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Tasmanian Anglican

November 2002

 

 

 

 


L-R Juliet Kolai, Ann Swifte and Dick Kolai at the ABM-A

 


ABM-A conferees gathering at lunch on winery tour of the Hunter Valley

 

 

ABM-A 8th National Conference

from Judy Goede, ABM-A Auxiliary Tasmanian Secretary

 

 

Circumstances (expense) ruled out having this conference in Hobart in April and Newcastle Diocese rose to the occasion, so it was held at St John's Centre at Morpeth in September.

52 people from all over Australia attended, including former Tasmanians the Rev'd Michael and Mrs Kath Varnish.

Two members of the Tasmanian Auxiliary, Mrs Ann Swifte and Mrs Judy Goede, were at the Conference. One of these, Mrs Ann Swifte, was elected to the executive of the National Council of the Auxiliary.

The conference theme 'Kerina Evangelists' College PNG - Proclaiming the Gospel of Christ' reflected the Auxiliary's Special Project this year: Kerina College.

Restructuring

Guest speakers were Dick and Juliet Kolai of PNG, where Dick is a former principal of Kerina. Other speakers included Assistant Bishop of Newcastle Graeme Rutherford, National Director of ABM the Rev'd Canon Geoff Smith, Carolyn Kitto AMB's Evangelism and Church Support Program Coordinator; four young people returned from the recent ABM Pilgrimage to the Philippines and Howard and Trish Graham, recently returned from PNG service.

Since the last conference in 1999 ABM has undergone massive cost-cutting restructuring which has seen the disappearance of all regional offices and staff, and a change in funding practices for partner churches. This conference demonstrated that ABM has come through these changes with renewed enthusiasm and an eagerness to be about God's business.

Accountable

ABM differs from all other mission agencies in that it is the only one that belongs to and is accountable to the Anglican Church in Australia. We were reminded that evangelism goes hand in hand with aid and development programs. ABM recruits people to engage in God's mission in locally appropriate ways.

The four young pilgrims just can't keep quiet bout their experiences and they now know what it means to be a 'partner'. They are proof - if needed &endash; of the worth of the pilgrimage concept.

The Rev'd Roger Sharr of St James' Morpeth was the Conference Chaplain and each day led reflections on the Ignatian Rules of Discernment, Like so much of the conference it proved to be revealing and inspiring.