In his 2023 Presidential address to Synod, Archbishop Kanishka Raffel shared a statement of purpose and priorities for the Diocese. One of the three key areas identified was ministry to First Nations people.
“There are numerous challenges,” Archbishop Raffel said, “including that some of the elders of the Indigenous Christian community, many of whom have served faithfully with very little support for many years, are now reaching an age where they cannot be expected to continue to shoulder the greater part of the work”.
“And yet we have few in the wings and no pathway which accounts for the demands and the obstacles faced by Indigenous brothers and sisters who seek to serve the Lord in pastoral ministry. I hope the Synod will warmly welcome the conversation about the best way to support Indigenous ministry into the future including the creation of significant leadership roles.”
This increased priority was welcomed and accepted by Synod, and is reflected in the ongoing partnership between Sydney Anglican Property (SAP) and the Sydney Anglican Indigenous People’s Ministry Committee (SAIPMC).
A great example of the work of the SAIPMC can be seen at Macarthur Indigenous Church led by Rev. Michael Duckett. Rev. Duckett has been ministering in the Macarthur for fifteen years to the second largest population of Indigenous people in NSW, bringing the message of hope, healing and reconciliation through Jesus.
In November 2019, the SAIPMC purchased a two hectare property at Wedderburn to enable the Macarthur Indigenous Church to have a dedicated space upon which to carry out local ministry. In 2022 Rev. Duckett was ordained as a Deacon in the Anglican Church of Australia, before being made Presbyter at the ministry centre in Wedderburn later that year.
The property contains a house in which Rev. Duckett and his family live, as well as an open shed structure that has been renovated as a ministry centre, including toilets, a kitchen and a meeting area. Other sheds on the property have been modified through an active partnership with Soul Revival Anglican Church, to enable cultural activities to take place.
The bushland setting provides a culturally appropriate setting for Indigenous ministry. This has resulted in the unencumbered use of the site by Macarthur Indigenous Church, resulting in growth that was previously restricted by sharing sites with other local non-Indigenous ministries. The church now gathers each Sunday morning at the Ministry Centre in Wedderburn.
The total cost for the Wedderburn project was $1.5 million, in an area where land is relatively cheaper than other locations across the Diocese. A task force created by the Synod recommended that this model be replicated in other areas of the Diocese, beginning in Nowra and Mount Druitt, followed by modifications to the model considered for more densely populated areas such as Redfern and Glebe. SAP’s ongoing partnership with SAIPMC includes providing technical support to assist SAIPMC in identifying and acquiring ideal sites to allow this model to be rolled out.
In a wonderful act of generosity, Church Hill Anglican, has given $1,000,000 to SAIPMC to purchase land for a new indigenous church – an amount that Synod has matched for the same purpose. These contributions provide SAIPMC with the necessary funds to proceed with identifying and acquiring the right parcels of land for local indigenous ministries.
Priorities for the future
SAP’s Senior Manager, Strategy and Development, Timothy Green, is currently working alongside Rev. Michael Duckett (SAIPMC) and Mr. Brendon Garlett, leader of Shoalhaven Aboriginal Community Church (ShACC) in Nowra, to find a suitable site for the south coast church to meet.
Currently ShACC meets between services on a Sunday at All Saints Anglican Church Nowra. Mr Garlett and his congregation are thankful for the location to meet but recognise that it is not ideal long-term for their own church. The flourishing of ministry at Wedderburn is a good indicator that a new site in Nowra will similarly prove beneficial for a growing, long-term and local ministry at ShACC.
Mr Garlett says, “We are so grateful to Sydney Anglican Property for working with us to find a suitable site for us to worship on. It is a huge priority for us. It will provide a great opportunity to host church services, special events, and a space that we can call our own. We have been praying for it for many years.”
Mr Green shares, “The key thing I’m doing is supporting Brendon and Michael by listening to how they want to do their ministry both now and into the future. SAP has come alongside to provide the technical skills to make it happen but, at the end of the day, they’re the ones leading this vital ministry. There’s really no reason it needs to be like a ‘typical’ suburban church if that’s not going to enable and support their ministry.”
Mr Garlett is currently engaging in the WELL Training Program to develop his skills as a leader working in a marginalised community. He is being trained to consider new opportunities for gospel work in the community and work with people to identify and find solutions for complex systemic issues. This training is already proving enormously beneficial for Mr Garlett and will continue to be as his church grows.
Mr Garlett reflects, “ShACC remains faithful and particularly thankful for all who help us in fulfilling God’s kingdom vision of taking the gospel to the ends of the earth.”
At SAP we are continuing to pray to our great God that he would provide an excellent site for ShACC to gather on. We also pray for the work of SAIPMC as it continues to reach people in Mount Druitt, Redfern, Glebe, and many more in the years to come.
Did you know?
NSW has the highest population of Indigenous people within Australia, and Sydney has the largest urban population of Indigenous people.
Currently in the Sydney Anglican Diocese there are five indigenous-led ministries, including three churches:
- Scarred Tree Indigenous Ministries in partnership with St John’s Anglican Church Glebe, led by Sharon and Ray Minniecon.
- Living Water Community Church in Redfern in partnership with Evangelism and New Churches.
- Macarthur Indigenous Church in partnership with St Peter’s Anglican Church Campbelltown, led by Rev. Michael Duckett.
- Mount Druitt Indigenous Church in partnership with Minchinbury Anglican Church and Mount Druitt Presbyterian Church, led by Rick Manton.
- Shoalhaven Aboriginal Community Church in partnership with All Saints Anglican Church Nowra, led by Brendon Garlett.
Article by Emma Moxham, Crossbeam Communications.