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Mandate
Preamble
The Commission will engage with the theological work of the wider church, both to learn and to contribute. It will do so with explicit awareness of and regard to its Australian context, in particular its Aboriginal and Islander heritage, multi-cultural experience, and the current setting of its churches in a post-Christian, multi-faith and secular environment with the Asia-Pacific region.
Mandate
To focus, and reflect theologically,
- on the faith that unites us;
- on the Gospel imperative to work towards unity; and
- on the way in which our member (and other) churches can move towards greater visible unity in worship, common life and mission in Christ.
Key Tasks
- To study such questions of faith, worship and church order as bear on the quest for unity, by reflecting on the issues of ecumenical theology and method, seeking to develop a way of doing theology for a church in which divisions are healed and diversities embraced.
- To share diverse theological and ecclesial insights, so that we may learn from one another and be a source of mutual renewal; and to reflect on bilateral dialogues, both national and international, and on the work of the Faith and Order Commission of the WCC, in order to identify the consequences of the communion already achieved for the life and mission of the churches, especially possibilities for local ecumenical partnerships.
- To enable and assist the churches to overcome doctrinal differences that have caused divisions; to consider other matters of relationship between the churches that cause difficulties and require theological clarification; and to do this in the process of freshly appreciating their common apostolic tradition, for the sake of their common faith, unity and mission.
- To dialogue and interact with the NCCA Aboriginal and Islander Commission in order that our reflection on the koinonia of the churches may be informed by a deeper understanding and greater appreciation of our indigenous heritage.
- To explore from an ecumenical perspective the implications of experiments in local ecumenical relations both in Australia and overseas, and the broad acceptance by church members of an informal ecumenism, which impinge on the life and mission of the churches, especially at the parish level.
- To network with and encourage state and local faith and order working groups in their localised tasks.
Accountability:
The Commission shall be responsible to the Directors of the National Council of Churches in Australia. It will provide regular reports to the Directors on an annual basis through the General Secretary and will also report on its activities to the National Forum.
Towards Implementation:
The Commission will invite the Churches to engage in particular projects, for example, the Week of Prayer for Christian Unity, Ecumenics courses, and consultations on bi-lateral dialogues. The Commission will work to challenge the churches to take specific steps towards unity through engaging with the document Australian Churches Covenanting Together. The Commission will facilitate focussed study on topis when requested by the Assembly.
Amended: November 2016
Self Determination Under Threat
From Nicholas Kerr, Friday, July 9
Rev Dr Samuel Kobia visited Australian Aboriginal people at a time when Indigenous people are facing a crisis.
They say their right to self determination is under threat.
The Australian Government has introduced legislation to disband the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Commission (ATSIC).
The Government wants to replace ATSIC with a hand picked advisory council.
Indigenous people see this as an attempt to silence the elected Indigenous voice and a blow to self determination.
They have welcomed moves by the Federal Opposition and minor parties for a Senate inquiry into the right of Indigenous people to determine their own future.
"The Aboriginal psyche has been dealt a heavy blow," according to Alwyn McKenzie, chairperson of the Nulla Wimila Kutju ATSIC Regional Council, in the north of South Australia.
Mr McKenzie was one of the Aboriginal leaders who greeted Dr Kobia when he arrived in Port Augusta.
"We've had these blows time and time again in Australian history," he said.
"Some of the legislation that has been put into place over the years has been introduced by fair minded, well meaning people.
"But the laws have turned out to be detrimental because legislators didn't consult Aboriginal people first.
"The Government tends to put Aboriginal self determination into the background - but self determination's of the utmost importance.
"Only Aboriginal people can articulate our vision for Aboriginal people.
"Non-Indigenous people shouldn't decide how Indigenous people live.
"The Australian government is being incredibly paternalistic. Once again they're telling us what is best for us. Once again Indigenous people are being used as a political football."
Mr McKenzie said this was happening with ATSIC.
"Organisations that are supposed to be improving Aboriginal health and education, and finding Aboriginal people jobs, haven't succeeded," he said. "But it seems as though they'll be rewarded and ATSIC will go.
"A lot of the ATSIC programs are going to be handed over to them on a silver platter."
Mr McKenzie said there had been problems with ATSIC and reforms had been needed.
"But why get rid of ATSIC? Why not just get rid of the problems?
"It's as if you had a Rolls Royce with two punctures. You wouldn't throw away the Rolls Royce. You'd change the tyres.
"Most Aboriginal people believe that our Prime Minister has had a personal agenda for some time - to get rid of the Aboriginal voice.
"He'll replace it with another sort of Aboriginal voice. There will be a council, picked by the Government. Aboriginal people will work in government departments.
"But it seems he wants to silence the authentic Aboriginal voice, the elected Aboriginal voice."
"If the elected Aboriginal voice is silenced, who will evaluate what the government is doing? From time to time to government must be challenged. How can that happen if the aboriginal voice is silenced?
Mr McKenzie welcomed the Senate inquiry.
"The information it finds should be made available to every Australian," he said.
Mr McKenzie feels the Government action could undo some of the achievements towards reconciliation between Indigenous and non-Indigenous Australians.
"We must work together on the question of reconciliation," he said. "We must use the experience, the wisdom and the knowledge of all Australians, working in partnership.
"Indigenous people have an inherent right to be recognised as the first people of this country - and that needs to be recognised in the proper fashion.
"Aboriginal people will not have a real sense of pride until that's happened.
"We're occupied people in our own country.
"The Australian Government seems to be doing its utmost to get rid of Aboriginal people's pride in their inherent identity as the first Australians.
"There is no other country that Australian Aboriginals can call home. This is it.
"We recognise that others, our fellow Australians, have a love for this country - but they take pride in their ancestry and their heritage from other countries as well.
"The same respect must be afforded to our heritage, our culture and our traditions.
"This is our country. We must be allowed to feel proud."
Photo: Sam Kobia with local children at Port Augusta (Kerr)
We're Locked Away Without Committing a Crime
It's very cruel to be in detention without having committed any crime.
Some of us have been in detention four or five years or more.
We're here, locked away, unnecessarily, without just cause. It isn't a crime to flee from persecution. Locking us away doesn't solve our problems.
We're being kept in detention indefinitely. In this country if someone's sentenced for a crime, he's given a definite sentence. He knows when he'll be released.
Criminals know how long they will be in goal - but we don't know anything.
We don't know what will happen to us. We don't know anything about our lives or our situation.
This is a time of panic for us. We are very frightened. We don't know what is to become of us.
We're asylum seekers. We're here because of problems in our home land.
The Australian Government claims we aren't refugees. This is very frustrating.
Many of us are from Iran, or Iraq. It will never be safe for us to go back there.
The United Nations has condemned my country, Iran, for its violation of human rights.
The European Union has condemned my country for its inhuman acts to its own people.
In the detention centre, they make life very hard for us. We have no right to make any complaints. If we make any objections to what is happening to us here, we're put in isolation for long periods, up to two months - what they call correctional management.
This is causing great pressure on people. It's leading to psychological problems and mental illness.
People are confused. They don't know why they are being treated so badly, like criminals, and eventually they lose hope.
It seems they're making us mentally sick so that they can control us more easily.
It can make you very sick, so that you don't want to eat or drink, and it's a very cruel form of treatment.
Depression is very real in Baxter.
I would appeal to all Christian Australians to press the Government to do something about our problems.
Christian people are the only ones who seem to remember us and to show any interest in us.
This is why many of us have become Christians.
Christian people visit us and write to us and show us the love of Christ. It is their kindness that has made us interested in Christianity and in Christ.
But we will be persecuted if we are Christians and we are returned to our own countries where there are extremist Islamic governments.
Under Islamic law you are punished by death if you abandon Islam and turn to another faith.
The government in my country would not tolerate us. We would be seen as traitors to Islam - and that is punishable by death.
Many of the people who are in detention were already being persecuted for various reasons by their governments at home.
This would make them turn even more against us, because we are Christian now.
We would not have any life there - but what sort of life do we have here?
Christians are supporting us. Because of Christ's love they are concerned about their neighbours and the problems that their neighbours have, and they are very kind to us.
Christians feel not only for us, they feel for everybody. They're full of sympathy. They're kind people.
We can't understand the Australian government. Why does it find us such a problem? Why does it keep us here for such a long time?
We can't go to our own country. We can never go back. They can't send us to any other country.
I'm speaking out because I want people to know what the situation is and what our problems are.
Christians are concerned about peace and love and goodness. These things are very important to us.
Islam is being used to promote war and hatred and fighting - but Christians are concerned only about faith and love and helping others.
What can we do? We are powerless in here. Will there ever be hope for us again?
Photo: Sam Kobia with John Henderson and James Haire outside Baxter detention centre (Kerr)
