The Gippsland Anglican April 2012

Volume 109, Number 3 April 2012 Published in Gippsland Diocese since 1904

The Gippsland Anglican is your award winning newspaper: Best Regional Publication Silver Award (ARPA) 2011; Item or Feature thatshows the most originality Highly Commended (ARPA) 2011; Best Social Justice Story Highly Commended (ARPA) 2004; Best RegionalPublication (ARPA) 2003; Most Improved Newspaper (ARPA) 2001.

Shaia leads retreat atAbbey

pages 6 & 7

Lynne’s faith storypart of WDP

Page 4

Gonski report andlocal schools

page 9

ON March 16, ArchbishopDr Rowan Williamsannounced his acceptanceof the position of Master ofMagdalene College,Cambridge, from January,2013. He will step downfrom the office ofArchbishop of Canterburyat the end of 2012. At the announcement, he

said: “It has been animmense privilege to serveas Archbishop ofCanterbury over the pastdecade and moving on hasnot been an easy deci-sion. During the timeremaining, there is muchto do and I ask yourprayers and support in thisperiod and beyond.“I am abidingly grateful to

all those friends and col-leagues who have so gen-erously supported Jane andmyself and the manydiverse parishes and com-munities in the Church ofEngland and the widerAnglican Communion thathave brought vision, hopeand excitement to my ownministry.“I look forward, with that

same support and inspira-tion, to continuing to servethe Church’s mission andwitness as best I can in theyears ahead.“Dr Williams’ intentions

were conveyed to HerMajesty, Queen ElizabethII, prior to the announce-ment. The Queen isSupreme Governor of theChurch of England and for-mally appoints theArchbishop of Canterbury. Dr Williams was appoint-

ed the 104th Archbishop ofCanterbury in 2002. He willcontinue to carry out allthe duties and responsibili-ties of the Archbishop ofCanterbury, both for theChurch of England and theAnglican Communion, untilthe end of the year.In an interview after his

announcement, DrWilliams (above) said oneaccomplishment he lookedback on with greatest sat-isfaction was “we’ve man-aged [to] get the Church ofEngland to recognise thepossibility of new styles ofcongregational life and newstyles of training for minis-ters to go with it. I thinkthat’s really begun to builditself in to the life of theChurch.”The Archbishop is the

Focus of Unity for theAnglican Communion. He isconvener and host of theLambeth Conference,President of the AnglicanConsultative Council (ACC)and Chair of the Primates’meeting. In these roles hetravels extensivelythroughout the AnglicanCommunion, visitingprovinces and dioceses and

supporting and encourag-ing the witness of theChurch in very diverse con-texts. As primus interpares among the bishops,he has a special concernfor those in episcopal min-istry.Following the announce-

ment, the SecretaryGeneral of the AnglicanCommunion CanonKenneth Kearon reflectedon the Primate’s time inoffice saying it had “coin-cided with a period of tur-moil, change and develop-ment in the AnglicanCommunion and his carefulleadership, deeply rootedin spirituality and theology,has strengthened andinspired us all in theCommunion during thistime.”

Archbishop Rowan’sannouncement means thatACC-15 in New Zealandduring the last quarter ofthis year will be his last asPresident of the ACC. The Archbishop of York,

Dr John Sentamu, said hewas saddened to hear thenews.“Our partnership in the

gospel over the past sixyears has been the mostcreative period of my min-istry. It has been life-givingto have led missionstogether, gone on retreatsand prayed together. In hiscompany, I have drunkdeeply from the wells ofGod’s mercy and love andit has all been joyful. He isa real brother to me inChrist. “The last decade has been

a challenging time for theChurch of England and theAnglican Communion.Thankfully, ArchbishopRowan is a remarkable andgifted leader who hasstrengthened the bonds ofaffection.” The Crown Nominations

Commission will consider indue course the selection ofa successor. The responsi-bility for choosing the nextArchbishop of Canterburyrests with the CrownNominations Commission(CNC). Its task is to submitthe name of a preferredcandidate (and a secondappointable candidate) tothe British Prime Minsterwho is constitutionallyresponsible for tenderingadvice on the appointmentto the Queen.

ABOVE: Leongatha parish held its annual family camp recently at Grantville, amidmuch fellowship. See inside this issue for more photographs and a report.

Photo: Russell Conway

Abp Williamsresigns; newcollege role

2 Our Diocese - Missions and Ministries April 2012

The Gippsland Anglican

The GippslandAnglican

Price: 90 cents each $25 annual postal subscription

Member of Australasian ReligiousPress Association

Member of Community Newspapers Association of Victoria

Registered by Australia Post. Print Post Number 34351/00018

The Gippsland Anglican is the official newspaper of and is published by

The Anglican Diocese of Gippsland, 453 Raymond St,

Sale, Victoria, 3853,www.gippsanglican.org.au

Editor: Mrs Jeanette Severs,PO Box 1254, Bairnsdale, 3875

Tel: 0407 614661Fax: 03 5144 7183

Email: [email protected] all parish reports, all articles,

photographs, letters and advertisements to the Editor.

Photographs should be jpeg files.Articles should be .doc or .txt files.

Advertisements should be PDF files.

Printed by Latrobe Valley Express P/L21 George Street, Morwell, 3840

All contributions must be received bythe Editor by the 15th day of the monthprior to publication. Contact the Editorto discuss variation to this date. TheEditor reserves the right of final choiceand format of material included in eachissue. The Gippsland Anglican and theEditor cannot necessarily verify anymaterial used in this publication. Viewscontained in submitted material arethose of contributors.

Advertising Rates:$6.80/cm deep/column black & white.

Color is an extra $130.Contact the Editor in the first instance

for all advertising submissions, cost-ings and enquiries, including about in-serts in the newspaper.

For Sale Classifieds:Parishes can advertise items for

free, for sale at prices up to and in-cluding $100. Send details by email tothe Editor.

IndexWilliams resigns 1

Asylum seekers 3

World Day of Prayer 4

On reconciliation 5

Abbey news 6,7

Tom’s gift 8

Perspective 9

Tom’s adventure 10

Drouin youth 11

Puzzles 12

Clergy news 13

AWA anniversary 14,15

Blessed harvest 16

Jazz and food 17

Reviews 18,19

Pictorial 20

Letters to the EditorProphet, priestand pastorDear Editor,Reading the February edi-

tion of The Gippsland An-glican, I felt I needed torespond to the letter byBill Westhead which is crit-ical of Bishop McIntyre andto offer an alternativeviewpoint. By way of in-troduction, can I reminisceabout a time when the An-glican Church had a muchhigher profile in the com-munity. When I was growing up, I

remember hearing radioand watching televisiondebates featuring wellknown Anglican clergy, in-vited to give an opinionabout particular social is-sues of the day. Indeed, awide range of opinionswere represented andoften clergy were invitedto give opposing view-points about issues suchas the women’s ordinationdebate of the 1980’s and90’s. I have strong memories

of hearing on radio or see-ing on television Arch-bishop David Penman, whowas often sought for hisopinion on various sub-jects. Since then, the voiceof the church has grownsofter as it has becomemore and more difficult forsuccessive Christian lead-ers to be heard. I have spoken to Chris-

tian journalists who havetold me that often churchmedia releases are sentout but not many aretaken up; except if it hashas to do with somethingcontroversial or a scandal.Society has changed andfewer people regularly at-tend church. Therefore,the media are not as inter-ested in a Christian worldview or our opinions abouteveryday issues. For instance, I have

watched with interest thepublic affairs show Insight(SBS television) and have

noted that Christian lead-ers and/or other Christianopinion is often not repre-sented in the target audi-ence, although sometimesother religions have apresence.So, when I read that the

media is interested in theopinion of our bishop, itmakes me glad. Do I agreewith all our Bishop says?Not necessarily, but I amheartened that the leaderof our diocese has beenasked to give public com-ment in the media. Does what he says make

me think more deeplyabout issues and squirm asI consider difficult social is-sues in my comparativelyaffluent situation? Yes,but haven’t religious lead-ers throughout the cen-turies done just that? Forexample, the Old Testa-ment prophets such asAmos and, of course, ourLord himself. Every clergy person is to

discharge the role ofprophet, priest and pastor.Our bishop conscientiouslydischarges his episcopalresponsibilities fearlesslyand with great integrity.Does that make us feel un-comfortable at times? Per-haps, but it seems to methat is part and parcel ofChristian leadership. Our bishop is not alone in

taking his responsibilityseriously to speak outabout social issues. On thefront page in the Februaryedition of The MelbourneAnglican it was reportedArchbishop Freier ‘used hisChristmas message todraw lessons from the Oc-cupy Movement’ which isdescribed later in the arti-cle as ‘a shop window for awider debate about theeconomic and social orderin the west, with the Arch-bishop of Canterbury, theBritish Prime Minister,Nobel Laureate ArchbishopDesmond Tutu and thepresiding Bishop of theEpiscopal Church in theUnited States amongprominent figures making

public interventions’. It is reported that Dr

Freier noted ‘the Occupymovement is a protestagainst wealth creationbeing divorced from socialand moral responsibility’.On page three of TMA,Bishop Philip Huggins isquoted as saying: ‘it is aserious moral problem tomake a promise and thenwillingly break it, as PrimeMinister Julia Gillard hasdone’.On page 23 of TMA, there

is an article about FatherGerard Tucker, the founderof the Brotherhood of StLaurence, who it is said‘stood up to politicians,once broke the law tomake a moral point, cam-paigned tirelessly in thewar against slums in histiny caravan, fought forthe down and out . . . hewas able to speak withprophetic authority’.Our Bishop is working out

of a religious heritage thathas a long standing prece-dence. My experience of Bishop

John McIntyre is of a per-son of great integrity whoworks hard to minister toall in his diocese and, as itappears to me, has a greataffinity with the Gippslandpeople. Bishop John and Jan

spent four days in ourparish in a meet and greetand outreach parish mis-sion last year. They mixedfreely and comfortablywith parishioners and com-munity members. Theywere inclusive of all. Myimpression is that they aremuch loved by clergy andlaity and not at all ‘polaris-ing’ as suggested.I think the Appointment

Board has done a good jobin appointing Bishop John.That his eminence andability are recognised bythe wider church and themedia is something to beapplauded and is in thebest tradition of AnglicanEpiscopal leadership.Yours sincerely,Rev. Dr John BattNeerim South

Sewing, creamteas and AWADear Editor,My early memories of An-

glican Women of Australia(AWA) must have been inthe 1960s. Being on afarm, I took the childrenwith me everywhere Iwent, so they must havebeen at school. Childrenwere not allowed at AWAmeetings in those days, sothis was the only activity Ihad without the children. One of my first functions

as president of Stratfordwas to chair the annualdeanery rally, Stratfordbeing the host. IreneSaether, bless her, who didthings to the letter, wascoaching me.

I had to introduce theguest speaker, the newBishop’s wife at the time,and have no recollection ofwhat I said, with one eyeon the guest and the otheron Irene. However, thewonderful guest just tookover like all our clergywives, ‘bless them all’.May Kyne reminded me of

the mission parcels givento us to sew. We had verybasic patterns drawn onbrown paper and butcher’spaper. The clothes had tohave as few seams as pos-sible.There were matinee jack-

ets, boys shorts and shirtsgathered at the neck. Icannot remember anymore. I think it was AWAthat asked us to knit babysinglets for the warmer is-lands; we set to and knit-ted lovely white singlets,the same as we used forour babies, only to findwhite is the color ofmourning at these particu-lar islands.We had lovely afternoon

teas too, before we knewnot to eat cream, etcetera.Sincerely,Marj BlakeStratford

NB: Marj Blake has pro-vided the followingsketches of the clothingmade for missions by AWAmembers:

ABOVE: Overall gatheredat the neck.

ABOVE: A drawstringjacket.

ABOVE: Shorts.

April 2012 Our Diocese - Missions and Ministries 3


ASYLUM seekers are moreoften than not only broughtto our attention when oneor other side of politics de-cides it is politically expedi-ent. Of course, we all knowasylum seekers do not dis-appear simply because theydisappear from the newsbut, unfortunately, we canconveniently forget theirplight when it is not keptbefore us in the media.Sadly for those who seekasylum in Australia, it is im-possible for them to forgettheir tragic day-to-day ex-istence in what is quite lit-erally a ‘no-man’s-land’.The current Australian pol-

icy on asylum seekers isMandatory Indefinite De-tention. This policy is sup-ported by the Federalgovernment and the Fed-eral opposition. It is un-equivocally unjust. ‘Mandatory’ means what it

says. Even if all the indica-tors are that detention willbe no benefit either to theasylum seeker or to theAustralian community, allasylum seekers must, bylaw, be detained. ‘Indefinite’ means what it

says. Asylum seekers mustbe detained until eitherthey receive a visa or areremoved from Australia. Ifneither is possible, the per-son must remain in custodyfor the term of his or hernatural life. In at least onecase, this has meant a per-son who has been found tobe without a known stateremains today in detentionin our land for the term of

his natural life. This is be-cause he has not received avisa and no country will ac-cept him as a citizen.This situation exists by law

in Australia for people whohave committed no offence. By an international agree-

ment, to which Australia isa signatory, it is not an of-fence to seek asylum in an-other country. This meanspeople arriving by boat arenot illegal immigrants, de-spite what some politiciansand some in the media maycall them. They do nothingillegal by seeking asylum inAustralia.

To receive a visa to remainin Australia, asylum seekersmust be ‘processed’ to de-termine if they arerefugees. What processingreveals is that the vast ma-jority of them are refugees.Even so, refugees make uponly three per cent of thetotal annual migration fig-ures for Australia and lessthan one per cent of thisfigure is people arriving byboat.

So, how is it we are soeasily frightened by boatpeople? How is it we are notgrossly offended by ouralarming injustice in re-sponse to those who seekasylum in our land?Personally, I find it impos-

sible to sing that line in thesecond verse of our na-tional anthem which states‘for those who’ve comeacross the seas we’veboundless plains to share’.It is, quite frankly, a lie solong as our policy on asy-lum seekers is MandatoryIndefinite Detention.By any measure, Manda-

tory Indefinite Detention isunjust. By Biblical stan-dards, it is an affront toGod. The ancient people ofGod clearly recognised theirresponsibility under God toensure justice for “thestranger in their midst”. Asa child, Jesus’ life was en-dangered by the murderousKing Herod. His familysought and received asylumin Egypt, even among thosewhom they would have

considered to be ungodly.How much more should we,as Christians, seek justicefor those who seek asylumin Australia?May I suggest you seek

out those in your commu-nity who work on a dailybasis to change attitudesand the law in Australia onasylum seekers? It is anongoing battle that must bewon and there are peoplewho struggle each day inadvocacy for these power-less people in our midst.Join them. On a very particular note,

I seek your prayers for one

man from Afghanistan inhiding in Pakistan in fear forhis life because he has con-verted to Christianity. He isalready recognised by theUnited Nations as arefugee. Even so, thosepeople from our dioceseand others who have spentyears supporting him haveso far failed to convince theAustralian Immigration De-partment or the Minister forImmigration to allow him tocome to live in Australia. Atthe least, pray for justicefor him.

Please pray forasylum seekers

Right Reverend John McIntyreBishop of Gippsland

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

103.9

Broadcasting Christian Music 24 hours a day 7 days a week.

Uplifting, encouraging and empowering

Main Studio and Office: 204 Raymond St, Sale Vic, 3850

Phone: 03 5143 0355

Fax: 03 5143 0388

Feedback : 03 5143 0357

What processing reveals is that the vastmajority of asylum seekers are refugees.Even so, refugees make up only three percent of the total annual migration figures forAustralia and less than one per cent of thisfigure is people arriving by boat.



LYNNE Beaty, of MirbooNorth, was the guestspeaker at the World Day ofPrayer service at BoolarraChrist Church. Lynne’s sub-ject, Bearing Fruit inRwanda, was apt for the ec-umenical service, with itstheme of Let Justice Prevail.The service at Boolarra

Christ Church was facili-tated by Bev Littlejohn (pic-tured right with LynneBeaty). We were inspiredby three things. First, ourpleasure at meeting ecu-menically,as one in Christ. Second, we were inspired

by the courageous story ofIrene Fernandez and howher research of more than300 immigrants living inMalaysian detention centresand its subsequent publica-tion led to her 15-yearstruggle for freedom fromprison and exoneration. Yet how, during this time,

by the grace of God, Tena-genati, the ‘women’s force’grassroots movement shehelped establish flourished,enabling “reform amend-ments to rape laws, the Do-mestic Violence Act andmodel contracts for over-seas domestic helpers” tobe introduced to and en-acted by the Malaysian gov-ernment.Third, we were inspired by

Lynne’s heartfelt sharing ofher own journey of faith toRwanda. Initially, Lynneand her husband, Neville,established relationshipswith the Tutsi and Hutupeople by living in Kigaliwith them from mid-De-cember, 2003, until June,2004. Then Gippsland’s then

Bishop, Jeff Driver, askedher to take up a missionarymantle to Africa andNeville’s unequivocal re-sponse: “ What an opportu-nity!” opened the way for aprosperous partnership be-tween the Gippsland andGahini dioceses. It is a part-nership that has made a

tangible difference to thelives of people seeking toheal, reconcile and becomeone after the genocide of1994.Lynne’s background as a

business woman and herexperience building theirown home and sustainablegarden, together with hus-band, Neville, when theirchildren were youngsters atMirboo North, preparedthem well for the chal-lenges they have faced inGahini. Like many war-torn coun-

tries, human trafficking, do-mestic violence,de-humanisation, harass-ment, abuse, rape and thetreatment of women as in-ferior to men in both reli-gious and secular circles,has left many women inRwanda feeling powerlessor neglected. This is a situ-ation Lynne believes wouldmake Jesus weep.Contributed by Rose la Vie

WDP explainedTHE World Day of Prayer is

a global ecumenical move-ment which brings Chris-tians of many traditionstogether to observe a com-mon day of prayer eachyear. Through preparationand participation in theworship service, partici-pants can, in particular,

come to know how Chris-tian sisters of other coun-tries, languages andcultures understand theBiblical passages in theircontext. We can hear their con-

cerns and needs and canfeel ourselves in solidaritywith them as we pray withand for them. Every year, the worship

service focuses on a differ-ent country and a specifictheme. Committees of thatcountry prepare the orderof worship on these themesto be used on the nextWorld Day of Prayer.On the first Friday of

March, then, in services allover the world that countrybecomes the focus ofprayer and understanding.The motto of the World

Day of Prayer movement isInformed Prayer andPrayerful Action. Throughparticipation in the WorldDay of Prayer, we affirmthat prayer and action areinseparable and that bothhave immeasurable influ-ence on the world.The World Day of Prayer

2012 was focussed onMalaysia, with the theme,Let Justice Prevail. Theirprayer focussed on enablingall races, ethnic groups andreligions to work togetherfor religious harmony.World Day of Prayer 2013

will be organised by France.

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

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

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

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

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

The Anglican Diocese of Gippsland does not tolerate abuse, misconduct and harm in its Christian community.

The Diocese is committed to ensuring all people in contact with the Church can participate in a safe and responsible environment. If you may have been harmed by a church worker, or know someone who has, please come forward. The Director of Professional Standards, Cheryl Russell, is available, and will maintain confidentiality, on telephone 03 5633 1573, on mobile 0407 563313, or email [email protected]

OFFICE OF THE ! Director of Professional Standards

Bearing fruit in Rwanda

TOP: Jan Stephenson, Kathy Grabenweger and MarieStripp of St John’s Bairnsdale after the World Day ofPrayer service. Marie Stripp organised the ecumenicalservice this year, held at St John’s Anglican church.ABOVE: Roger Papps of the Baptist church in Bairnsdalewith Archdeacon Ted Gibson. Next year’s World Day ofPrayer service will be at the Baptist church.BELOW: Marie Redenbach of the Uniting Church in Bairns-dale with Dot McFarlane of St John’s Bairnsdale.

Photos: Jeanette Severs

April 2012 Our Diocese - Celebrating Ordained Women 5


By David Crampton,Rebecca Gallegos andJeremy Halcrow

THE Anglican Church inAustralia’s first woman in-digenous archdeacon,Karen Kime, said she seesher role as improving com-munication with the na-tion’s Aboriginalcommunities and support-ing reconciliation with thechurch and the wider soci-ety.“All clergy have a respon-

sibility to indigenous peo-ple,” Reverend Kime (right)said in an interview with theAustralian BroadcastingCorporation (ABC). “It’s about teaching our

people that there’s a rolefor them to play in thechurch ... and helping otherpeople to see that.”Canberra-Goulburn Bishop

Stuart Robinson, who con-ducted Rev. Kime’s ordina-tion service on February 25this year, said her appoint-ment sends a strong signalthat indigenous ministry isnow on the church’sagenda, “and therefore weare deploying a highlygifted, skilled and experi-enced indigenous leader totake carriage of this work.”As well as performing her

new role in Canberra-Goul-burn diocese, Rev. Kime, aBirripa woman, is managerof indigenous ministry forAnglicare, the church’surban mission and commu-nity care arm. She seeks toreconcile relationships be-tween the church and Abo-riginal Australians.“For me, this position is all

about reconciliation. It’sabout social justice becausein the past the relationshipbetween the church andAboriginal people has beenpretty poor,” she told theABC. Between 1910 and 1970,

churches cooperated withthe Australian governmentin the forced removal of upto 100,000 indigenous chil-dren, now known as the‘stolen generation’, fromtheir parents. The govern-ment’s policy aimed to as-similate children, placingmany in church-run institu-tions. After a 1977 government

inquiry, most major Chris-tian denominations publiclyapologised for roles in theseforced removal practicesand have taken reconcilia-tory steps. A governmentapology followed in 2008. Tom Calma, co-chair of

Reconciliation Australia, agroup promoting reconcilia-tion between Aboriginalpeople and other Aus-tralians, says Kime’s ap-pointment shows theAnglican Church is commit-ted to building better rela-

tionships between thechurch and Aboriginal Aus-tralians. “Archdeacon Kime is a

strong believer in reconcili-ation between Aboriginalpeople and other Aus-tralians. It’s great to seethe Anglican Church em-bracing its indigenous lead-ers,” Calma said.Twelve years ago, Rev.

Karen Kime was the firstAboriginal woman to be or-dained a priest in NewSouth Wales. She says shefeels privileged to be part ofa supportive diocese. “I think I’m actually where

I’m meant to be and I’mequipped to do that. I don’tfeel daunted, I actually feelencouraged.”As Archdeacon for Indige-

nous Ministry and Managerfor Indigenous Services,Culture and Education,Archdeacon Kime will workacross three dioceses in theACT and NSW to identifyopportunities for new Angli-care services to indigenouscommunities.Her role will also enable

better pathways for Aborig-inal and Torres Strait Is-lander people into ministry. Archdeacon Kime served

for over 25 years in Angli-can parishes across theRiverina, spending the past18 months as the actingrector at St John’s AnglicanChurch in Wagga Waggabefore her recent appoint-ment to Archdeacon.She has worked as a lec-

turer at Charles Sturt Uni-

versity where she wrote thefirst Aboriginal studies sub-jects for those studying tobe primary school teachersand social workers. Rev. Kime’s role with An-

glicare, General Manager ofIndigenous Services andEducation, within the Mis-sion and Justice Direc-torate, will focus on thedevelopment of services toindigenous and other Aus-tralians. “Living in isolated commu-

nities has significant chal-lenges. Anglicare has a keyrole in developing the ca-pacity and resilience ofsuch communities to expe-rience a level of health andwellbeing equal to that ofother Australians,” she said.Rev. Kime is a Birripa

woman whose familycomes from the area knownas Dingo Creek, nearKempsey in northern NSW.She says Dingo Creek wasa place her family moved towhen Aboriginal reserveswere established in thatarea. It was a place Aborig-inal people “escaped to [sotheir children] wouldn’t betaken away,” she said. In the mid 1980’s her fam-

ily moved to Wagga. At thattime there were few peopleof different cultures livingwithin the city. She said ex-periences of discriminationwere common.“Happily, the cultural mix

of the city has grown and ithas become an increasinglystimulating place to live,”she says.

Rev. Kime said one of thethings organisations tend todo is recruit Aboriginal peo-ple into Aboriginal posi-tions. However, she says“reconciliation is about in-digenous Australians takingtheir rightful place acrossall levels of an organisa-tion.”

“The issue of Reconcilia-tion involves all Australiansand is a journey we maketogether. Indeed, I ac-cepted the position [withAnglicare] because it re-flects real commitment byAnglicare and the [Angli-can] Church to such aprocess!” she said.

Hav

e a BashHav

e a Bash

,

Change to Cas

ho teunitnoe cW

Change to Cas

tilitalove h ttuob areah

Change to Cas

ra mlaicnani feh tf oyt

h!

,setkr

lralucitrap u En iy

a melpeopynaMhsac , ss ite ierhw

e hthtiwtisoepd

o yn onruetre hTttti

nsihtlliwtah We.por

ppe avitaversno ce akere areh Te.ruec s , dni

ntmepoleveDn acilgAn

hsa cru tnemtesvni si

ywe e cn ooN? gnir brea

mriehttupd anhcaorpdee , stiefenblear to m

.ndu Fnt

mo chtiwe vitiso posl a

e.ru se bnae c

otn iyenomhsa a cgnikam

evititepm

estarterestni :Ct A%57.3mre T%57.4

%00.5 mreT

yn oterestn ietGere areht ha cno

llaC000,02$o ttssipoe Dm

+000,02 $tssipoe Dm

e ver sd antisoepdruo ysee fros egr pe oh trof

0

mae sht athcruhce hte uocc Aruo yf onoieratp

,osl Ae.mite me hthtiwtnu

yna mehtfe onOah ts i)FDA (dnuF

e c W.44024415 clanoersp euqeh

yhwoS kemat no

af oesgatnavd ay oepDeynomruo yo tsesc acta

tu osdnufer fsnartnabsgniva sr o kna a uocc

t siopdesha c ake nirud

nacilgne Ahthtiwtisollae cnohp a ylnos iey

FD Aruo yf o d o ttisopeyae dmae sh tn otnu a

ani fniatercne ueshtgn

tenmpoleve Dyaw a , 30noruo yo

detesuqe rs .

esmitlaicna ?

yhw, oS kemat no

enohepelT su nooyr o,058 3e,laS

S aroe fla S,teert

ilgnAe thrtheieNte:oNed siverupsy laliudentpr

fonsoisivoprnoittecopr

t siopdesha c ake nirud

etirwr o440 2441530e Dh totn ipor dna cu

fnoitacilpp an o tmro

thrnodanlppsiGfoeescoiDancy bed ARRAPA thetonsoibutintroC.

tcAgnkianBe thf 1959.

ani fniatercne ueshtgn

PO atrartsiege RhTo te54t ayrtsieg Rnasecoi

a annep o hti wtnuocc

undFentmpoleveDancilgnAe thefbenthenibtaot nodoundFthe

esmitlaicna ?

,829x o B POdnomya R3

.FDe Aht

sidanlppsiGundrtoisdepofotief

fonsoisivoprnoittecopr

tcAgnkianBe thf 1959.

Advance Notice The Organ and More! A Concert with a Difference for Lovers of

Inspirational Music Voice Hear the St Peter s Allen Organ played by local organists,

joined by vocalists and instrumentalists

Sunday, June 17, at 2pm Anglican Church, Leongatha

Admission $10 per adult (children free) including Afternoon Tea

Proceeds to support events for local children, including Christian Religious Education and Carols in the Drome.

Aboriginal archdeaconsupports reconciliation

6 Our Diocese - The Abbey of St Barnabas April 2012


By Jane Macqueen andDr Colin Thornby

SOME commentators havesuggested the Church findsitself at a moment of pro-found change. Many churchpeople feel this in theirsouls and are looking forways to respond to thechange. The author, PhyllisTickle, describes past mo-ments of change in herbook The Great Emergence,suggesting that, for thechurch, these momentshappen in a regular patternand present great opportu-nities to respond to God’sinvitation to renew.Dr Alexander Shaia’s work

might be seen as part ofthe discussion aiming toprovide contemporaryChristians with ways ofworking with the unchang-ing elements of the faith innew ways. In his book, TheHidden Power of theGospels, Alexander de-scribes a way of reading,preaching and teaching theGospels which is very newbut entirely rooted in theChurch’s most ancient tra-ditions of reading and livingscripture.Alexander (above right),

based in the United States,has spent the past fourmonths in the southernhemisphere, teaching andworking in New Zealandand Australia. In mid-March, Alexander visitedGippsland and the Abbey ofSt Barnabas at A’BeckettPark on Raymond Island. It was an opportunity to

reconnect with old friendswho had encountered himand his work at the Aus-tralian Network for SpiritualDirection conference in2011 and to meet new peo-ple and offer his thoughts.Two events were held at

the Abbey, aimed at provid-ing different experiencesand ways of interacting withAlexander and his work. The first was a one-day

workshop which gave anoverview of Alexander’sQuadratos schema and pro-vided some insights forpreaching and teachingwith Mark’s Gospel. Thesecond was a retreat aimedat providing participantswith a way of working withthe gospels that promotescommunity.Attendees fortunate

enough to to spend theweekend in retreat with DrAlexander Shaia were veryblessed. Alexander wovetogether a retreat time thatincluded his own liturgiesfor the celebration of the 72hours of Easter and teach-ing about what has broughthim to the place of believ-ing that this liturgy is ofvital importance to theplace we find ourselves aschurch today. He also shared from the

depth of his knowledge ofthe Aramaic tradition andlanguage underpinning thegospels. He included anoverview of the Quadratoslens that many have foundso helpful since first readingAlexander’s work, The Hid-den Power of the Gospels. The retreat began in the

shadowed darkness of thechapel that Alexander hadtransformed into a simpleplace of worship focussedon a wooden four sidedcross and the jug and bowlfor the washing of the feet. The opening liturgy in-

cluded the lighting of thenew fire, as would be doneon the evening of Holy Sat-urday. Alexander explainedthe Aramaic tradition un-derpinning this liturgy. Attendees joined in the

moving experience of shar-ing with one another thestories of people in theirlives who have died, fromwhom we had caught thelove of God; people whohad inspired our own livesof faith and love. The names were placed in

a fire pot and we each satconnected by the faith andlove of those from the pastas we watched the flamesdance. We were then en-couraged to pass on theflame of faith.Saturday brought more

teaching about how theearly church came to begina three day community re-treat including the celebra-tion of Easter. It was a timewhen the coming togetherof those early Christiancommunities brought withit questions and conflict:You celebrate how? You be-lieve what? It sounded so familiar. So

the early church met for athree day community re-treat in prayer, worship andvigil. Alexander invited atten-

dees to consider the call to

live in community in an at-titude of self emptying andthe coming together of indi-viduals in harmony. Therope that bound the crosswe met around in prayerwas a perfect visual foreach of us that coming to-gether in harmony involvesbeing willing to struggle to-gether with tension.Alexander shared a little of

his firm belief that we haveone gospel in four parts;each gospel written with aparticular question as itsfocus and offering us a spir-itual practice to follow: Howdo we face change? How dowe move through suffering?How do we receive joy?How do we mature in serv-ice?The day visitors left with

minds and hearts full andthose of us fortunate tostay on enjoyed a meal to-gether and finished theevening once again withbeautiful liturgy in theshadowed chapel.Sunday morning opened

with a sharing of the Eu-charist. Alexander served

Abbey priest, ArchdeaconEdie Ashley, as she prayedthe Eucharist using Alexan-der’s liturgy. It was a gen-uinely moving experience.Alexander shared more

from his deep understand-ing of the Aramaic languagethat the gospel writerswould have thought in, butthen had to convert into theGreek text to record theirwritings. The retreat con-cluded with more of Alexan-der’s unpublished liturgiesand through this we experi-enced just a taste of what itwould be to come togetherin community and pray forall God’s people.This retreat was hosted

jointly by the Anam CaraCommunity and The Abbey.Those who were blessed toparticipate were mostthankful to Dr AlexanderShaia for giving of himselfso fully throughout the twodays. They were also able to ex-

perience living in the beau-tifully appointed units atthe Abbey and appreciativeof the holy ground on whichthis retreat centre is built.It continues to be a ‘thinplace’ where God seemsvery close and the naturalenvironment draws peopleinto deeper relationshipwith their creator. The Abbey catering team

is to be commended forcoping with the changingnumbers as they preparedfor the retreat and all mealswere most appreciated andenjoyed. Alexander was captured

by the beauty of A’BeckettPark and by the vision forthe Abbey. He describedfeeling this was indeed aspecial place for which Godhad great plans. Alexanderacknowledged the work in-volved in hosting him inGippsland and especiallythose who worked to makethe two events possible. “The cross constructed by

Brian Turner beautifullysymbolises the journey ofreconciliation in commu-nity,” he said. He added he hopes the

cross will continue to beused and prayed with.More information on

Alexander Shaia is availablefrom the Anam Cara Com-munity’s website.

Valley Funeral Latrobe

Services

! Qualified, experienced and caring staff

! Modern chapels! Refreshments and catering

facilities available! Secure, guaranteed, pre-paid

and pre-arranged funeral plans

! Over 70 years of service to the Latrobe Valley

MORWELL 5134 4937MOE 5126 1111

TRARALGON 5174 2258

Owned and operated byPaul and Katrina McInnes

Proud member of theAustralian Funeral Directors

Association and the Australian andBritish Institutes of Embalming

MARKRIDDLEConsultant

JOHNGALBRAITHConsultant

PAULMcINNESDirector

2002900

SUBSCRIPTIONto The Gippsland Anglican

Get The Gippsland Anglican posted direct to you

Name ......................................................................

Address ..................................................................

.................................................................................

Telephone ...............................................................

Yes, I would like a one year postal subscription to The Gipps-land Anglican, costing $27.50. I enclose a cheque/postalorder, made out to the Anglican Diocese of Gippsland. Send to TGA subscriptions, Anglican Diocese of Gippsland,PO Box 928, Sale, 3850. Enquiries, telephone 03 5144 2044.

St Mark’s Gospel thesubject of Abbey retreat

April 2012 Our Diocese - The Abbey of St Barnabas 7


Shaia a coup for Abbey

!

"#$%&$'!()**+!,-'$.)/!01.$2#3.+!!!

"#$%!&'!()!#*'(&!'(+!#&,-../0!1+.,1#2/!'+!1+.,#++#-3./!4(-.+#$!).+526.)7!!!!456!789:!";<==;!(89<:"08>=!!?)//!@A!&3-.+!3'!B5B6!@5BC!3.!D1+1#!-+!)#!EEEF+#$%&$'G)**+F23HF)-!

By Sue Fordham

ON Wednesday, March 14, the Abbey ofSt Barnabas hosted a one-day reflectionworkshop with Dr Alexander Shaia, inter-nationally renowned author, educator, psy-chologist, spiritual director and liturgist.This was followed at the weekend by athree day retreat. (See story, page 6.)Thirteen people attended the Wednesday

reflection and were rivetted as Dr Shaiaunpacked the four Gospel journey he de-scribes as Quadratos. Put briefly, the four phase journey begins

with Matthew who, using the metaphor ofthe mountain, writes to a people strippedof their temple and their priesthood. Heanswers the question: How do we facechange?Next, Mark, addressing a people con-

stantly under threat of hideous executionby the Romans, uses the image of stormtossed sea and wilderness to deal with theissue of suffering.John’s third path is about receiving joy

and is often used as a text to prepare forbaptism. His most used metaphor is thegarden.

Finally, Luke addresses the growing Chris-tian communities and, using the image ofthe road, faces the issue of how we maturein service.Context is all. Audience is all. Dr Shaia

speaks of one Gospel with four chapters.While not denigrating the approach ofstudying the Gospels, he believes the mostis got from them by praying them.So outstanding was this reflection work-

shop, it is tempting to use language that isexcessive in describing it. But, at least forthis attendee, the Gospels were seenthrough a prism that was new, exciting andrevelatory.Suddenly, the Gospels came alive and

resonated with new life. I thought: So thatis why there are four of them. So that iswhy they are subtly different in focus, em-phasis and detail. So that is why they arein the order they are in.Dr Alexander Shaia, this eloquent man

from New Mexico, born of émigré parentsfrom Lebanon, brought a new dimension ofspiritual insight and an opportunity to ex-perience a new joy to all of us attending.What a great achievement for our fledglingabbey.

ABOVE: Participants in the Wednesday workshop introducing the teaching of Dr Alexan-der Shaia, held at the Abbey of St Barnabas at A’Beckett Park.

Photo: Edie Ashley

ABOVE: Carolyn Raymondand Dr Pene Brooke partic-ipated in a workshop led byDr Alexander Shaia at theAbbey of St Barnabas inMarch.RIGHT: Reverend Jim Con-nelly listens thoughtfully toinsights from Mark’sGospel.BELOW: Alexander Shaiamade use of simple but ef-fective tools in the chapel ofSt Barnabas.

Photos: Edie Ashley



AFTER the success ofBenetas’ Dementia CarerSupport Groups in LakesEntrance and Orbost, Bene-tas is pleased to announcethe expansion of the pro-gram into Sale.Benetas and Alzheimer’s

Australia Victoria first es-tablished the free supportgroups for people who arecaring for someone with adementia, following signifi-cant interest and enquiriesfrom the local community.A support group for the

carers can provide a sup-portive forum enablingthose attending to sharetheir experiences, learnnew strategies and enjoysocialising with others whoshare common problems.Carers in Sale are now set

to benefit, with the groupholding its first meeting onMarch 14. For more infor-mation about the groups,please contact 03 51556000.Last year, residents of

Lakes Entrance and Orbostseeking carer support net-works began meeting underthe auspices of Benetas; al-lowing them to meet withother people who are caringfor someone with dementia.Lakes Entrance was the

first of three new dementiaspecific carer supportgroups planned by Benetasfor the region. The most recent Access

Economics Report commis-sioned by Alzheimer’s Aus-tralia Victoria indicates, in2010, 53 new cases of de-mentia were diagnosedeach day. This is set to riseto 82 per day by 2020. “A support group for the

carers can enable those at-tending to share their expe-riences, learn newstrategies and enjoy social-ising with others who sharecommon problems,” saidDiane Scott, Gippslandcounsellor with Alzheimer’sAustralia Vic.The Lakes Entrance De-

mentia Carer SupportGroup meets every fourthTuesday of each month andthe Orbost Dementia CarerSupport Group on the firstThursday of each month.The Sale Dementia CarerSupport Group will meet onthe second Wednesday ofeach month, at 1pm, in theactivity room at LatrobeCommunity Health Serv-ices. Benetas is a not-for-profit

organisation, founded bythe Anglican Diocese ofMelbourne in 1948. Benetasprovides aged care servicesfor more than 4,000 olderVictorians each year, withinits 11 residential care facil-ities and through its exten-sive community careprograms. Benetas is dedi-cated to advocating on be-half of all older people andhas an extensive Researchand Advocacy Agenda. Benetas recently cele-

brated the outstandingachievement and dedicationof its staff at a Family FunDay. More than 450 staffmembers and their families

attended the event, held atthe Collingwood Children’sFarm, enjoying a day ofgood food, conversationand various farm activities,including cow milking, ponyand tractor rides. The Family Fun Day was

an opportunity for Benetasto thank its staff membersfor their commitment tocreating fulfilling life expe-riences for older people,particularly those who havemade special contributionsto the organisation and tosupporting older Victoriansover a long period of time. More than 230 staff mem-

bers who have reached longservice milestones during2011 and 2012, includingsome up to 25, 30 and 35years of continuous service,were recognised andthanked for their dedicationat the event. Sandra Price,from Benetas HurlinghamRespite Service, celebratedan amazing 35 years withBenetas.Speaking at the event,

CEO Sandra Hills told herteam: “I am inspired byand truly appreciate yourdedication.”Ms Hills said the day also

marked the end of the inau-gural Orange Festival atBenetas, 18 days and morethan 20 events held atBenetas’ nursing homesand community officesacross Victoria. “We had feedback from

our staff across the statethat they would like to seemore of our head officestaff visiting our servicesand clients, so the OrangeFestival was held to enablethis to happen,” she said.

TOM Baldwin has alwaysbeen intrigued by technol-ogy. Eight years ago, Tomtaught himself how to use acomputer, on a computermade of rescued parts,given to him by his son.Unfortunately for the

Benetas Community Careclient, who lives in Sale, thecomputer became slow anddamaged by internet ‘hack-ers’. Tom’s mobility has alsodecreased during the yearsand he now experienceshearing problems. His mind is his most active

asset and he has sorelymissed being able to usehis computer.When Tom’s Care Man-

ager, Jo Inglis, learnt of theproblem, she thought of theBenetas One Wish Programimmediately. “Tom and I completed an

application together,” shesaid. The good news soon came

that the wish for a newdesktop computer had beengranted.“The quality of my life has

been changed so muchsince I received my new

computer.” Tom said.“I am now able to contact

my friends and relativesabroad at any time. I writeto them and I can also callthem up and see them overthe internet. It’s just plainmagic.”Tom, who is also an avid

artist and photographer, isusing his computer to scanhis artwork in to keep itemson file and for editing hisphotographs.“I am so happy I was

lucky enough to receive thiscomputer,” he said. “I hope the Benetas One

Wish program goes ongranting people like metheir one wish. It is ab-solutely wonderful.”Since Tom’s story was

published in another news-paper, he has also receivedcontact from an old friend,who contacted Benetaswhich organisation passedon his details to Tom.

ABOVE: Tom Baldwin showshis new computer to hiswife, Patricia. Tom’s newtechnology resulted froman application to Benetas.

Carersupportgroupin Sale

ABOVE: Benetas hosted a family day at Collingwood Chil-dren’s Farm.

Tom updatesvia One Wishprogram

ABOVE: Benetas staff andthe families enjoyed thefamily fun day.

April 2012 Our Diocese - Features 9


By Mike Clapper

DAVID Gonski and hispanel of experts were com-missioned in April 2010 toreview the basis for thefunding of schools across allstates and sectors in Aus-tralia. On February 20, fol-lowing a listening touraround Australia, morethan 7000 submissions,four research papers anddiscussions with hundredsof professionals and stake-holders, the report was re-leased with 26 findings and41 recommendations. School funding has long

been a source of divisionwithin the education com-munity with some believingthat parents who choose tosend their children to an in-dependent (and normallyfaith-based) school shouldnot expect the school to re-ceive any government sup-port; and others whobelieve all students shouldreceive equal funding, re-gardless of the school theyattend. In the past 50 years, a va-

riety of funding modelshave been used in Australiabut all, though varying inthe process of calculation,have been somewhere be-tween these two extremeswith a proportion of thecosts of educating a child ina government school beinggranted to independentschools, depending on theirfee structure and assetbase.A complicating factor in

the argument has beenthat, while governmentschools have been primarilyfunded by state authorities,independent and Catholicschools have received themajority of their fundingfrom federal sources. Thus,to compare what is actuallyhappening, you need to addtogether funding from bothsources. Currently, federal funding

to independent schools ison a sliding scale from 13.7per cent up to 70 per centof the AGSRC (AverageGovernment Schools Recur-rent Cost). Both of the An-glican Schools in Gippslandreceive approximately 50per cent of this figure. This figure does not, how-

ever, take into account cap-ital or debt-servicing costs,superannuation, insurancecosts and Commonwealthgrants to governmentschools.Another major area of dif-

ficulty for non-governmentschools has been the lack ofsupport for children withdisabilities. The real costsof such support have notbeen portable if a parent

has chosen to enrol theirchild in a non-governmentschool, leaving the schoolto subsidise such costs outof general revenue.The Gonski report has es-

tablished a number of prin-ciples on which fundingshould be based, given herein outline form:Public funding should be

allocated in a fair, logicaland practical way takinginto account the capacityfor contribution from pri-vate resources;Funding should be allo-

cated on the basis of need;Funding should be suffi-

cient to ensure that all stu-dents receive a highstandard of schooling;Funding should support a

diverse range of provisionand allow choice by par-ents;Funding arrangements

should help to drivebroader school reform toimprove outcomes, particu-larly for disadvantaged stu-dents;Funding arrangements

should embody partner-ships between school sec-tors;Funding arrangements

should be transparent;Public funding should pro-

vide demonstrable value formoney.From these principles,

Gonski has argued for theestablishment of a StudentResource Standard (SRS)for both primary and sec-ondary students. This willbe based on the real costsof educating students in themost efficient high-per-forming schools. This standard will be used

to provide a base loadingfor funding, to be supple-mented for students andschools with various kindsof disadvantage, such associo-economic status, dis-ability (per student), Eng-lish language proficiency,indigenous students, schoolsize and location (remote-ness). For independent schools,

some estimate will be madeof the ‘capacity to con-tribute’ of the school com-munity and this will betaken into account whendetermining the percentageof the SRS that schools re-ceive.The Gonski review panel

has estimated that the ef-fective introduction of thenew plan will cost at least$5 billion and the Common-wealth would provide 30per cent of this, with thestates providing the rest.Herein lies the difficulty in

the new model. It requiressubstantial levels of co-op-eration between federal and

state bodies which will notbe easy to achieve. Hence,there is no immediate planto introduce the model andit may get lost or watereddown in the political ma-noeuvring which will un-doubtedly occur over thecoming months and years. The Victorian government

has already estimated itscontribution as $750 mil-lion, which is about 12 percent of the current stateeducation budget.The outcome is unlikely to

be known for some timeand its impact on independ-ent schools is uncertain.There are some positive el-ements, such as the porta-bility of funding forstudents with a disability;but these count for nothinguntil there is a comment tothe costing of the proposal. Timing is also a problem.

Federal Government fund-ing legislation for non-gov-ernment schools expires atthe end of next year. Com-monwealth non-govern-ment school fundingagreements must be settledwith new legislation by theend of this year. Given the political cycle

and the timing of the nextelection, this may be diffi-cult to achieve and leave usin a state of limbo, with apossible temporary exten-sion of existing legislationand funding arrangementsfor one or two more years,until an agreement can bereached on the way for-ward.More information about

the Gonski review and sug-gested points to be raisedwith MPs can be found in anIssues Paper on the homepage of the IndependentSchools Victoria websitewww.independentschools.vic.edu.auThe Federal Government is

encouraging a discussionon ‘which of the reviewpanel’s recommendationsto implement and how bestto do this’. There will belocal information sessionsaround Australia and onlineforums. Parents and families can

visit the government’s‘Have your Say’ page on itsSchool Funding Forum web-site at www.schoolfund-ing.gov.auThe full report, the gov-

ernment’s initial responseand details of the nextsteps can be found at thegovernment’s Your SchoolOur Future websitewww.schoolfunding.gov.au

NB: Mike Clapper is the Ex-ecutive Principal of Gipps-land Grammar and St Paul’sAnglican Grammar School.

Perspective ... analysingthe Gonski report onfunding for schools

Diocesan Calendar2012

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

International Year of People of African Descent, Na-tional Year of the Farmer, National Year of Reading

April1 Palm Sunday1 Serra Club Golf Day; TBC3 Renewal of Ordination of Vows and Blessing of

Oils service, 11.30am to 3pm; St Paul’s Cathedral, Sale; light lunch at Bishopscourt; contact Registry to confirm, 03 5144 2044

5 Maundy Thursday6 Good Friday7 Environment open day and workshops; Abbey

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

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

7 Easter Light service at St Barnabas Chapel, A’Beckett Park; 5.30pm; with commissioning of Von Dubbeld as Assistant Minister to the Abbey Parish (was Paynesville parish). Led by Bishop John McIntyre.

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

8 Easter Day14 – 15 Growth in Ministry training for ordination

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

21 Bishop in Council planning day, Registry, Sale25 ANZAC Day30 - May 2 Clergy conference; Abbey of St

Barnabas,A’Beckett Park, Raymond Island

MayApril 30 - May 2 Clergy conference; Abbey of St

Barnabas, A’Beckett Park, Raymond Island1 Mothers’ Union Gippsland Executive meeting5 Anglican Earthcare Gippsland annual general

meeting, St Paul’s Cathedral, Sale; led by Bishop John McIntyre

17 Two Bishops and the Dean … Q and A on the environment and other matters; Bishop John McIntyre, Bishop Kay Goldsworthy, Dean Dr Don Saines; Abbey of St Barnabas, A’Beckett Park; 2pm to 4pm

18 – 20 Gippsland Anglican 36th annual Synod, Sale23 Mothers’ Union Australia Council open day,

Palotti College, Millgrove, 10am to 4pm25 – 27 The Spirituality of Winter, a retreat led by

Reverend Anne Turner; Abbey of St Barnabas, A’Beckett Park

27 – June 3 Vocational panel interviews; venue TBA29 – 30 Victorian Council of Churches Emergency

Ministry Training, Level 2; Traralgon; contact 03 9650 4511 or email [email protected]

June2 Lay Reader training, 9.30am to 4pm;

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

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

10 Our Diocese - Youth, Family and Children’s Ministries April 2012


Owned and operated by Ray & Maree Anderson

With care & dignity, we serve South Gippsland and Phillip Island

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

PHILLIP ISLAND (03) 5952 5171 15 Warley Avenue, Cowes, 3922 (by appointment only) Email: [email protected]

Pre-paid & pre-arranged funeral plans available.

CARING & PERSONAL 24 HOUR SERVICE

Tom’s summer of adventureWHEN Tom Hobbs plays football, he often

endures the attentions of a tagger. Duringthe Christmas holidays, he received simi-larly unerring attention, not from an oppo-nent, but from a host of Indonesianchildren, vying to be in his sight.A year nine student at St Paul’s Anglican

Grammar School, Tom experienced a lifechanging journey to Hohidiai, in Indonesia,during the summer break. He was a mem-ber of a community church visit to a schoolin the Hohidiai region, developed by Peterand Esther Scarbourough.The travelling party included Tom’s

mother, Chris, and St Paul’s AnglicanGrammar School year four teacher, JustinBallantyne, Simon and Carla Ronalds andBill and Leanne Anderson. By day, mem-bers of the group assisted at the local hos-pital, Justin helped at the school and Tombecame the veritable Pied Piper, kickingfootballs and sharing sports gear donatedby St Paul’s and Sportsco. The cricket equipment, AFL footballs,

skipping ropes, sporting bibs, soccer ballsand bean bags proved to be invaluablecontributions to the community.“It’s so different,” said Tom of the locale.“The children only have one classroom

and Physical Education just involved armyexercises. They would just run laps be-cause they had no sporting equipment.”For Tom, an avid sportsman, it was not

just the approach to exercise that provideda cultural shock. “We mainly ate rice and fish. Chicken was

cooked sometimes but only by familieswhen they had enough money,” Tom said.“I took a box of muesli bars but that was-

n’t enough to fill me up.”The journey included local market experi-

ences, where Tom was privy to the shoutsand cries of a thriving marketplace and thesmell of strange foods or, in many cases,parts of food rarely sighted in Australia. The most confronting moment took place

when Tom was summoned to a medicalroom to visit a man who had sufferedburns to 70 per cent of his body when afamily feud turned ugly, spurred on by al-cohol and culminating in a kerosene at-tack. “It was just shocking,” Tom said. “Everything there just makes you realise

how lucky we are.”

TOP: Tom Hobbs with some of the schoolchildren and equipment donated by StPaul’s Anglican Grammar School andSportsco.ABOVE: Tom Hobbs with one of the chil-dren he met during the church group’s visitto Hohidiai, Indonesia, during last summer.

THE Kidsplus+ Network ofGippsland diocese has beengranted funds through agovernment VolunteersGrant Scheme to subsidiseadults undertaking skillstraining in support of min-istries with children andyouth. We welcome en-quiries from people whomay wish to undertake par-ticular courses relevant tothese ministries. ContactKidsplus+ through [email protected]

ResourcesTHE Kidsplus+ diocesan

network has been pleasedto accept renewed or newaffiliations from theparishes of Drouin, Won-thaggi, Sale, Korumburra,and Heyfield. As this article goes to

print, Kidsplus+ has re-ceived many applicationsfrom campers and leadersfor the Phillip Island Camp,suggesting attendance fromMoe, Traralgon, Maffra,Newborough and Melton.Close to 40 children will be

at the camp. We will reporton the camp in the nextedition of The GippslandAnglican. Parishes are reminded of

the availability of the Kid-splus+ Network’s trailer,games and activity re-sources. It has been wellused this year by Leon-gatha parish, for commu-nity Australia DayCelebrations and camp;Trafalgar parish for commu-nity children’s activities

and Shrove Tuesday tea;Newborough parish’s Fam-ily BBQ Activity at ApexPark; and Traralgon’s parishfete. The parachute continues

to provide a feature atmany of the mainly musicprograms. The Kidsplus+Network aims to supportparish based ministries byproviding inter-parish com-munication, resource shar-ing and leadership trainingopportunities.

Family activityPARISHES with mainly

music groups, playgroupsand junior church ministriesare invited to join in ourFamily Traffic School morn-ing and barbecue lunch, tobe held on Saturday, May12, from 10.30am until1pm. The Kidsplus+ teamis fully sponsoring bookingof the Morwell TrafficSchool, on the PrincesHighway opposite KernotHall. Parishes will receivedetails soon. A free sausagesizzle is provided. Bring your own, named,

bikes or trikes and helmets,if convenient. This will be afun morning for young fam-ily members in the minia-ture town and road setting,and another opportunity forinter-parish fellowship.Watch for parish notices.Enquiries through the

Gippskidsplus+ email, [email protected] telephone Catherine on03 5127 4093 or Mary on03 5127 2929.

Kidsplus+ willsupport trainingfor children’s andyouth ministries

ABOVE: Children worshipping exuberantly at Leongatha parish’s family camp.Photo: Russell Conway

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


Youth faith alivein Drouin parishALTHOUGH the Youth and

Family Minister’s role hasbeen vacant at Drouinparish for the past twoyears, it is encouraging tosee the faith developmentof our youth is still alive andwell. Our youth are nowrepresented on ParishCouncil by active youngparishioner, Michael Lossi.On February 19, Bishop

John McIntyre held a confir-mation service for four ofour young people, BenPerry, Harvey Langford andStorme and North Mason. Itwas a lovely service.Canon Amy Turner bap-

tised one of our newerchurch members, AlishaJones at the same service.It was wonderful to see ap-proximately 75 people turnup to support these youngpeople as they confirmedtheir intent to follow Christ. The service was followed

by a time of fellowship aswe all shared a barbecueand some backyard cricket.The public affirmation of

their faith is simply onemore step for these youngpeople, whose faith hasgrown from being regularsat Teddy Praise (preschoolprogram), JAFFA’s (afterschool program) and God’sGang (Sunday school). They are now taking more

active roles in the runningof our monthly Connectionsservice. Here they are in-volved in playing in theband, developing power-point presentations, leadingprayers and role playing.When North Mason wasasked why he wanted to beconfirmed he simply stated:“I have already acceptedJesus into my heart, so whynot do it officially?”

Connections THE music for the Connec-

tions services is played bymusicians who meet at thechurch to practise onWednesday evenings. Wevalue the commitment ofthe young people and theirparents, who encouragethem by bringing them tothese meetings. We enjoyworship with more contem-porary and participatorysongs.The Connections service

has been a wonderful wayto bring more families into

the church fold. Many fam-ilies, particularly those withyoung children, have foundthis a more modern and re-laxed way of worship, whilestill maintaining God as thefocus of all we do. After thebible reading people splitinto groups for craft, roleplaying and deeper discus-sion. The service is followed by

lunch in Maxfield Hall.

Shaving BenAfter the Connections

service on March 11, thecongregation supportedBen Perry as he shaved hishead for Leukaemia re-search. Locks of hair wereauctioned by Michael Lossifor as much as $50. Manypeople shared in cutting orshaving Ben’s head; we areall very proud of his efforts.Ben raised $205 on the dayto add to his fundraisingprior to losing his hair. Welldone, Ben.

PlaygroupThere is a playgroup on

Wednesday mornings at10am, run by church mem-bers who set up and packaway, as well as assist withmorning teas and holdingbabies, while the parents orgrandparents play witholder toddlers or preschool-ers. There are regularly 12children attending. As Drouin grows, new

faces are attending. Manyfamilies have made goodfriendships through theplaygroup program. Thesessions are informal buthave a craft activity, storyand song time every weekand once monthly there is aBiblical theme. Currently there is a wait-

ing list for new members,as our capacity is limited byour venue; especially oncethe winter weather sets in.Enquiries to the office, 035625 4121.

Contributors: MelissaMason and Sue Lester

ABOVE: North and StormeMason, Bishop John McIn-tyre, Harvey Langford,Canon Amy Turner and BenPerry after the Communionservice at Drouin.

Photo: Melissa Mason

Ben shaves for cure

LEFT: Before and after photographs of Ben Perry, ofDrouin parish, who shaved his head for Leukaemia re-search. See story on this page.ABOVE: Many people shared in cutting or shaving Ben’shead, including Canon Amy Turner, under the watchful eyeof Michael Lossi and friends of Ben.

Photos: Melissa Mason and Sue Lester

Fun andgamesat parishcampTHE annual Leongatha

parish family camp washeld at Grantville on March2 to 4. Worship, games, fel-lowship and Bible studywith Leongatha’s CMS linkmissionaries, Jon and Deb-orah, made for a veryhappy weekend. The camp was organised

by Bethany Toohill and Rev-erend Janet Wallis, with de-licious meals co-ordinatedby Pat Bowman and MegSteenholdt.Contributor: Heather Scott

ABOVE right: Take my hand... parishioners of all agesattempted walking the bal-ance-wire.MIDDLE right: Leongathaparish’s link missionaries,Jon and Deborah, withsome of St Peter’s childrenin Indonesian dress.BELOW right: Under theponchos and sombreros areHugh and Lesley Chisholm.BELOW far right: Peter Wal-lis made a very biblical fig-ure.

Photos: Russell Conway

12 Our Diocese - Youth, Family and Children’s Ministries April 2012


Color in the picture:Jesus praying

Copyright: www.sermons4kids.com

Puzzle: Join the numbers

Copyright: Bible Society Australia

Drouin playgroup

ABOVE: In Drouin parish, the playgroup on Wednesdaymornings is very popular with young families moving intothe district.

ParishpictorialRIGHT: In Drouin parish,Canon Amy Turner recentlybaptised Alisha Jones, as-sisted by Bishop John McIn-tyre who led a communionservice on the same day.

Photo: Melissa MasonMIDDLE right: At the Leon-gatha parish family camp,held at Grantville, this trioof young women enter-tained attendees with a skiton faithfulness.BELOW: The Toohill familyparticipated in the annualfamily camp held by Leon-gatha parish.

Photos: Russell Conway

IN Moe parish, a numberof leaders and children fromGFS, Boys Anglican Ministryand the congregations at StLuke’s and Holy Trinity par-ticipated in the diocesanPhillip Island KidsPlus+camp, held at the end ofMarch. David Davies is again

working with parishionersand other choristers fromacross the diocese to pres-ent The Crucifixion choralworks of John Stainer. Thechoir will be presenting thiswork twice; first at StJohn’s Neerim South, at7.30pm on March 28; thenin Holy week at St Luke’s

Moe, at 7.30pm, on MondayApril 2. All are welcome.A Reflection on the basics

of faith is the theme ofMoe’s parish lenten andEaster study groups thisyear. The material compiledand presented by Rev-erend Bruce Charles hasprovided thought provokingdiscussion in the threestudy groups and ample re-flective material for individ-ual study by others. Shrove Tuesday, St

Patrick’s Day and MotheringSunday have all providedthe impetus for social andfundraising events in theparish.

We held a successful two-course pancake lunch in thegarden of David Davies.Moe’s Sudanese congrega-tion embellished the tradi-tional celebrations withmaize pancakes and lamband spinach filling. Mothers’ Union hosted a

very ‘green’ afternoon teafor St Patrick’s day. A twi-light drinks and nibbles wasplanned for refreshmentand Mothering Sunday. Earlier in the month, a

barbecue lunch was en-joyed at Gwen Robertson’srural property at TanjilSouth.Contributor: Mary Nicholls

Moe fellowship days

April 2012 Our Diocese - Clergy Ministries 13


Farewell, Rowena

REVEREND Rowena Arm-strong is leaving Croajingo-long parish, but not movingfar. Rowena will be theUniting Church minister inOrbost, leading the SnowyRiver Patrol. She recentlycollaborated with Rev. Ali-son McRae, of the HighCountry Patrol based out ofSwift’s Creek. They led theecumenical service at theannual Women on FarmsGathering, held this year inBuchan (above). Rowena(seated left, in the photo-graph at right) will lead herlast service in the parish, atGenoa, on April 29.


ABOVE: Reverend BevilLunson, in charge of Orbostparish, is also a worthychef. Recently, Bevil re-ceived first and secondprizes for his preserves, atthe Orbost show.

Photo: Jeanette Severs

By Alison Pearce

THE Bush Church Aid So-ciety of Australia is helpingChristians respond posi-tively to changes in Aus-tralia’s growing miningworkforce. Fly-in, fly-out(FIFO) work is currently atopic of government in-quiry.Working on a FIFO sched-

ule involves a cycle of flyingthousands of kilometres towork long shifts for a num-ber of consecutive days orweeks, then flying home fora set amount of time. Sub-missions to the inquiry tes-tified FIFO work can placechallenges, stress andstrain on individuals andfamilies; this can lead tomental and relationshipbreakdowns. The Bush Church Aid Soci-

ety of Australia (BCA) isseeking to address those is-sues through the ministryof Reverend Peter and MrsJoy Palmer.This ministry sees Peter

spending at least threedays weekly at one of threemines in South Australia,talking to people, buildingrelationships with them and

being there for them. Theother important part of theministry is supporting theminers’ partners and fami-lies who are left behind inAdelaide. This support takes many

forms from marriage coun-selling and conflict resolu-tion classes to babysittingor even just listening. As achaplain, Peter holds chapelservices at the mines and isalways ready to talk abouthis faith.Speaking about this initia-

tive, Peter said: “The aim ofthe program is to be likeJesus and the woman at thewell; to talk to people andbuild relationships withthem, then take them on ajourney into the kingdom.” Since its beginning in mid-

2011, the ministry hasbeen rapidly growing, withmore mines interested inbecoming involved and BCAhopes to extend this modelof ministry interstate.Support Peter’s ministry or

find out more about BCA atthe website www.bushchur-chaid.com.au

ABOVE: Peter and JoyPalmer at a mining site.

Fly in fly out ministry

Bevil’sskills onshow

AnglicanCovenantdefeatedA MAJORITY of dioceses in

the Church of England havevoted down the proposedAnglican Covenant, a set ofprinciples intended to bindthe Anglican Communionprovinces worldwide de-spite theological differencesand cultural disputes.Currently, 23 dioceses

have voted against and 15in favor, of a total of 44 dio-ceses. In Australia, dioce-ses have voted for andagainst the Covenant, withsome dioceses still to vote.New Zealand is expected tovote against in July.Seven provinces, of 38,

that voted in favor are Ire-land, Mexico, Myanmar,Papua New Guinea, SouthEast Asia, Southern Cone ofAmerica and West Indies.

Anglican leaders seek visionary futureBy Russell Powell

MORE than 200 delegates from 30provinces of the Anglican Communion willgather in London in April to build on thework of the GAFCON conference inJerusalem and, in the words of the organ-isers, to “help turn the present crisis mo-ment into a visionary future”. The leadersare clergy and laity, men and women from29 countries. “We are committed to building networks

and partnerships of orthodox Anglicans,strong in their witness to Jesus Christ andthe transforming power of His Spirit, toface the challenge of mission around theworld,” said Eliud Wabukala, Archbishop ofthe Anglican Church of Kenya and Chair-man of the GAFCON Primates Council.The gathering is the first leadership con-

ference since the landmark GAFCON meet-ing in Jerusalem in 2008. The General Secretary of the FCA, Arch-

bishop Peter Jensen, said: “Many moreleaders will be included in leadership gath-erings and another, larger, GAFCON meet-ing, but we are praying this will lay a goodplatform for the future of the movement.”“The aim of the conference is to unite us

behind the goals of FCA and equip us tofulfitl them. It is vital we understand thenature of the gospel and the nature of thechurch and so the theme is the uniquenessand sufficiency of Christ, the One who is

the heart of the gospel and the Head of Hischurch,” said Dr Jensen.Members of the FCA have affirmed the

Jerusalem Declaration and also the goalsof the movement. The five days of the conference include

daily worship and testimony, Bible studiesand plenary sessions to explore and applythe Lordship of Christ over the world, overthe church and over the individual. There will be interactive seminars through

which participants will help each other topreach the gospel and equip the churchesto defend and sustain the faith. The seminars include explorations of spir-

itual leadership, family, evangelism, devel-opment and aid, the nature of the gospeland the theology of the church. Speakers include Bishop Michael Nazir-Ali,

Rev. Dr Ashley Null, and Bishop John Akao. Inspirational sessions will cover spiritual

leadership under pressure and the experi-ence of living in the Communion in crisis. Toward the end of the conference, there

will be an open evening to gather withmany others to pray, to encourage Chris-tians living in Britain to keep preaching thegospel and to sing God’s praises. “We are looking forward to powerful pos-

sibilities released by bringing together 200leaders to listen to God’s word, pray andlearn from each other,” Abp Wabukala said.

“May the blessings of God Almighty bepoured on us.”



Pictorial from AWA 50th anniversary celebrations

ABOVE: Jenny MacRobb,Joan Chynoweth, LindyDriver, Joyce Elliot andAnnabel Gibson at the 50thbirthday and closure cele-brations for AnglicanWomen of Australia inGippsland.LEFT: Under the umbrellarepresenting the member-ship and mission work ofAnglican Women of Aus-tralia are Jan Misiurka, ofMothers’ Union, Ethel Arm-strong of Cursillo, CarolynRaymond representing theAnam Cara Community,Sarah Gover for mainlymusic, Pat Cameron ofAWA and Mary Nichollsfrom Girls Friendly Societyand Kidsplus+ Network.

Photos: Christine Morris

April 2012 Our Diocese - Missions and Ministries 15


Women celebrate 50 years of AWABy Carolyn Raymond

ON Tuesday, March 6, women fromthroughout Gippsland gathered at St Paul’sCathedral in Sale, to celebrate the work ofAnglican Women of Australia in the dio-cese. This was the last function to be or-ganised by AWA. Sadly it is becomingimpossible for members to travel acrossthe diocese to attend meetings. Many women, and some men, numbering

177 people for lunch, gathered for this lastservice. Many who had been members buthad moved away from Gippsland, returnedfor this last service and to spend time to-gether. Attendees wore a touch of gold tohonor the work of AWA. The Thanksgiving Service was uplifting.

The hymns were shouts of praise. Severalpresent and past members of AWA as-sisted by welcoming, reading and as Eu-charistic assistants. AWA president, BishopJohn McIntyre, preached. He affirmed thework of AWA both past and present, inworship, service and fellowship.An excellent lunch for 177 people was

provided by the Cathedral caterers. Afterlunch, there was time for acknowledgingthe work of many who had made the pro-gram of meetings, rallies, retreats, bustrips and mission work possible. Chairperson, Pat Cameron, read out

many apologies. She welcomed Mrs JoanChynoweth and Mrs Lindy Driver, both ofwhom had travelled from interstate. Pat

led attendees in remembering the manyhighlights of AWA throughout the 50 years. She remembered the National Conference

held in Traralgon. She remembered themission giving to ABM projects. Shebrought to life the missions programs suchas Cash for Cows, Go for Gold and the EnaSheumack Appeal. Pat remembered the establishment of re-

treats for AWA members and the many bustrips to places all across Victoria. Therewas opportunity for others to speak of thewonderful memories AWA had given them.We all gave thanks for the many wonder-

ful times we had worshipped, worked andshared time with friends from across thediocese. The day was a true celebration for the

work of AWA.An executive meeting has been held since

the celebration, to make final decisionsabout the remaining AWA funds. It was de-cided to keep the money in Gippsland. It isto be divided between Bush Church Aid,Girls Friendly Society, Mothers’ Union andGippsland Home Mission Fund. The remaining money from the bus trip

account will be divided between GippslandIndigenous Ministry and the Bishop’s Fam-ily Appeal.

RIGHT: Lindy Driver and Joan Chynoweth.BELOW: Pat Cameron, Annabel Gibson andPeggie Arthur.


ABOVE: Faye Woodward, of Lakes Entrance, entertains attendees with memories of pur-chases on the annual bus trips, at AWA’s 50th anniversary and closure celebrations.


16 Our Diocese - Parishes April 2012


AT the end of February,Morwell parish held a Har-vest Festival. During hersermon, ArchdeaconHeather Marten shared theancient rites of the harvestfestival. She explained howthe Israelites would bringproduce from their land andalways share it with thepriest who owned no landand the immigrants whowere visitors in the landand without land of theirown. Harvest Festivals are more

than giving thanks for whatwe have grown and pro-duced, they involve grati-tude for God’s gifts and adedication and sharing withall who need food. We allbrought what we hadgrown. There were mounds of

fresh vegetables, herbs andfruit. There were preserves,flowers and plants. In thecentre of the table coveredwith produce, Reverend Lynplaced the paten with abread role and a bottle ofwine. These were thenbrought up to the altar anddedicated for the Eucharist. After the service Rev. Lyn

auctioned all the produce.Bidding proceeded vigor-ously, with much laughter.The final result was ahealthy amount of moneyfor our mission project forthe year, the re-building ofSt Margaret’s hospital inPapua New Guinea. In Morwell parish, the

eight monthly services inthe hostel’s and nursinghomes are all supported bymembers of the congrega-tion. Some of the servicesare taken by lay readers,others by the priest. As we journey through

Lent, Rev. Heather has re-minded us that in the midstof our busy lives we are stillon a community retreat.This retreat began on AshWednesday. One contribution to this

retreat is the study manyare following; a study onthe Psalms that are set forLent. This in-depth studylooks at the psalm set foreach of the six Sundays inLent.

Another part of our retreatis that each Sunday wecome to church and there isa visual image of the themefor the Sunday placed onthe floor in front of thealtar. This is both an inspi-ration for the quiet times inthe service itself and animage to take away with usinto the week. We have contributed to

this visual image. One Sun-day we brought crosseswhich were sacred to us.Another time we con-tributed coins which werelater contributed to ourmission project. The community of St

Mary’s is participating fullyin the services. All mem-bers of the ministry teamare preaching and prepar-ing the prayers. The con-gregation has heardhomilies from both Rev. Lynand Rev. Heather, from ourdeacon, Joedy Meers andfrom lay readers. Rev.Kathy Dalton celebrated theEucharist on the third Sun-day in Lent. As we journeyon towards Easter we areall being called to our ongo-ing conversion. St Mary’s held a garage

sale recently, supportedwith goods and assistanceby many in the congrega-tion. Most of the items forsale came from the shed atSt Mary’s where items hadbeen stored for many years‘in case they were needed’.The money raised will gotowards the running of theparish.

Contributor: C. Raymond

ABOVE: Customers at thegarage sale at St Mary’sMorwell.

A blessed harvest Vale, faithful MarjorieBy Sue Jacka

IT IS good to hear how someone whogrew up in Gippsland has made a con-tribution to the wider Christian world.This story unfolded as I researched fora graveside funeral I was asked to takein January. Marjorie Schmidt was born in Moe in

1920 and was baptised at St Mary’sTrafalgar, which at that time was thecentre of a parish including Moe, asmaller settlement in those times. Mar-jorie grew up locally and went to Mel-bourne to train as a nurse at RoyalChildren’s Hospital. Although Marjorie made her home in

Melbourne, marrying Norman Scott in1949 and settling into life in the city,she continued to have a strong rela-tionship with her parents. She wouldvisit them and worship at St Mary’swhere she formed a strong bond withReverend Hugh Andrews, who was rec-tor in 1942 and 1943. When Hugh went to New Guinea as a

missionary, Marjorie and Norman be-came great supporters of his work, rais-ing funds to enable him to serve thePNG nationals.When Marjorie was suddenly widowed,

she went to visit Hugh in Apugi in WestNew Britain, notionally to help herfriend with running his household. Inthe early 1970, she looked after BishopJeremy and Betty Ashton’s children,aged four, seven and 10 years, in theirNG home, so their parents could havesome much needed leave away fromthe tropical climate. That friendship has continued

throughout Marjorie’s life. Bishop BevanMeredith was their Papua New Guineabishop at the time and he remembershow this role evolved into Marjorie stay-ing on to run the medical clinic at

Apugi. She also organised a trade storeto enable local people to obtain sup-plies. Marjorie developed very positive and

enabling relationships with the PNG na-tionals. Hers was not a patronising typeof helping, but a serving enabling oth-ers to grow and use their own abilities.When she returned to Melbourne from

her PNG service, she worked with afriend, Jean Henderson, to establish thePNG Association, to provide pastoraland social care for returned missionar-ies who often have to cope with culturechange as they reassimilate into west-ern society. Marjorie was farewelled by many of

her ABM friends at a thanksgiving serv-ice at St John’s Camberwell and then asmaller family graveside service in Moe.Hers was a faithful life. We never knowwhere the little children we teach inchurch will be used by God in theirlives.

ON Sunday. March 4, Bishop John McIn-tyre blessed the recently renovated and re-furbished rectory which has stood besidethe Holy Trinity Church Stratford for thepast 102 years. In September last year, the Diocesan Fi-

nance Committee approved the parish tostart work on renovations and refurbish-ment works. The Diocese approved the useof Parish Trust funds with borrowings of upto $30,000 from the ADF to complete the$140,000 project.Locum priest, Reverend Brian Turner, was

appointed project manager. as part of hisrole, a three day a week position he holdsjointly with Rev. Anne Turner. Work began in October last year and was

completed in early February at a total costof approximately $132,000, less a $10,000grant from the diocese and $22,000 in giftsand recouped funds. This means the totalcost to the parish is approximately$100,000. Parish Council has decided to fully fund

the project from its own resources.The refurbished 102-year-old rectory now

has a new laundry and linen cupboard, up-graded bathroom, new walk-in wardrobeand ensuite off the master bedroom. Twoother bedrooms have new built-in robes.The old pantry is now part of the kitchen,with a modern pantry cupboard and mov-able island bench. A new oven, hot plates and rangehood

were installed. The roofing iron was re-placed, the ceiling insulated and all newlight fittings installed except two ‘original’

fittings worth keeping. New door furnitureand screen doors hung and new externallocks, new floor coverings, window blindsand curtains throughout.New electrical wiring, telephone and

ADSL points were completed. All main rooms have reverse cycle air

conditioning and solar power has been in-stalled. External and internal painting, newfencing and gates, a water tank and gar-den shed have been installed. The oldclothesline has been restored. Parish Council is thankful to the many vol-

unteers who worked on the project, an ef-fort that saved the parish many thousandsof dollars.They are thankful to those who donated

almost $12,000 for the Rectory Refurbish-ment Appeal and to the diocese for the$10,000 contribution to the project fromthe McNeilly Estate distribution. An esti-mated $12,000 has been given in volun-tary labour. At the ‘House Blessing’, builder Brian

Teese from Maffra parish was thanked forhis work and diocesan Finance Officer, An-nette Hollonds, was presented with flow-ers, thanking her for her patientadministration of the Rectory RenovationAccount on behalf of the parish. Parish Council announced a gift to locum

priest Brian Turner of two weeks holidaypay.The rectory will be leased commercially

until a new rector is appointed and in-stalled in the parish.

Contributor: Brian Turner

Avon rectory’s new lease of life

April 2012 Our Diocese - Parishes 17


ABOVE: The combined men’s group of Bass Phillip Island parish has a fellowship dinnerevery second month, held alternately at St Philip’s and St Augustine’s. John Dawson isthe co-ordinator of the group. The men do the catering for the meal, although some-times women do some of the preparation beforehand. The last speaker at the dinnerwas John Shields, who trains seeing eye dogs. John is in the photograph on the left,wearing a striped two-tone blue shirt. He gave a very interesting talk and brought hisdog, Zillia, with him to demonstrate. The fellowship group invites men from some of theother churches to the dinners. The next dinner is on the second Tuesday in April, at StPhilip’s in Cowes. Information about Bass Phillip Island parish and activities can be foundon the website.

Contributor: Roma Caulfield

REVEREND Greg Jones will perform at St Paul’s Cathe-dral, Sale on the afternoon of Sunday, April 22, with well-known pianist and composer, Bob Sedergreen. Theconcert will be in aid of the Cathedral and the Bush ChurchAid Society.Rev. Greg Jones is currently Victorian director for the

Bush Church Aid Society. He is also a talented musician,performing on guitar, harmonica and as a vocalist. He hasgiven regular public performances as part of his work withBCA, sometimes as a one-man band and sometimes withother musicians. Greg is always ready to provide his musical skills to as-

sist in church outreach and workshops, having performedin churches, pubs, clubs and caravan parks. He enjoysperforming jazz and blues standards and folk songs, com-bined with gospel songs.In recent times, he has often performed with well-known

pianist and composer, Bob Sedergreen. Bob is an eminentand experienced musician who has performed for manyyears both in Australia and overseas. As a pianist andcomposer, he has made more than 30 recordings. He has worked with visiting overseas artists and with

Australian musicians such as Don Burrows. In 1996 he re-ceived the inaugural Jazz Award for the best Australian keyboardist. He has been involved very much in music ed-ucation as Melbourne University Artist in Residence. In2006 he received the Ken Myer Medallion from the Victo-rian Arts Centre.

Sale hostsmusicians

ABOVE and below: In Maffra parish, during Lent, St John’schurch family is enjoying soup and sandwich lunches afterthe morning church services. These are proving popularand an enjoyable time of being together.

Contributor/Photos: Jean Heasley

Lenten study atMaffra with soupand sandwiches

Smallest church waswarmly ‘packed’

ON January 29, at Holy Innocents YinnarSouth, the smallest church in Gippslandwas packed with regulars and visitors on arather hot day. Rosemary Abetz-Rouse hadher parents, Walter and Catherine, holiday-ing from Tasmania. Also present wereRichard and Sheila Morton, from War-randyte. Richard’s grandfather, James Mor-ton, built the church in 1894; he also madethe eight pews still in use as a gift. Thatfamily were lifelong friends of JosephWalker and his wife. Joseph donated theblock of land for the church. The church did not receive the name Holy

Innocents until many years later when itbecame exclusively Church of England. Somuch history tied up in one small building.Richard and Sheila Morton were pleased tobe in the congregation on January 29. A pancake night on February 21, prior to

the joint parish council meeting, was a timeof fellowship and fundraising for FrontierServices.

Contributor: Rae Billing

ABOVE: Outside Holy innocents after theservice, Rae Billing, George Francis, RichardMorton and Sheila Morton.

THE Wonthaggi-Inverloch InterchurchCouncil organised a combined churchservice at the Inverloch Jazz Festival,held on the Labour Day weekend inMarch. Many people participated in wor-ship in the Bass Coast Shire hall. Nicky Chiswell led worship with hymns

such as Amazing Grace and How GreatThou Art, with a distinct jazz flavor. Shespoke on Luke 18:15-17, on the impor-tance of receiving the kingdom of Godlike a little child. The service finished withWhat a friend we have in Jesus. The of-fering from the service will go to the BassCoast Pastoral Care Program.The Wonthaggi/Inverloch Anglican

Church, led by Carol Hurst, WendyMcBurnie and Margaret Hunter, alsocatered at a venue for the Inverloch JazzFestival with delicious lunches and snacksduring the weekend. Many members ofthe two congregations were able to listento a variety of different jazz musicianswhile they worked.

Contributor: Jill Price

ABOVE: Carol Hurst, Reverend Anne Per-ryman, Wendy McBurnie, Lance Perry-man, Jill Price and Alan Price servedlunches at Inverloch Jazz Festival.

Food for all that jazz

18 Literary and Media Reviews April 2012


A guidebook for ministry

Stott, J (2010) The Radical Disciple. InterVarsityPress

By Graeme MacRobb

JOHN Stott was recently recognised by Time magazineas one of the most influential Christians of the past cen-tury. The Radical Disciple is Stott’s last book, publishednot long before he died last year. In it, he challenges mod-ern day Christians to discover or re-discover the thingsthat make it possible for individual Christians to changethe world they live in; be it at home, at work, in theirchurch or in the wider community.The title chosen by Dr Stott sums up the challenges pre-

sented by chapter. The word, disciple, when used prop-erly and in a Christian context means ‘someone who haschosen to travel with Christ to become like Christ’. Thatdefinition, alone, should challenge us to start consideringthe extent to which we are really his disciples or not. Stott qualifies the word by linking it to the adjective ‘rad-

ical’. His explanation of the meaning of the word makes itclear he is very radical indeed and we are called to be‘radical disciples’ if we claim to truly follow Christ.The book is built around eight key words: non-confor-

mity, christlikeness, maturity, creation care, simplicity,balance, dependence and death. Stott uses each word tointroduce interesting biblical wisdom on eight character-istics that should (or even must) be obvious in the Chris-tian life. There is already evidence the short, very readable and

challenging chapters have the ability to trigger off livelydiscussion in small groups. Hopefully this will result inmany participants developing deeper Christian roots thatwill change their life and change our church.One reviewer described the book: “The Radical Disciple is

a short but heart-and-mind-filling read. One’s soul feelsfed at the end of reading this book! It feels nearly a priv-ilege to hear words from a mature Christian who has hadsuch a ministry as Stott as he critiques the current Chris-tian church and implores all Christians to live lives forChrist and in Christ alone.”Stott is concerned to see the development of a deep

piety among Christians, but his strong message is that tobe a genuine Christian piety it must be one lived out inthe world as well as in the safe harbor of the Church com-munity,In the first chapter, Non-conformity, the author states

clearly the parameters of the whole book: “The Churchhas a double responsibility in relation to the world aroundus. On one hand, we are to live in, serve and witness tothe world. On the other hand, we are to avoid becomingcontaminated by the world. So we are neither to seek topreserve our holiness by escaping from the world or tosacrifice our holiness by conforming to the world.”What follows is the work of a master bridge-builder “re-

lating God’s never changing word to our ever-changingworld” (to quote Stott’s own words in I Believe in Preach-ing). Every statement is rooted in Scripture and then ap-plied to the realities of 21st century life, such as pluralism,materialism, narcissism and the ecological crisis. The fact that so much ground is covered in only 140

widely spaced pages is testimony to the author’s remark-able lucidity and economy of style.Although this is an easy to read book, many will find it an

uncomfortable book. Our common way of avoiding radicaldiscipleship is to be selective: choosing those areas inwhich commitment suits us and staying away from thoseareas in which it will be costly. But, because Jesus is Lord, we have no right to pick and

choose the areas in which we will submit to his authority. The Radical Disciple is available through Christian book-

sellers or online bookshops, as a paper book, as a talkingbook on CD or in MP3, as an e-book or in Kindle format.Study booklets are also available, from ACEF Australia, 10Eisenhower Street, Warragul, Victoria, 3820; telephone03 5623 4654 or email [email protected]

Open Day

w w w. s t p a u l s a g s . v i c . e d u . a u

Saturday 5 May

9.00 am to 1.00 pm

My Place to Learn

Saturday 5 May

OOpe

Mayurday 5

Dayen D

Open Day

9.00 am to 1.00 pm

.00 pmam to 1.

w w w

My Place to Learn

v i c . e d u . a u. s t p a u l s a g s .w w w

o LearnMy Place to

Bookcould influencedeeperpiety andfaith

AUSTRALIA, The Angli-can Church of (2006)Ministry with the Sickand Dying: Reconcilia-tion of a Penitent; fromA Prayer Book for Aus-tralia (1995); Mul-grave: BroughtonPublishing

By Jeanette Severs

THIS book contains thethree chapters taken fromA Prayer Book for Australiafocussed on ministry with asick person, a dying personand a penitent person. It isa book that could easily bedropped into a pocket or ahandbag and kept close byfor use.As the foreword states,

sickness is a reality ofhuman life and, while mod-ern medicine has alleviatedmuch suffering and enabledpeople to enjoy betterhealth, pastoral care is aministry of the gospel ofChrist, sustaining and re-newing people. There isalso brief recognition of thevulnerable and mutual rela-

tionship between those inneed and those who carefor them.Ministry with the Sick

guides the priest or pastoralcarer through the passagesof scripture, whether beforea group of people or in con-sultation with one person.The prayers and readingsare included and there aresuggestions for other suit-able readings. There is alsoprayer for people with a se-vere or terminal illness.Ministry with the Dying

also includes prayers andreadings, with suggestionfor if the dying person ismoved to make a confes-

sion and if an annointing isperformed.Reconciliation of a Penitent

is a guide for the priesthelping those who seek re-pentance and forgiveness.There are suggestions forscripture and a warningabout respecting the pri-vacy of the penitent.This short book, published

by Broughton Publishing, is,as already described, auseful size for the priest tokeep nearby in case of crit-ical encounters during dailylife.Available from Broughton

Publishing, www.e-pray.org.au

April 2012 Literary and Media Reviews 19


By Fay Magee

WHAT use is hymn-singingor congregational song?Has singing in church be-come an end in itself? One of the significant writ-

ers on these matters is ErikRoutley whose main workcomes to us from the mid-20th century. Routley wasan Englishman and a Con-gregational minister. He led and encouraged

those who were working onthe new hymns of his daywhile also producing a sig-nificant body of materialwhich traced the history ofthe English hymn. It is worth noting at this

point that congregationalsong is essentially any ma-terial intended for all thepeople to sing in the con-text of worship, whether wecall them ‘hymns’ or not.Routley’s central idea

about congregational songwas that ‘hymn tunes arethe folk song of the Chris-tian faith’. For a start, ahymn text is now almost al-ways associated with a par-ticular tune; that tune mayvary in different groups buteach will fiercely defend

‘their tune’. That is a signof ownership which is an-other feature of the folkrepertoire. Much of our current think-

ing about singing in churchhas resulted from signifi-cant movements andevents in the 19th century.Not least was the publica-tion of Hymns Ancient andModern and what followed. This collection caught the

wave of an increased inter-est in and practice of com-munity singing and anemerging sense of what thehymn is. These ideas havebeen carried through in ourcommunity practice andmemory, even in today’sage when communalsinging beyond the churchis almost non-existent.If you can find a copy of

Routley’s Christian HymnsObserved (published in1982) it will provide foodfor thought.

Understandinghistory of song

Williams, R (2004) Silence andHoney Cakes: the wisdom of thedesert. Oxford: Lion Publishingplc. Hardback (2003). Electronicbook (2011).

By Barbara Logan

THE basis for Rowan Williams’ book Si-lence and Honey Cakes was drawn fromtalks he gave when he led the John MainSeminar for The World Community forChristian Meditation, in Sydney in 2001.Perhaps that is partly the reason it is soeasily accessible, or as PD James fromthe Church Times said, he makes ‘com-plex thoughts comprehensible’. In fact more than comprehensible, for

he writes in a very engaging and livelystyle. In this book, Rowan Williams, the 104th

Archbishop of Canterbury and acclaimedauthor, looks at the desert fathers andmothers of the fourth and fifth centuries,those who had withdrawn to the desertto seek God. At first it may seem unlikely they could

have anything to say to a modern, orpost-modern, world. Yet, drawing fromtheir stories and sayings and on the col-lective wisdom of many others through-out the centuries, Williams has foundmuch wisdom for our contemporary livesand the modern search for spirituality. You might wonder how withdrawing into

the desert could help us in the busynessand crowding of community life, but asaying from Antony the Great is verymuch to the point, ‘our life and our deathis with our neighbour.’ In other words,eternal truth and love does not happenunless we mend our relationships withothers, so the book begins by looking at‘Life, death and neighbours’.Fleeing to the desert was not fleeing

from life but fleeing to it. Time spentalone in a cell quickly brings to mind allthat we might wish to hide from or drownin our ‘busyness’. The Abbas and Ammasof the desert had some wonderful say-ings, not only full of wisdom and encour-agement but also with humor and, dare Isay it, even mischief. Abba Poeman is confronted by a brother

who admits he has committed a great sinand wants to do three years penance.‘The old man said, ‘That’s a lot.’ Thebrother said, ‘What about one year?’ Theold man said, ‘That’s still quite a lot.’Some other people suggested forty days;Poeman said, ‘That’s a lot too.’ And hesaid, ‘What I think is that if someone re-pents with all their heart and intendsnever to commit the sin again, perhapsGod will be satisfied with only threedays.’ I can imagine Abba Poemen’s eyestwinkling as he said it.He must have been quite a character.

‘Some old men came to see Abba Poe-man and said to him, ‘We see some ofthe brothers falling asleep during divineworship. Should we wake them up?’ Hesaid, ‘As for me, when I see a brotherwho is falling asleep during the Office, Ilay his head on my knees and let himrest.’This is a fairly short book, only 125

pages with four chapters and an intro-duction by Laurence Freeman OSB, yetwithin those few pages, Rowan Williamsmanages to consider life and death andneighbors, ethics, confronting our weak-nesses and our strengths, sin and for-

giveness, conflict and much more. An addition at the end of the book is the

inclusion of the question and answer ses-sion held at the end of the seminar; itgives a fascinating insight into Williams’thought processes.The wonderful thing about these wise

men and women of the desert is thatthey never make you feel poorer in spiritfor standing beside them. They can laughat themselves as well as with us butnever at us. They leave us feeling en-couraged on the journey, not defeated.The book takes its title from a story cel-

ebrating diversity in our vocation andservice of God. I think it is well worthquoting in full.‘A certain brother came to see Brother

Arsenius at Scetis. He arrived at thechurch and asked the clergy if he couldgo and visit Abba Arsenius. ‘Have a bit toeat,’ they said, ‘before you go to seehim.’ ‘No,’ he replied, ‘I shan’t eat any-thing until I have met him.’ Arsenius’scell was a long way off, so they sent abrother along with him. They knocked onthe door, went in and greeted the oldman, then sat down; nothing was said.The brother from the church said, ‘I’llleave you now, pray for me.’ But the vis-itor didn’t feel at ease with the old manand said, ‘I’m coming with you.’ So offthey went together. Then the visitor said,‘Will you take me to see Abba Moses, theone who used to be a highwayman?’When they arrived, Abba Moses wel-comed them and enjoyed himself thor-oughly with them until they left.The brother who had escorted the visi-

tor said to him, ‘Well, I’ve taken you tosee the foreigner and the Egyptian;which do you like better?’ ‘The Egyptian(Moses) for me!’ he said. One of the fa-thers overheard this and prayed to God,saying, ‘Lord, explain this to me. For yoursake one of these men runs from humancompany and for your sake the other re-ceives them with open arms.’ Their twolarge boats floating on the river wereshown to him. In one of them sat AbbaArsenius and the Holy Spirit of God incomplete silence. And in the other boatwas Abba Moses, with the angels of God:they were all eating honey cakes.The ‘silence’ or ‘honey cakes’ are not

competing achievements, instead we arereminded that to each their own journeyand to each their own calling and voca-tion. Williams points out that a life offaith is not the simplistic ‘listening to theheart’ but the patient life-long discoveryof what God’s grace will do with us.Rowan Williams has a wonderful ability

to follow through his thoughts and topicstaking at will anything that will help illu-minate a point; even a scene from thefilm Shakespeare in Love has somethingto teach us. He looks at the attitudes of our times,

the attitudes of the church and individu-ality. How often we feel our service forGod must be big, noticeable and difficultif it is to be worthwhile. Yet Rowan en-courages us to learn from the ancientwisdom; to slow down, to be gentler withourselves and each other and to be pa-tient as we work and wait; like thebrother who found ‘by God’s help he wenton little by little, until he had indeed be-come what he was meant to become.’ Inan ‘instant fix’ world that is wisdom, in-deed.This is a great book for reading cover to

cover or dipping into with a few minutesto spare.

Williams’ book helps oursearch for spirituality

Singing the gospelRECORDED live at WorshipGod11, The Gathering con-

tains 15 songs that progressively tell the story of thegospel and our appropriate response to it. The songs onThe Gathering can be sung apart from each other, but to-gether they form a progression that reflects the gospeland our response to it. A call to worship (There is One Reason) leads to pro-

claiming God’s greatness (Greater Than We Can Imagine,Come Praise and Glorify). In view of God’s glory, we moreclearly see our sinfulness and need for mercy before hisholiness (Shine Into Our Night, Have Mercy on Me). Wethen rejoice in the good news that God has forgiven usand reconciled us to himself through the atoning sacrificeof Jesus Christ (Now Why This Fear and Unbelief, Isaiah53). A fresh awareness of God’s mercy in Christ makes usgrateful for his generosity and kindness in every way(Generous King), which leads to eagerly asking for moreof his grace (When You Move). A desire to know God’s willthrough his Word (Your Words of Life, Show us Christ) isfollowed by expressions of commitment and communion(All I Have is Christ, We Hunger and Thirst). Having re-hearsed and celebrated the gospel and its effect in ourlives, we want to take this good news to the world (LiftHigh the Cross). A final song reminds us that we leave re-lying not on our own strength, but on the love of God, thegrace of Christ, and the power of the Spirit (As You Go).The Gathering is available from Emu Music and Christian

retailers.

20 Our Diocese - Pictorial April 2012


ABOVE: Some of the Angli-can Women of AustraliaGippsland group memberswho have held executivecommittee roles during theyears and were present atthe 50th anniversary cele-brations of AWA, held onMarch 6 in Sale.MIDDLE left: At the AWAcelebrations and closurewere Glenda Edebohls(Traralgon), Betty Luxford(Stratford), ReverendPeter and Alice Farrington.Peter is a former priest inGippsland, serving in War-ragul, Leongatha, NeerimSouth and Stratford whileAlice was an AWA member.LEFT: Beryl Brien, JoanLees and Jan McIntyre atthe AWA lunch held at StPaul’s Cathedral in Sale.


ABOVE: Dr Alexander Shaia presented a workshop andthree day retreat at the Abbey of St Barnabas at A’Beck-ett Park. Attendees included Kate Campbell and Dean ofSt Paul’s Cathedral, Sale, Reverend Dr Don Saines.

Photo: Edie Ashley

ABOVE: Linda Davies and Reverend Tony Wicking were atthe ecumenical World Day of Prayer service held at StJohn’s Anglican Church in Bairnsdale.LEFT: Lyn Johnson, Peggie Arthur and Annabel Gibson en-joyed the fellowship after the World Day of Prayer servicein Bairnsdale.BELOW: Margaret Down, Kathy Grabenweger and LorraineWooding after the World Day of Prayer service held at StJohn’s Bairnsdale.


0407 614 661... is the new telephone numberfor The Gippsland Anglican ...

0407 614 661

The Gippsland Anglican April 2012

Documents

Transcript of The Gippsland Anglican April 2012