Pacific Church Leaders to meet in Canberra

Facilitated by NCCA, there are a number of leaders of national councils of churches and the regional Pacific Conference of Churches that are meeting in Canberra 18-20 July 2022.

This will be the first in-person meeting of the group with Australian counterparts. There are 12 Pacific seats and 10 Australian Seats for the group known as the Pacific Church Partnership Advisory Network. 

The Network meeting will be strengthening existing and building new strategic partnerships with Australian church and church-based development leaders including with First Nations people and members of the Pacific diaspora in Australia. 

Australia’s cooperation with churches and church-based development and aid agencies in the Pacific region is longstanding. The Pacific Church Partnership Program has been established with Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade funding to support the leadership and organisational needs of Pacific churches and church leaders to more effectively contribute to development outcomes in Pacific Island countries.

The Canberra meeting will also be planning for the development-focussed workshop to be held with over 30 Pacific Church Leaders in November 2022 in Sydney.

The Network is chaired by the Moderator of the Pacific Conference of Churches, Rev Dr. Tevita Havea and Rev John Gilmore, NCCA President is Deputy Chair. National Councils of Churches of Papua New Guinea, Vanuatu, Fiji, Samoa, Tonga and Kiribati will be represented. General Secretary of Pacific Conference of Churches, Rev James Bhagwan and NCCA General Secretary, Liz Stone will also be participating.

Following on from the Pacific Islands Forum in Suva this week and the current regional focus on geo-political matters, many Pacific observers are encouraging Australia and Australians to be generational in our partnerships in the Pacific. 

Ms Liz Stone commented, “the generative nature of our church partnerships are well-reflected in next week’s meeting where the growing ties between our ecumenical church councils, churches, church development agencies, disaster response and the seasonal labour schemes will be built upon further.”

The last time the representatives of national church councils from across the Pacific came together in person, was in Suva in June 2019. See photo below.