Many of us have been impacted by ongoing partnership with One Mob Fellowship from Woorabinda. With that in mind can I commend to you the attached document. This was presented at the state assembly of the Presbyterian Church of Queensland in June. It in is an in depth look at the chequered and often disturbing history of the Presbyterian Church’s mission to first nations people. One aim of the paper is to be an exercise in truth telling so we can learn from our history and not repeat mistakes. It is designed to help us as Presbyterians understand how our efforts to share the Gospel might be helped or hindered by our institutional history, and it seeks to tell this story at a ‘human level’ from on the ground. Please note that if you are an Aboriginal or Torres Strait islander reading this paper I would warn you there are mentions of explicit acts of violence, sexual assault and suicide that may be very challenging for you to read. I want to thank Joanna Poppenbeck and Renee Flynn for taking the time to read through this paper and give their thoughts and feedback, even though it was with heavy hearts.
The paper, however, also presents some recommendations for ways forward as we venture into the space of mission with a posture of humility and repentance. One point is that we can be changing our mindset from ‘ministry to’ first nations peoples to a mindset of ‘ministry with’ first nations people. There are also recommendations for how we can operate as a church under the headings of faces, places & spaces. There is so much more that could be said around all the complex issues of Christianity and first nations people, but may this paper continue to prompt us to listen well and work hand in hand with first nations people towards a better future for the church, this nation, and the mission God has given us.
From missions to missional – Assembly Report.
If anyone would like to discuss or process anything that this paper raises please don’t hesitate to reach out.
Chris Pine
Youth Pastor
