The Revd David Gill,  13 July 1996

1. It is fitting that, early in our life together, the National Council of Churches in Australia should gather in Brisbane.  For Australian ecumenism owes much to the churches of the sunshine state.

2. In the early 1980s, by happy coincidence, Australia's three largest churches were led by Queenslanders:  John Grindrod was Primate of the Anglican Church, Rollie Busch presided over the Uniting Church, and Frank Rush was chairing the Australian Catholic Bishops Conference.  For years they had worked together to challenge a reactionary, racist and corrupt state government.  All three of them had suffered outrageous attacks from politicians, public opinion and members of their own churches who should have known better.  All three bore similar scars.  All three had become friends, colleagues, brothers in Christ, partners in ministry.

3. Then tragedy struck.  A few weeks after standing down as President of the Uniting Church, Rollie Busch suffered a heart attack that was to take his life.  The two archbishops, visiting Sydney at the time, asked if I would take them to the hospital.  I will always remember that scene at the bedside:  three old friends together facing the mystery of death, together affirming faith in the lord of life.  That scene, a gift of Queensland, remains for me, always, as an icon of ecumenism.

4. I recall that icon now not only in gratitude for three special saints of God, not only in deference to Queensland's substantial contribution to the wider ecumenical scene, but also in recognition of that "knowledge of the heart" which led our churches into the NCCA, which has sustained our journey during the two years past, and which goes before us now into the work and worship of this National Forum.

5. Recall for a moment what lay behind the NCCA's formation.  When the preceding Australian Council of Churches made way for this Council, it was not just a change of name and structures.  It was the churches entering into a covenant with each other and moving, as one of the documents said, "from cooperation to commitment".  Three things about the change should be noted.

...  OF CHURCHES

6. More than its predecessor the NCCA stresses that it is to be seen as a council of churches.  The thirteen member churches determine policy, representation on commissions and committees, and stances on public issues.  The heads of those churches participate in meetings of the NCCA Executive, and there is increased consultation with the churches before the Council's commissions and committees make decisions.

7. The churches' enhanced sense of ownership of their council is certainly a plus.  Yet we should not forget Archbishop Keith Rayner's warning, at the inauguration, about a possible loss of the Council's prophetic role because of the tighter ecclesiastical control.    That warning must be taken seriously.    We will sell the ecumenical movement short if we deprive it of its capacity to provoke, to disturb, to renew.  More precisely, we will sell the gospel short if we obsure its capacity to provoke, to disturb, to renew.

8. But what is it that makes ecumenism a creative disturbance in our midst?  Why does this strange movement stir us to dream new dreams, think new thoughts and contemplate the possibility of new relationships with brothers and sisters in Christ?  Ecumenism's challenge, I submit, arises not primarily because of structures that have liberated themselves from the churches, but rather from the dynamic let loose when churches seek, together, to discern the will of God and to set out, together, to follow the footprints of God in the dust of human history.

...  A SHARED MEMORY

9. Australia's new NCC was given a new beginning, a new name, a new constitution.  Relationships with bodies like the World Council of Churches and the Christian Conference of Asia had therefore to be renegotiated.  But for all the stress on newness, the fact remains that ecumenism in Australia has a history, a memory, an experience too rich to forget.

10. Some delicate footwork is needed to do justice to that history, while remembering that it is a history not fully shared by all the NCCA's member churches.  The Roman Catholic Church was not part of the ACC.  Other churches were not involved with the developments associated with the Second Vatican Council.  We have different ecumenical memories, and the process of building these into a shared memory with which all equally identify will take time and sensitivity.

... UNDER CONSTRUCTION

10. "Don't waste time, do it!" was the instruction to those who brought the NCCA into being.  The new council was inaugurated on the basis of bare essentials, with many issues of programme, style and structure to be worked out on the run.  Two years later, the NCCA is still a council under construction, as the churches figure out the implications of what they committed themselves to  -  and discover that other churches sometimes read the implications differently.  The resulting conversation  -  part of which we will conduct during this meeting  -  is to be welcomed as a legitimate and necessary manifestation of the desire to move "from cooperation to commitment".

THE CHURCHES' COMMITMENT

12. To what have the churches committed themselves?  The NCCA's Basis says it well:

"The NCCA gathers together in pilgrimage those churches and Christian communities which confess the Lord Jesus Christ as God and Saviour according to the Scriptures and commit themselves

i] to deepen their relationship with each other in order to express more visibly the unity willed by Christ for his Church, and

ii] to work together towards the fulfilment of their mission of common witness, proclamation and service,

to the glory of the One God, Father, Son and Holy Spirit".

13. Note the key motifs:   pilgrimage; confession of faith;  the scriptures; a deeper relationship with each other;  the unity Christ wills;   common witness, proclamation and service;  doxology;  and the Trinity.

14. What are the obstacles on the way, the barriers to be overcome, the temptations to be resisted?  We all know them, but let us name the devils afresh.

FALSE STEREOTYPES

15. On my first day in the office, following the NCCA's inauguration two years ago, I had to cope with an apoplectic phone call from someone who denounced Rome and all its works, quoted the King James version of the bible at me for fifteen minutes straight and warned of the sticky end awaiting all who fraternise with papists.  The same day, at the other end of Parramatta Road, Bishop Bede Heather received a similar call attacking Catholic leaders who had started consorting with people from other denominations.  It would be nice to think that one of these days those two callers might meet  -  they will have lots to talk about!

16. More soberly, Ut Unum Sint urges upon us  "the necessary purification of past memories".  You and I may have transcended the sectarianism and paranoia that marked inter-church relationships in the bad old days, but none of us is free of preconceptions, stereotypes, false expectations  -  yes, and anxieties too.  All of us, separately and together, have many memories that need purifying.

INSTITUTIONAL INERTIA

17. A recent issue of Ecumenical News International [Feb '96] carries a telling quote from the General Secretary of the WCC.  Says Konrad Raiser:

"The institutional representatives of the churches ... are caught in a framework of rules and norms which have been formulated over centuries to justify or maintain separated identities ...  An ecumenical vision that can inspire new commitment and can generate hope must break out of these constraints".

18. Indeed it must.  But breaking through such constraints,  never easy at the best of times, is particularly difficult when the churches find themselves in trouble.  The deeper the trouble, the more tempted we are to hold tight to familiar constraints and turn away from fresh challenges.  Australia's churches right now are, I believe, in very considerable trouble.  Symptoms vary from church to church, but they include declining numbers, tightening budgets, aging congregations, ambivalence about authority, uncertainty about the substance of the faith, rampant parochialism, hesitancy about mission and, as the bottom line, a morale crisis of very considerable dimensions.

19. A danger in all this, as I have warned before, is that the ecumenical movement gets relegated to the backburner until what appear to be more urgent denominational agendas get sorted out.  But ecumenism is not a matter to be thought about when more pressing items have been disposed of.  As Fr Banawiratma, an Indonesian Jesuit, reminded a recent consultation of the Christian Conference of Asia and the Federation of Asian Bishops Conferences, ecumenism is not primarily a matter of programmes, structures or activities;  it is first and foremost  "a way of being Church".  It is that set of perspectives on the faith, that quality of relationships with other Christians, that openness to the whole Church across the nations and through the centuries, within which we wrestle with the fundamental questions of obedience and look for the wisdom needed to put our respective houses in order.

PRIDE

20. How many bilateral encounters have you known where both sides were hammering the table, with each church making maximalist claims for itself as having the fullness of the Christian faith, the fullness of means of grace, the fullness of apostolic order?

21. Why do we do this, when each of us in our own heart is painfully aware of our own church's inadequacies and shortcomings?  What would happen, if we could replace the ecumenism of pride with an ecumenism of penitence?  If instead of asserting strength we felt able to acknowledge weakness?  If rather than demanding each other's acceptance our churches were big enough, trusting enough, to ask each other's help, correction, encouragement and support?

22. What would happen if each of our churches, quite explicitly, would seek such help from others so that it might enter more deeply into that shared tradition of faith to which, severally and together, we are all heirs?  That faith tradition, held in common through centuries of unity, contested often bitterly through centuries of division, is richly diverse yet centred on the same cross, proclaiming the same mystery of grace, informed by the same scripture, inspired by the same saints and martyrs, entered by the same waters of baptism, nourished by the same bread and wine, imbued with the same pentecostal Spirit, gifted with the same charisms, drawn towards the same destiny in God.

23. Finding our way afresh into that shared heritage of faith and faithfulness is an exciting journey indeed.  This place where we meet  -  Grace College  -  offers us sustenance for the journey, in more ways than one.  Over my head is the college logo:  a cross, undergirded by the words  "My grace is sufficient".   That gospel promise, I submit, cries out to be taken with radical seriousness by our churches.  The all-sufficiency of grace is not only what makes ecumenism possible.  It is also what makes ecumenism inescapable.  And it is what assures us that, no matter what the difficulties ahead, our ecumenical pilgrimage together will be one of joy and laughter.

1. Centenaries and millennia seem to have special significance for mortals, no doubt because we have ten fingers.  God does not have ten fingers, so presumably sets rather less store by such occasions.  Divine disregard notwithstanding, our compatriots may be expected to want to mark 2000/2001 as in some way special, and the question is whether the churches acting together wish to plan particular initiatives to help them do so.

2. The centenary of the Commonwealth of Australia and the advent of the third millennium of the Christian era are two quite distinct issues and care will be needed to keep them disentangled.

TOWARDS THE SECOND CENTURY OF FEDERATION

3. Given the significance of 2001 and our past stances on the issue,  the churches may be expected to give priority to pressing for a constitutional amendment acknowledging prior occupancy by the indigenous people of Australia.  The significance of such an action rests not only on doing justice to the past, but also laying an adequate foundation for a new beginning with indigenous/non-indigenous relationships in this country.  A referendum on the issue would need to be timed to avoid entanglement with the Sydney Olympics and in order for it to come into effect on January 2001.  It would be a fitting culmination for the present process of reconciliation.

4. The multicultural character of Australia cannot be taken for granted.  There needs to be a sustained commitment between now and 2001, from all levels of government and other national institutions, to ensure that Australians of non-Anglo-Saxon background go into the 21st century secure in their sense of equality with other Australians.  That commitment to strengthening the multicultural mindset must include a recognition of the primacy of the indigenous culture.

5. The churches will hope for a strong challenge to the complacency of many Australians towards the inequality and disadvantage that still afflicts sections of Australian society  -  eg.  the growing gap between rich and poor, the continuing denial of human rights to children, women, homeless youth, the mentally ill, prisoners and the unemployed.   Under this heading, consideration must be given to the issue of self-determination for indigenous people.  

6. Contemplating 2001, we are bound to recall some of the less impressive features of 1988.  Welcoming the approach taken by Joan Kirner's Centenary of Federation Advisory Committee, the churches will hope that this centenary is marked by a positive theme that captures the ideal and vision of the community, rather than the insipid, self-indulgent tone of  "celebration of a nation"  that characterised 1988.

7. What of our churches themselves?  It is hardly surprising that we are likely to concentrate rather more on the third millennium of the Christian faith than on the second century of the Commonwealth of Australia!  However, the national observances will give the churches an opportunity to engage with people of other faiths, and of none, in a shared conversation about visions, goals and values for an Australia whose identity is still being shaped.  As statistically the largest of the faith communities, Christians have a particular obligation to take initiatives in this regard.  The absurdity of trying to do so other than together hardly needs stating.

8. A major religious event, or events, of some kind would be appropriate to mark the country's new century.  If we don't take the initiative in this, others will.  There are two options and it would be desirable not to blur the line between them:  either an inter-religious celebration that does not purport to be an act of worship, or a specifically Christian event that is quite clearly an act of worship, or perhaps both [but separately].  In either case, encouragement and resources could be made available for similar gatherings taking place concurrently around Australia.

TOWARDS THE THIRD MILLENNIUM OF CHRISTIANITY

9. It is worth noting, at the outset, a warning sounded by Konrad Raiser,  general secretary of the WCC, in a memo to the WCC Executive Committee.  Granted that the Christian calendar has been accepted even outside the predominantly Christian part of the world, Raiser says we should beware of assuming that the change of the millennium will receive universal recognition.  "Any Christian observance should be aware of this inter-religious and inter-cultural dimension and should avoid triumphalist claims,"   he urges.

10. Internationally, Jerusalem and/or Bethlehem will be the focal point for celebrations, and the initial responsibility will lie with the local churches on the  spot.  The Middle East Council of Churches, which includes in its membership all the churches concerned, has appointed a committee to reflect, plan and coordinate such initiatives and to help the local churches respond appropriately to any initiatives coming from outside the region.

11. In a letter to WCC member churches, Raiser writes:  "Preliminary explorations among the churches, regional ecumenical bodies and Christian World Communions, and most notably among the Roman Catholic Church, which will celebrate the year 2000 as a Holy Year, converge on the proposal of gathering the heads of Christian churches/communions in Jerusalem or Bethlehem for a common celebration of Pentecost or Christmas in the year 2000 or of Easter in the year 2001 [when the western and eastern dates of Easter coincide].  Celebrations on the world level will primarily include church leaders and a few other church representatives.  But ways should be found to make the ecumenical observance of the year 2000 a matter of the whole people of God in each and in every place.  A sequence of occasions for joint witness and celebration could be envisaged, starting from the Week of Prayer in January  [note:  in Australia the Week of Prayer falls between Ascension and Pentecost] of the year 2000, and proceeding through Pentecost and Christmas and culminating in the common celebration of Easter in the year 2001.  The Executive Committee has encouraged us to give priority to fostering such efforts on local and national levels."

12. Some Australian churches will find it important to relate to global denominational initiatives, like the Holy Year.  For others, such events in far away places will have less significance.  For all, it should be important to encourage appropriate observances, nationally and locally, in which as many of our people as possible can become involved.

13. The common date of Easter in 2001 is particularly significant, given the strong Orthodox presence in this country.  An Easter focus would also help disentangle such specifically Christian celebrations from the various national events surrounding the centenary of federation, which presumably will focus on 1 January 2001.   

14. The tone of anything we do will need careful watching.  On the one hand, the past millennium of Christian faith and witness gives plenty of cause for repentance.  Our often murky history provides little justification for Christian triumphalism.  On the other hand, there is much for which we can be genuinely thankful, not least the emergence of the ecumenical movement during the past century with its qualitative change in relationships between the Christian churches.  To borrow Raiser's words, the observance of the year 2001 should be oriented towards repentance and forgiveness, commemoration and liberation, thanksgiving and hope.   It should also take care to be forward-looking, with a strong emphasis on the young, on the mass involvement of many and on one or two major symbolic events. 

PRELIMINARY CONVERSATIONS

15. After initial consideration by the national heads of churches, the NCCA Executive, the Faith and Unity Commission and national and state ecumenical staff, the General Secretary convened a group of creative minds to consider what initiatives might appropriately be taken by the NCCA.

16. The question before that group was not what Christians should do in connection with these key dates, or even what the churches qua churches should do.  Christians, can be expected to take many initiatives to mark these dates, and that is all to the good.  The question for the NCCA is:  what if anything might Australia's churches appropriately plan to do together?

DATES  -  AND POSSIBILITIES

17. The key dates will be:

_ Advent 1999 through to 31 December 1999
_ May 2000  Week of Prayer for Christian Unity/Week of Prayer for Aboriginal Reconciliation/Pentecost, all   roughly coinciding
_ September 2000  -  Olympic Games
_ January 2001 Centenary of Federation
_ Easter 2001  -  common date for all Christians
_ May 2001  Week of Prayer for Christian Unity/Week of Prayer for Aboriginal Reconciliation/Pentecost

Some of the above dates will be more directly of concern to the churches than others.

18. Advent 1999 through to 31 December 1999:   NCCA might encourage watch-night services, providing liturgical material and ideas as well as encouraging denominationally specific input.  The world can be expected to go berserk with balloons and fireworks, but the churches should not hesitate to be strongly counter-cultural as they invite people to silence, prayer and waiting before God.  Some fairly bizarre manifestations of apocalypticism may be expected, and that has implications for the way the churches will present their Advent message.

19. May 2000:    Weaving together the themes of Pentecost, Week of Prayer for Christian Unity and Week for Aboriginal Reconciliation, Australia's churches might engage in a  "Pilgrimage to the Heart"  with heads of churches gathering symbolically for prayer in the heart of the continent to initiate a spiritual journey by our people across the land.  This would underline the fact that the new century requires more than just changes to our constitution, but a spiritual journey by all Australians.  The journey motif is important.  We would seek to involve all churches, not just those in the NCCA.  Help would be given to enable people locally to engage, together, in this movement of the soul.  In some way, it is recognised, indigenous Christians will need to be seen to be playing a  leading role in it.

20. September 2000:  Sydney Olympics.   We understand that Sydney churches are planning various activities in connection with the Olympics, and we do not foresee the need for any initiatives by the NCCA.

21. January 2001:    Centenary of federation.   It would be appropriate for the NCCA to express interest in what the federal government may be planning, and to register its readiness to be involved in appropriate ways.  Again, there would be the question of ensuring the availability of appropriate liturgical material for local use. 

22. Easter 2001:   Common date of Easter.   From Easter to Pentecost 2001 would be the culmination of the churches'  "Pilgrimage to the Heart".  It should include a process of mutual commitment, locally and at all levels, in which Christians commit themselves to each other.  Study resources?  Prayer resources?  Ideas for local movement from cooperation to commitment?  Throughout, there would be a stress on the shared resurrection faith and the common pentecostal inheritance.

23. May 2001:   Pentecost, Week of Prayer for Christian Unity, Week of Prayer for Aboriginal Reconciliation.  Culmination of the process begun a year earlier.

A PROCESS

24. There will need to be contact with the Australian Consultation on Liturgy, to see what they may be developing;   with state ecumenical bodies;    with the ABC and religious media;   and perhaps with the Australian and New Zealand Association of Theological Schools regarding the phenomena associated with millenarianism.

25. Australia's experience with Taizé-style spirituality as a means for engaging a broad cross section of people in a spiritual journey should be considered, although at what point it might be most relevant to the above scenario is not yet clear.  Preliminary conversations with Brother Ghislain of Taizé have opened up a number of possibilities.

26. What the churches can do together in Australia will be governed largely by whether they can make available staff and other resources to enable the exercise.  This may be the moment to note that the Council  has at its disposal something called the Initiatives Reserve.  Currently worth about $110,000, this was put aside from a surplus following the hosting of the WCC Assembly as  "a reserve fund for use at the discretion of the Executive Committee to foster significant initiatives aimed at helping Australians discern the global dimensions of Christian obedience and give local shape to their ecumenical commitment".

27. Specifically, the National Forum will need to indicate whether and to what extent the Australian churches wish to act in concert, in preparing to mark these occasions, and whether and to what extent the possibilities outlined in this document suggest an appropriate way forward.  If the response to both questions is affirmative, the responsibility for taking plans forward will need to be defined and located.    Recommendations will be offered to the National Forum, and the Revd Tony Doherty,  Dean of St Mary's Cathedral in Sydney, has been invited to address the National Forum on issues raised in this report.