anglican focus

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

Ecumenism

International Map of Gaza in Palestine International

"Even the stones cry out" for Palestine and Israel

“We support the statement of the World Council of Churches executive committee on 15 May 2025 that condemns the atrocities being perpetrated in Gaza by the State of Israel, recognizing that the current government is pursuing policies that are not supported by many Israelis,” says The Rev’d John Gilmore, President of the National Council of Churches in Australia in this NCAA statement on the genocide in Gaza

"I have been a prison chaplain for three years. During this time, I have provided prison chaplaincy to women at Numinbah Correctional Centre and Brisbane Women’s Correctional Centre," says Jude Markland
Reflections

“They say a candle shines the brightest in the darkness”

“I smiled and sat down, placing the chaplaincy resources onto the bolted-down table in the prison unit. Several women then quickly made their way over, variously asking me, ‘Can you pray for my court appearance to go well next week, please, Miss?’ and ‘Can you pray for my children and for my sick mum?’,” says chaplain Jude Markland

International

World Council of Churches Podcast explores Feast of Creation ahead of Creation Day Conference

The Feast of Creation initiative represents a profound ecumenical opportunity as Christian churches worldwide consider elevating 1 September from a World Day of Prayer for Creation to a liturgical feast across denominations. A key milestone in this journey will be the upcoming Nicaea Centenary and Creation Day Conference in Assisi in May, where church actors will discuss pathways in this important process. A new World Council of Churches podcast explores the vision of the Feast of Creation initiative, highlighting its significance as a potential gesture of Christian unity and ecological commitment

International

Christian leaders unite in Assisi to establish historic Feast of Creation

In a landmark gathering addressing the spiritual dimensions of the ecological crisis, Christian leaders from Eastern and Western traditions convened in Assisi, Italy, to develop a shared liturgical Feast of Creation. The three-day conference from 5-7 May marks a significant step toward establishing what Bishop Prof. Dr Heinrich Bedford-Strohm described as “a wonderful expression of the trinitarian essence that unites us as churches” and a powerful spiritual response to the urgent climate challenges facing our planet

News

Joint Faith Leaders’ Statement: Truth-telling and Healing Inquiry

“Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples and their cultures have endured much, and many faith-based organisations are historically complicit in this suffering, including in the way Churches have collaborated with the State. In signing this statement, we especially advocate for the voices of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Queensland elders to be meaningfully heard, and for their stories to be recorded and recognised,” say 13 senior Queensland faith leaders