Harris. Harris’ book proceeded Dawkins and Hitchens by a few years. While not as militant, it explores the conflict between reason and faith and the damage religion inflicts on society when people suspend reason and withdraw into unexamined religious beliefs. Such religious beliefs, argue Harris, can be used to justify harmful behaviour and even heinous crimes. The real threat of religious fundamentalism is that it “sets the world ablaze with bad ideas” and reduces human beings to endless tribalism at the expense of decency, moral responsibility and cooperation. Harris concludes his book with the warning, “The only angels we need involve are those of our better nature: reason, honesty, and love. The only demons we must fear are those that lurk inside every human mind: ignorance, hatred, greed, and faith, which are surely the devil’s masterpiece.”
Having argued for the validity of religion, Ward turns his attention to such issues as the relationship between religion and violence, the rationality or irrationality of religious beliefs, and the morality of faith. He acknowledges that religious communities are very much human initiatives, prone to error and arrogance as is every other human institution. Religious institutions are not the cause of violence but can “naturally share in the general moral state of the societies in which they exist”. In defence of religion, Ward argues that belief in God is perfectly rational. It is not different than believing in ultimate moral values or the uniformity of nature. Both Dawkins and Hitchens base their conclusions on what Ward calls “moral category mistakes”, i.e., their reasoning is faulty and lacks coherence. Ward admits some religious beliefs are harmful but that is no reason to conclude that all religion is harmful and dangerous. On the contrary, religion can be a constructive force. Positive religion gives value and worth to life. It increases our sense of purpose and meaning. It offers hope and reinforces positive social values such as humility, forgiveness and gratitude. It encourages moral and altruistic behaviour. Of course, writes Ward, we should expect differences of opinion in religion but to dismiss it outright as Dawkins and Hitchens do, is in itself “a mark of irrationality – or at least a closed mind”. The good that major religious traditions have contributed to the modern world far outweigh the negative.
Need greater understanding
‘Is Religion Dangerous?’ Religious communities have been unusually quiet in response to these attacks. One exception is the book ‘Is Religion Dangerous?’ by philosophertheologian Keith Ward, Professor of Divinity at Gresham College, London. Ward tries to address the critical question: does religion do more harm than good? First he defines religion and then explores the development of religious ideas. Contrary to Dawkins, Ward argues that the roots of religious belief do not lie in attempts to explain why things happen the way they do. Rather there are many reasons for religion, some legitimate, some illusory. To jettison the legitimate, he argues, is not an option and could be dangerous. Religion is a multi-faceted phenomenon and can’t be
Attacking religion is not new. In Wesley’s day it took on the face of Deism – removing God from the world by reducing God to a divine watchmaker. What is different today is the militancy and the aspiring totalitarianism of writers like Dawkins and Hitchens. They are not only antiGod, they want to eradicate religion and people of faith from the earth. The excesses of religion bear some responsibility for provoking this attack but that is not an adequate reason to ban religious people from wearing a crucifix, veil, turban or holding beliefs that do not fit into the secular scientific paradigm. The very tolerance they pretend to seek is undermined by their own intolerance of all religion. They seek to replace the tyranny of religious orthodoxy with the tyranny of secular relativism. In today’s complex global society we need neither religious orthodoxy nor secular relativism. Rather we need greater understanding, more compassion, and a deeper recognition of our common humanity. Reprinted from ‘Touchstone’, publication of the Methodist Church of New Zealand.
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300 years of Charles Wesley Keren DeBoo THIS DECEMBER marks the 300th anniversary of the birth of Charles Wesley, one of the founders of Methodism and one of the most prolific sacred poets. Charles wrote thousands of hymns, many of which are still sung around the world in Christian worship – ‘Hark! The herald angels sing,’ ‘Christ the Lord is risen today,’ and ‘Love divine, all loves excelling,’ are a few of the better known ones. Charles was born in Lincolnshire, the 18th child of Susanna and Samuel who was the parish rector. Charles and his brother John were among the leaders of the ‘Methodist’ movement of religious renewal which emerged from the ‘Holy Club’
which the brothers formed at Oxford University. This group of young men took their Christian faith seriously and kept one another accountable through rigorous study and devotional regimes. Uniting Church Historical Society secretary Rev George Potter said Charles used music and verse to spread the message of Christ’s love. “It was Charles’ hymns that provided a written memory of faith for the people who were being converted by John Wesley’s preaching,” George said. “It was once said that ‘Methodism was born on wings of song’. Methodism could not be imagined without Charles’ hymns.” George said under the Uniting Church’s Basis of Union, the church is charged with listening to the preaching of John Wesley’s 44 sermons. “But really much of that is contained in Charles’ hymns too,” he said.
Charles Wesley
Uniting Church Historical Society secretary Rev George Potter has information and resources for congregations interested in marking Charles Wesley’s birth.
believes the hymns have endured because “within them there is something really important”.
Of the many thousands of hymns and poems Charles wrote, approximately 30 are still used in the present hymnbook, ‘Together in Song’.
Graham is presently working on a PhD on the life and times of John Wesley. He said Charles’ hymns reinforce the message of the Gospel through the use of scripture, relationship, teaching and devotionals.
Uniting Church SA Moderator Rev Graham Vawser
“Nearly every one of Charles’ hymns has scripture
Politics and religion
“Charles’ hymns also talk about relationship in some way. Both Charles and John were careful to affirm that the relationship between a person and Christ was built up by the relationship between Christ’s people.”
“Reading Charles Wesley’s hymns as part of your devotions are a way of discovering faith,” Graham said. “Charles’ hymns can actually provide a way of understanding what the Bible’s all about.”
Hymnfests are being held around the state to celebrate Charles’ birth. Further Because of the dense scripture information and resources are available from Rev George references in many of Charles’ Potter on 8382 5658 or email: hymns, they can be used with the Bible as a devotional guide. gwmepotter@picknowl.com.au.
About your letters
Please keep your letters short — about 150 words is ideal. Longer letters will be cut or rejected. You’re welcome to email letters to newtimes@sa.uca.org.au or they can be posted to us at GPO Box 2145, Adelaide 5001
Jeff May, UnitingCare’s Chaplaincy manager THERE ARE people who say politics and religion don’t mix. Dr Don Hopgood AO is certainly not one of them. At the end of August Don was presented with a Distinguished Alumni Award from Flinders University. The presentation citation acknowledged Don’s service to both Parliament and Church. Don completed his Doctor of Philosophy degree in 1975. He was elected to State Parliament and held ministerial positions in mines and energy, education and environment, water and health. He served as Deputy Premier from 1985 to 1992. In 1995 Don was awarded an AO. In 1997 he completed a Bachelor of Theology and took delight in competing with younger theological students for highest marks. Don served the Uniting Church as Moderator from 1997 to 1999 and chaired the UnitingCare Commission. He is a voluntary chaplain at the Noarlunga Hospital. Don’s interests and influence are wide. Astronomy, environmental science, jazz and playing the trumpet, historical research, walking, teaching at the College for Seniors, and talking to service groups and interested groups about the problems of the Murray-Darling basin. He has chaired the SA Government’s Gamblers’ Rehabilitation Fund and the Waterproofing Adelaide Advisory Committee. He continues to chair the Open Space Advisory Committee and is now involved in a review of the State’s energy requirements. Don has also served the Church for 50 years as a lay preacher.
references and these references evoke imagery in his songs.
STRATEGIC MAPPING The Strategic Map project seems at first to be an interesting move but I am concerned by the element of coercion. Apparently the already strong congregations will be supported while the weakest will go to the wall. To those that have, more will be given; while those that have not will lose even what they think they have (e.g. land and buildings). Luke 8:18. It was said of our Lord: a bruised reed will He not break, and a smoking flax will He not quench, till He sends forth justice to victory. Matthew 12:20. Jesus also declared “Blessed are you poor, for yours is the Kingdom of God!” Luke 6:20 and “Where two or three are gathered in My Name, there am I in the midst of them”, Matthew 18:20. These Christians do not have to justify their existence to anyone. They are answerable to God Himself, and to no-one else. Rick Martin Valley View
JOHN SPONG Thinking on some of your August letters, I doubt the reason the friends I grew up with in the church are no longer actively involved is because traditional theology has been abandoned. It seemed to me early on that Jesus was showing a way of living with God and with humanity. When I expressed my views I was told by Christians who were certain they had the truth that I was wrong. I was made to feel inadequate in my faith, but I hung in because I believed what Jesus taught was vitally important to the world. Relatively recently I read some of John Spong and felt a huge relief. Here was a learned, senior clergyman saying largely what I had been thinking. I have gone on to read Borg, Crossan and others and for the first time in my life I am publicly confident in my faith. They certainly have a place in my church. Chris Ayles Hectorville
JOHN SPONG In reference to Bishop Spong, August 2007, from Rev Robert Tann, I offer the following. Modern scholars like Andrew Dutney spend considerable time reflecting on matters that confront Christians in the 21st Century. His paper on ‘The Basis of Union’ is available on the Synod’s web site. I suggest readers consult this for a balanced interpretation of our ‘raison d’être’. I value the opportunity the Uniting Church provides to explore my relationship with the Divine. I don’t have all the answers, but it is really good to be able to ask the questions! Accordingly, I stand with Rev Tann in encouraging the Assembly to continue to critique the work of modern scholars. Furthermore, I encourage all UCA members, to approach each other with the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, the one who many consider the archetypical heretic, in order that we might model his way to a modern world. Bruce Ind Morialta Uniting Church
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A STRATEGIC MAPPING Workshop will be held at Colonel Light Gardens Uniting Church, 558 Goodwood Road, Daw Park on October 10 and 11. Invitations have been sent to Mission Networks and UC boards etc. If you are would like to attend contact Rev Rob Stoner on 8236 4244 or email rob@sa.uca.org.au. MONASH UNIVERSITY professor and sociologist Gary Bouma will address a public lecture at Malvern Uniting Church on October 3 at 7.30pm. Gary is the author of ‘Australian Soul - Religion and Spirituality in the Twenty-first Century’ and an expert on Australian religious life. Enquiries to Rev Tony Eldridge on 8416 8421. ‘GOD IS FOR US – Who is this Jesus and does he matter?’ Explore Christian beliefs with Rev Dr Andrew Dutney in a series of discussions at Brighton Uniting Church on Tuesdays from 1 to 4pm on October 9, 16, 23 and 30. Book through Brighton Uniting Church on 8298 6528 or email brightonuniting@internode. on.net by Tuesday October 2. PLAYGROUP IN THE PARK, a free family event to celebrate Children’s Week, will be held at Semaphore Foreshore from 10am to 1.00pm on Friday October 26. Face painters, animal farm, ‘Ticklish Allsorts’, clowns and story tent. Enquiries to 8235 9556.
New Times Ministry Moves
For more Uniting Church events, visit Uniting Church online www.sa.uca.org.au and click on “What’s On”. There is an online form which you can fill out to contribute notices to Notebook. AUSTRALIAN CHURCH Library Association meeting; topic is “Living in Harmony - Understanding our new neighbours”, October 27, from 10am to 3pm at Dernancourt Uniting Church. Enquiries to Joy Belling on 8278 3370. SPIRIT JOURNEYS may be offered in South Australia. A meeting to explore the possibility will be held during the November Presbytery and Synod meeting on Thursday November 1, at 10.30am on the mezzanine floor of Ridley Hall, Royal Adelaide Showgrounds. Enquires to Heather Bald on 8236 4243 by October 24. STATE MISSION FELLOWSHIP will not be held in October; instead you are encouraged to attend Fellowships Day on Wednesday October 24 at 10 am. at Adelaide West Uniting Church. Speakers Pam Jones, UnitingCare Wesley and Rob Floyd, Uniting Church Overseas Aid. “Mission Thanksgiving Day” will be held on Tuesday November 27 at Scots Church, North Terrace. Enquiries to 8295 7745.
REV VIKKI WALLER is hosting a trip to Israel from May 12 to 28, 2008. Included are day trips to the Dead Sea, Qumran, Masada and Beersheva. Travel package costs $5390 (conditions apply). For further information and itinerary call (08) 8242 2769 or email walwil@westnet.com.au SPOUSES/PARTNERS of ministers’ annual luncheon will be held on Friday November 16 at the Church of the Trinity, 318 Goodwood Road, Clarence Park. Theme is ‘Think Pink’; bring a donation for breast cancer research and a plate. Enquiries to 8351 5770. ALL LAY PREACHERS are invited to an informal gathering at the Royal Adelaide Showgrounds on Friday November 2, (during the Presbytery and Synod meeting lunch break) to renew acquaintances and discuss the lay preachers’ national Code of Ethics. Enquiries to Max Howland on 8296 2508 or email mhowland@internode. on.net. MITCHAM UNITING Church will celebrate its 125th anniversary on Sunday October 28, 2007. Service at 10am followed by a shared lunch at noon, with memorabilia, a hymn singing session and other entertainment. Enquiries to Box 341 Mitcham Shopping Centre, Torrens Park SA 5062, or phone 8379 5134 or email imacar@internode.on.net. BROADVIEW UNITING CHURCH will hold an annual Spring Fair on Saturday November 3, 8.30am - 1pm, (cnr Galway and Collingrove Aves, Broadview). Stalls
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will include jewellery, cards, handbags, cakes, produce and clothing with a Sausage Sizzle and Devonshire Morning Teas. PAYNEHAM ROAD congregation will hold their annual craft fair and garage sale on the corner of Payneham and Portrush Roads, Marden on Saturday October 20 from 9am till 2pm. ADELAIDE WEST Uniting Church Spring Community Fair, Saturday October 20, 9am to 3pm. (312 Sir Donald Bradman Drive, Brooklyn Park.) Pancake and coffee breakfast 8-10am. Hot food, sandwiches and BBQ, stalls, crafts etc. ATHELSTONE UNITING CHURCH is holding a Garage Sale on Saturday October 20 from 7am til 12 noon, corner of Fox Avenue and Kantilla Drive, Athelstone. Household goods, cakes and produce, furniture, toys and books and a Sausage Sizzle. Enquiries to 8337 7406. A Fashion Parade will also be held on Wednesday October 17 at 7.30pm. Cost is $8 including supper. MENINGIE UNITING CHURCH celebrates their 50th anniversary on Sunday March 30, 2008 at 10:30am, with a service and book launch. Bring a plate for lunch. Enquiries to Bill Paterson on bjpater@ lm.net.au or 0427 971 355. THE WORLD FAMOUS Harlem Gospel Choir will perform at the Festival Theatre on Sunday December 9 at 2pm and 8pm. Bookings: BASS on 131 246 or online at www.bass.net.au.
Rev Dianna Bartlett has been appointed to the Pastoral Pathways Project based in the Presbytery and Synod Office (0.5 stipended) from July 1, 2007. Gary Ferguson has been appointed to Ardrossan as a pastor from January 1, 2008.
Rest in Peace Rev Philip Potter passed away on September 9. Philip was ordained to the Methodist ministry in 1941. He served in 10 circuits of the Methodist Church and one Uniting Church parish. Philip was president of the SA Methodist Conference from 1966-67.
Classifieds Work Wanted CARPETS LAID. Expert repairs. 0417 872 105 or 8344 4725.
EXPERIENCED HANDYMAN Rose pruning. $15 per hour. Your spare pair of hands. Phone 8346 0933.
For Sale Drum kit, 5 pieces with cymbals, sticks. Omega. Good condition. Only used by beginner. $450. Phone 8269 2148.
ACCOMMODATION ACCOMMODATION TERTIARY STUDENTS VACANCIES IMMEDIATELY AND FOR 2008 Morialta Uniting Church Students Houses – undergraduate university/ TAFE students. Furnished single bedrooms, shared bathrooms, living areas. Proximity UniSA, Magill. Easy travel to northern campus and city for Adelaide University and UniSA. Mary Thornley (8332 2041), Church Office (8331 9344). Rent $280 monthly.
ANNOUNCEMENT Robe Uniting Church Final Service in original Bible Christian Chapel (1 Davenport St) October 28th 2007 For more details please contact Karen on 8767 2405.
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Rev Ken Leaver (1914 – 2007) Compiled by Jonathan Barker and Jenny Byrnes
Scots’ Ecofaith minister Jason John and Botanic Gardens Sustainable Landscapes project officer Sheryn Pitman put the finishing touches to Scots’ new sustainable garden.
Scots’ sustainable garden A newly planted sustainable garden at Scots’ Church on North Terrace has been designed to provide sanctuary as well as food for native birds, butterflies, bats, lizards, frogs and insects. The garden is a collaborative project involving Scots Church, the Adelaide City Council and the Botanic Gardens. It is the first link in a chain of sustainable gardens which it’s hoped will eventually crisscross the city, either at street level or on rooftops. The garden will form part of a state-wide trail of demonstration gardens being planned by Sheryn Pitman, the Sustainable Landscapes project manager with the Botanic Gardens. The Sustainable Landscapes project promotes the integration of good design, low water use
plants, low chemical use, habitat creation and water conservation measures. Scot’s Ecofaith minister Rev Dr Jason John says signage in the garden reminds passers-by that when Jesus asked his followers to consider the birds in Palestine 2000 years ago, Adelaide’s birds had the whole Adelaide plain to feast on and raise their families. “Now they must negotiate a square mile of concrete jungle as they cross the parklands seeking food, water and mates,” said Jason.
THE LIFE of Rev Ken Leaver, the last president of the Congregational Union and a former principal of Parkin Wesley Theological College, was celebrated during a thanksgiving service at Pilgrim Church in May. Ken was born on September 17, 1914 and attended Norwood Infant School. At ten he was a founder scholar of King’s College. Clayton Congregational Church was always the centre of Ken’s life where he was mentored by several outstanding lay leaders. In 1932 Ken entered Parkin College, studying Arts and Theology before being ordained in 1939. He married Joyce in 1940 and raised a family of four children. His first charge was at Medindie and Gilberton (1939-43) when he also acted as youth director of the Congregational Union and taught at Kings. His second pastorate was at North Balwyn (1943-45) in Victoria followed by pastorates in Tasmania - Geeveston (1945-50) and Launceston (1950–55). In early 1955 he went to Brougham Place and was elected as a governor of the Parkin Trust. In 1958 Ken was appointed as the third principal of Parkin College. He brought a fresh approach to theological education, integrating insights of modern psychology, introducing pastoral psychology and pastoral counselling into the curriculum. He also broadened students’ horizons by sharing his love of literature, drama, art and music. During his term as principal Ken studied for his BD followed by a Masters of Sacred Theology from Andover Newton Seminary in the USA. When Parkin College became Parkin-Wesley Theological College in 1968, Ken became co-principal with Arnold Hunt and later principal until the end of 1976. Ken was the last president of the Congregational Union of Australia prior to Union. He became the first ecumenical chaplain of the Flinders Medical Centre and served in the Marion parish as the minister of the Warradale congregation from 1977-1981. He retired at the end of 1981 – only to serve in interim ministries at Brougham Place (twice), West Lakes and Magill. Ken was a handyman carpenter, a keen gardener and a lover of fine music and art.
Scots’ Ecofaith website (http://ecofaith. org/garden) tells a little more of the story and provides a link to information for congregations interested in seeking funding to start their own sustainable gardens.
OCTOBER 2007
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MAGAZINE
New Times
Art ‘legitimate’ CONTROVERSIAL ENTRIES in this year’s prestigious Blake Prize for Religious Art have not upset Uniting Church leaders. Some politicians and religious leaders have been outraged by two art works in particular. One shows the Virgin Mary wearing a Muslim burka and the other is a holographic portrait of Christ which changes into terrorist Osama bin Laden. While some have condemned the art works as blasphemous and sacrilegious, Uniting Church President Rev Gregor Henderson said Christianity can “look after itself”. “We do not find ourselves particularly offended by a piece of art and take the view that art and art competitions have a legitimate role in occasionally being provocative,” Gregor said.
Order Christmas postcards HOW WILL your congregation invite people to church this Christmas? “Whether it is by personal invitation or a letterbox drop – our colourful Christmas postcard is a great way to promote your Christmas events,” says Uniting Church SA communications manager, Shannon Short. For five years the Uniting Church SA’s Communications Unit has been sponsoring lowcost promotional postcards. This year’s design invites people to worship – no matter what they’re wishing for this Christmas. “Older people may see the words ‘All I want for Christmas is …’ and complete the old song ‘my two front teeth’. Other people may simply respond to the inviting image of the young boy holding a gift. “For others, it may get them thinking of the things they wish for at Christmas - a family
reunion, a peaceful Christmas or some time out. “The idea is that people can connect with the design in a multitude of ways. Our designs are always targeted at non-church people. This is not about talking to ourselves.” Congregations can personalise their cards with details of their local Christmas events. The cards cost $65 per $1,000 (plus GST if applicable). Discounts are available for orders over 5,000. “That’s a mere 6.5 cents a card – you can’t do a black and white photocopy for that price. If you think about what catches your eye in your letterbox, the days of doing photocopies are over.” Orders close on November 5. Further details and an online registration form are available at www.sa.uca.org.au/goto/christmas. For more information contact Jo Watts on 8236 4260.
New principal for Annesley
The Uniting Church minister who chairs the Blake Society has also defended the pieces. Rev Rod Pattenden said his mission was to spark debate about spirituality in a world that was “cynical, degraded and in crisis”. He said the virgin statue made a comment about gender in a religion dominated by men and the double image of Christ and bin Laden questioned “the idea that you can have absolute good and absolute evil”.
Put God on TV
THE CTA (Christian Television Association) wants young people to think about God and what God might say during a 30 second television commercial. For the second year running the CTA is holding a competition asking young people to make their own TV commercial about God. The competition is open to school students and youth groups, working in groups of up to five people. There’s a video recorder for the church or school of the winning group and a cash prize of $500 for the team. The competition is open until October 31, so budding film makers need to get moving. For more information and entry forms, visit www.cta-sa.org. au or call Geoff Payne on 0411 244 463.
FORMER OLYMPIC gymnast and International Baccalaureate committee member Linda Douglas has been appointed principal of Annesley College.
contributions to independent education nationally and has been involved in implementing the International Baccalaureate across Australia.
CTA-SA is an ecumenical body, supported by the Catholic, Anglican, Uniting, Lutheran, Salvation Army, Baptist, and Churches of Christ churches locally.
Linda has previously held leadership positions at Prince Alfred College and Ruyton Girls’ School in Melbourne.
“Linda’s clear understanding of girls’ education and her commitment to developing girls as life-long learners make her an excellent choice to lead Annesley into the future,” said Brenton.
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Annesley College council chair Brenton Wright said Linda has made major
OCTOBER 2007