When the Spirit Calls

By Bridget Ransome

‘I didn’t realise what my spirit needed, until I found it,’ said Allen Edwards.

Allen has been an active member of the Pilgrim Uniting Church for the past 2 years. He serves on a range of committees including Mission Development, Walking Together with First and Second Peoples and volunteers at Sunday night teas and pasta and chicken nights for homeless people.

Allen is also a board member with Homelessness SA and regularly volunteers his time with Orange Sky Laundry who provide a regular laundry and shower service for those that are disconnected from community or experiencing homelessness.

As well as participating in his local congregation, Allen recently became a member of Synod, and performed the Welcome to Country during the meeting.

‘I learned so much from the three days of Synod. It has helped me to understand the various committees and to get a real sense of the breadth and depth of the church,’ said Allen.

‘Sometimes you tend to see things from just your own congregational viewpoint, so it was good to see the church in action in this way.’

Allen is an Indigenous Kaurna man, born and bred here in Adelaide. His mother was Kokatha from Ceduna. He remembers a time when his mother took him to a Lutheran church when he was young, but religion didn’t play a huge part in his upbringing.

His mother came from the Stolen Generation, taken at 7 days old she was brought up at Colebrook until she was 12 years of age.

‘She pretty much rejected Christianity as a result of her upbringing,’ said Allen.

So, it is interesting that he finds himself now an active member of the Pilgrim congregation.

‘People talk of the spirit calling you, and I guess that’s where I am at. It is very much a personal journey for me,’ said Allen.

Invariably Allen also is asked about The Voice Referendum.

‘I would have to say that there is a lot of confusion out there at present. We need to go back to the Uluru Statement from the Heart.

The Statement talks of Voice – Treaty – Truth,’ said Allen. ‘But really the truth telling has already started, so we really should be saying first Truth, then Voice, then Treaty.’

He went on to explain that it’s about giving Indigenous people a say in the decisions that impact them – asking them what they need, not telling them that this is the way it is going to be.

‘I’ve really been pleased to be involved in helping Pilgrim develop an information pack to help people become informed. The pack also explains the history of referendums and what to expect.

It’s not about telling anyone to vote one way or another. People need to become informed so they can decide for themselves when it comes time to vote in the Referendum,’ said Allen.