anglican focus

The news site of the Anglican Church Southern Queensland: nourishing and connecting our faith community

Anglican Church of Australia

Justice & Advocacy Two women sitting inside on couches Justice & Advocacy

Addressing Church stereotypes, silence, blaming and lack of recognition

“Jan’s grief around her marriage ‘being broken’ and her beliefs that she had ‘betrayed’ her marriage vows and ‘broken her promises’ to God were profoundly influential in her initial inability to accept the priest’s help offered to her. These beliefs were grounded in what some parts of the Church espoused regarding the role of the Church, the Bible, the ‘sanctity of marriage’ and family,” says The Ven. Dr Lucy Morris, Chair of the ACSQ’s Domestic and Family Violence Working Group

Justice & Advocacy Jenny Clark (ACSQ Domestic and Family Violence Project Officer) and The Ven. Dr Lucy Morris (ACSQ Domestic and Family Violence Working Group Chair) outside St John’s Cathedral in 2023 Justice & Advocacy

Making the invisible visible

“Domestic and family violence remains a difficult issue for many in the Church. It’s an uncomfortable concept that is incongruous for those who value peace, love and care. And because of this we can develop a blind spot to this issue within our own families, workplaces, social networks, and indeed in our church communities,” says new Domestic and Family Violence Working Group chair The Ven. Dr Lucy Morris

Bishop Jeremy Greaves
Reflections

Fellowship, fonts and tough decisions on the fly

“By and large the business of the Synod is conducted with kindness and good humour and there is a real sense of wanting to find agreement on even the most difficult of matters. This year one of those difficult matters involved the font size used when displaying motions and amendments and the colour used when highlighting text changes. Furious debate ensued and the President of the Synod had to make some tough decisions on the fly,” says Bishop Jeremy Greaves
International

Oceania Primates commit to the Anglican Communion as “one body with many parts”

Anglican leaders in the Oceania region have reiterated their commitment to the Anglican Communion, describing it as “one body with many parts”. The comments were made in a communiqué at the end of their annual Fono, or meeting, which brings together primates and provincial secretaries from the four independent-yet-interdependent churches in the region

Reflections

General Synod and comprehensive Anglicanism

“In Southern Queensland we have set as a key focus area the promoting of ‘comprehensive Anglican identity and purpose.’ This approach recognises that there will be different convictions, understandings and priorities among Anglicans. And it is likely that each of these perspectives includes insights into the truth. This means that in order to comprehend the whole truth we need these various insights and perspectives to be present and engaged,” says Archbishop Phillip Aspinall, as General Synod approaches

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