anglican focus

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

Colonisation

"My uncle was chosen by Torres Strait Islander priests to act in the role of Jesus during the reenactment because he was light skinned. However, some of the local lay elders spoke up saying that it didn’t matter what colour skin the person had who played Jesus — that even someone with fuzzy hair, a big beard and dark skin should be able to play him," (Saibai elder, NATSIAC Executive Member and Parish of Laidley Synod Rep Uncle Milton Walit)
Reflections

"The first Easter I remember"

“As a community, after the Easter Day service we celebrated the resurrection of the Lord Jesus with a big kai kai (feast). People from all over the Torres Strait Islands and Papua New Guinea (which was then still administered by Australia) came via sailing canoes rather than by motor boats, bringing seafood, taro, sweet potato, casava, sago and other traditional foods. We then had traditional dancing with men wearing headdresses made of emu feathers and women wearing grass skirts,” says Uncle Milton Walit from NATSIAC and The Parish of Laidley

News

WCC expresses solidarity, urges advocacy for the human rights and self-determination of Indigenous Peoples across the world

In a public statement released by the World Council of Churches central committee, the WCC recognises that ever since their first contact with colonizers, Indigenous Peoples have experienced a series of harms,” and that the mental and physical well-being of the children, grandchildren, and generations to come are at stake”

Features

Change the date: being allies with our First Nations peoples

“As part of Anglicare Southern Queensland’s Reconciliation journey this year, for the first time Anglicare provided all staff with the choice to either take the Australia Day public holiday on 26 January or work that day and take another day off in lieu…The anniversary of this day for many Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples represents a time to mourn, as their cultures, lives and families were devastated by colonisation”

Features

News from an Anglican missionary in Africa

“I am now pretty fit in myself and am spending a few days slacking, on Doctor’s orders, except for writing sermons for Holy Week and Easter and then translating them into Chinyanja. Learning the local language has been a trial for me, but I am aware of the immense privilege I have in ministering to the folk,” as described by The Rev’d Harold Aldwyn Machell Cox CBE, the great-granduncle of Frances Thompson, in a series of family letters called ‘The Budget’, which is held in the famous Bodleian Library