Jenan Taylor
15 October 2024
Melbourne Anglicans have resolved to make the church safe and welcoming for First Peoples, after synod endorsed a motion supporting ongoing efforts towards reconciliation.
The motion called on Anglicans to engage in truth-telling, repentance and justice alongside First Peoples and aim for more just and respectful relationships with them.
Synod celebrated the appointment of the Venerable Uncle Glenn Loughrey as Provincial Archdeacon for Reconciliation, First Nations Recognition and Treaty as part of these efforts.
It also noted Archbishop in Council’s adoption of a missional property strategy to allocate a portion of proceeds from future church property sales for Aboriginal reparation and ministry.
Motion seconder the Reverend Canon Helen Dwyer said the motion was synod’s opportunity to make the church a safe space for Indigenous people because it was not always a place where they felt they belonged.
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She said there were few places in Australia where Aboriginal people were protected by the church, including when their children were being forcibly removed.
Canon Dwyer said this was not always the case with the church in Victoria.
“It hasn’t been a safe place for Aboriginal people. Christ loves the church, and I love Jesus, and so I want our church to be a safe place for us,” she said.
Canon Dwyer said First Nations people faced discrimination constantly, and for her this sometimes included being questioned about the degree of her Aboriginality.
She said she wanted to be counted as an equal, valid and valued member of the church.
Canon Dwyer said the motion was also an opportunity for First Peoples to say in a unified voice that there was room in the church for them, because as minorities they often felt isolated there.
“There’s often nobody else that can share our story, or who understands the story,” Canon Dwyer said.
“We want to share our story with you. We want to journey with you, but we need a motion like this to make it clear that there is room for us here.”
Motion mover and chair of the Reconciliation Working Group the Very Reverend Dr Andreas Loewe also urged Anglicans to work towards righting past wrongs, and truth telling.
Dr Loewe said truth telling shed light in Victoria on the suffering that settlement brought, including the massacre of Indigenous communities, and suppression of their languages.
He said all the Anglican church’s missions were a part of this suffering.
Read more: Where to now? Indigenous leaders ask churches to reflect on Aboriginal Sunday
He said the church was planning for the possibility of signing agreements with local traditional owner groups that would outline how it could better build a safe and respectful relationship with First Peoples.
“As Uncle Glenn has put it, it’s our peace accord after the war,” Dr Loewe said.
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