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The Anglican Church in Tasmania Search |
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a healthy church...transformingLIFE |
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October 2005 |
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'Faith must stand up; otherwise it means nothing.'John Harrower is, by his own description, a people person…a bishop more likely to be found with a church or community group in any part of the island rather than the confines of St David's Cathedral. It is an approach which frames his philosophy that his role is about mission and relationships. The mission is to make the church more relevant and to impart his program for change through face-to-face consultation rather than executive decision. John Harrower's ordination as bishop five years ago was an extraordinary moment for a man who had quit a hugely satisfying career as a chemical engineer and economist in Melbourne in the 1970s. He and his wife Gayelene, whom he had met at high school, had two young children. Then, while studying economics and political science at night, a tutor suggested he join a bible study group. John Harrower remembers the bible study well. 'As I did so, it really all just came together and God grabbed me by the scruff of the neck and said "Come on John, let's get on with it".' In a sense it was a fitting together of the jigsaw of faith which had begun for him through his mother. His father walked out on her and three young children in suburban Melbourne. 'Mum was an amazing woman and she had a profound God experience,'' he said. The young John Harrower was sent to Sunday school, but in the early years of university he struggled to see the relevance. Then came the chance introduction to bible study, university lay ministry and a two-year course at the Anglican Missionary Training College in Melbourne. His wife Gayelene, from a churchgoing family, was an essential figure as they committed themselves to Christianity. It meant cutting loose from a highly promising career and all the financial and social rewards which that entailed. In 1979 John and Gayelene Harrower, and their two children, began nine years in Argentina. 'Our faith was also deepened by the friendship and courage of the Argentines we met.' He recalls one in particular - an elderly Argentine Roman Catholic bishop. 'I learned from that extraordinary man what faith in action is. It means that faith must stand up; otherwise it means nothing.' [John Harrower] arrived [in Tasmania] to find a church in crisis over sexual abuse and claims of a cover-up. His response was to issue a full apology and set about rebuilding trust with victim support groups and the wider community. Bishop Harrower reacted to one suggestion that he risked bankrupting the church over the matter by saying that at the end of the day it was more important to love people than to have an institution. The heritage of traditional churches and church buildings - costly to maintain and lacking everything from childcare facilities to wheelchair access and toilets - is another huge problem. One which has to be addressed. He also seeks a commitment to leadership and greater involvement of lay people. It is a path which will compel all clergy to re-examine their roles and particular skills and place a greater focus on 'prophets and evangelists'. I suggested to him that his vision with its sweeping wish-list was drawn from his business background -a kind of chief executive-with-a-collar reformation. He laughed heartily at the analogy and said while he might like sometimes to have the powers of a CEO, such was not possible within the Anglican church. 'I don't have direct authority, for instance, over finances or property issues… 'Sometimes I wish that I could, but I have this sense of mission of bringing the good news of the church to the people in a relational way that respects them and honours who they are.'
Edited with kind permission from an article by Mike Bingham in the Sunday Tasmanian, 31 July 2005
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