DIOCESE OF WANGARATTA
41ST SYNOD – 2nd SESSION
9-10 August 2024
The Right Rev’d Clarence E Bester
11th Bishop of Wangaratta
Theme: The God of Reconciliation
Welcome and Acknowledgement of Country:
Welcome to all from the length and breadth of the Diocese for this the second session of the Forty-First Synod as we meet on the land of the Bpangerang people. We pay our respects to their elders past, present and emerging.
Amidst those who are summoned to Synod, we also have some in the Visitors’ Gallery, as well as some of our Clergy with Permission to Officiate.
Later this evening at the Opening Eucharist of Synod, we will welcome The Venerable Ray McInnes who will be the preacher, together with his wife, Glynis on this the 30th anniversary of the death of their son Matthew, whose memory we have kept alive with the annual Matthew McInnes award. Ray and Glynis will hand over a special memorial award to a worthy young person from our Diocese tonight.
A YEAR IN REVIEW
Since our last Synod, we have endeavoured to complete our WALK initiatives in smaller congregations, celebrating their ministry and witness and drawing others from the Diocese to participate and ‘strengthen the resolve’ of these congregations. What has been a great effort, unfortunately has not excited many to participate.
The reality is that we cover a wide geographical area and most of our Ministry Units are multicentred. We are re-thinking how we will engage through a Ministry Action Plan to enable us to work better towards our vision and mission.
I am very grateful for our Ministry Action Planning Team for their work and efforts and during this session of Synod we will have a presentation on our journey so far and future plans.
On Advent Sunday we had a service of thanksgiving for the declaration of our first Mission District carved out of the Parish of Northern Albury. St John’s Church in Thurgoona, which has been closed for worship since Covid in 2020, became a place where ‘The God of possibilities’ has made it realistic for us to explore the re-birth of a congregation and the re-designing of a ministry plan so that we can re-invigorate our ministry in a fast-growing community. Trinity Anglican College in Thurgoona already attracts about 1340 students from K to year 12. I look forward to joining the congregation in due course to continue working towards their mission plan. Following our service for the Season of Creation, the orange tree in Thurgoona was the first to bear fruit, from which I received the first produce.
In March this year the Anglican Schools Commission and the Diocese of Wangaratta were excited to see the dedication of All Saints Anglican School in Shepparton. The foundation principal, Mr Jim Laussen, who was licensed on the same day, will do a presentation during this session of Synod about the School.
It was once again a great experience for me to have exercised a ministry of visibility, availability and presence, although a great part of my year since Easter was coordinating the ministry at the Cathedral following the resignation of the former Dean and facilitating a cooperative ministry arrangement between the Cathedral and Wangaratta West and the Warbys.
Clergy Movements and Appointments
Since the last session of Synod, ministry changes included a transfer of The Rev’d Maryann Leonard from Corryong to the Cooperative Ministry between St. John’s Thurgoona and Tallangatta and The Revd Elwyn Enos from Yarrawonga to the Cooperative Ministry between Beechworth and Yackandandah under the mentorship of The Revd Matthew Healy. In preparation for their Ordination as Priests, The Rev’d Cathy Carden and The Rev’d Lesley Lewis, were respectively moved to St John’s Wodonga and Beechworth and Yackandandah for further ministry formation.
It was also a great joy to welcome The Rev’d Roberta Hamilton who joined the Diocese in February from Canberra and Goulburn and who serves as Vicar of St Cuthbert’s in Yarrawonga.
In April, former Dean Ken Goodger completed his ministry as Vicar and Dean of Holy Trinity Parish and Cathedral and has settled into the Diocese of Melbourne. On 31 August at 11am, we will induct the new Vicar and Dean, Archdeacon Neil Hicks, who will also lead the new Cooperative Ministry between the Cathedral and Wangaratta West and the Warbys.
Before the next session of Synod, we will farewell two clergy as, in the next few months, they retire from full time stipendiary ministry – Bishop Dino Gabriel and The Rev’d André Du Plooy. We are very grateful to Dino for coming to the Diocese after early retirement as Bishop of Kwazula Natal in South Africa and wish him well as he re-unites with his family and enjoys the next phase of retirement.
André joined the Diocese in October 2016 as Assistant Priest in Shepparton. He further served at Christ Church Kilmore and the Cooperative Ministry between Euroa and Murchison. He has also been our Director of Vocation and Training and presently is the longest serving Area Dean. We hope that André will take on a responsibility as Locum Tenens in due course.
Presently in the Diocese we have 22 licensed clerics who serve in Parishes, Schools or hospitals and 32 clergy with Permission to Officiate (PTO). The latter category now has a 5-year Clearance Cycle that coincides with their Working with Children Check. The issuing of a PTO remains the prerogative of the bishop and these are only issued to those who live within the Diocesan Boundaries. Renewal of PTOs, with effect 1 October 2024, will only happen on application to the Bishop.
I thank all our Clergy for their willingness to serve and for the professional way in which they conduct their ministry in sometimes difficult situations. It is my intention over the next few months to spend time with them as ‘Shepherd of the Shepherds’ so that we can pray for each other, learn from one another and support one another.
I am often reminded of what I saw on a Church Notice Board many years ago ‘Have you hugged your Priest lately?’ and will encourage all members of our congregations to extend hospitality to their clergy and to not only pray for them but to pray with them. Often clergy are expected to only be ‘givers’ of ministry and not recipients.
THE GOD OF RECONCILIATION
My explored Synod themes over the past four years undoubtedly encapsulates much of what we have experienced during our ministry as the God of Surprises, Possibilities, Hope and Transformation is indeed putting us on a path towards this year’s theme – ‘The God of Reconciliation’.
Reconciliation is about the restoration of friendly relations, as well as the action of making a view or belief compatible with another. It is about truth telling and healthy relationships and often involves redress of past hurts. It is hoped that reconciliation will lead to a better understanding of and relationship with those with differing views or outlooks and that the end product will lead to peace and a new understanding. This does not necessarily mean total agreement, but a space where we can all meet and accept and respect one another, even if there is no path to fully agreeing.
Though a peaceable solution would be the ultimate aim, there is also no doubt that, unless it is preceded by truth telling and forgiveness, it would not be possible. It was at the South African Truth and Reconciliation Commission that the late Archbishop Emeritus Desmond Tutu stated that ‘there can be no future without forgiveness’. With reconciliation and peace as the hoped for result, one can also assume that there can be no reconciliation without forgiveness.
2 Corinthians 5:18-20 reminds us “All this is from God, who reconciled us to himself through Christ and has given us the ministry of reconciliation; that is, in Christ, God was reconciling the world to himself, not counting their trespasses against them and entrusting the message of reconciliation to us. So, we are ambassadors for Christ, since God is making his appeal through us; we entreat you on behalf of Christ: be reconciled to God.”
The God of Reconciliation is always at work calling us to share in God’s work of reconciliation. This should lead us to a restoration of relationship in all aspects of our faith and lives. The Cross which, through Jesus’ death, affords salvation to all, is a symbol of that reconciliation that should lead to a peaceable kingdom where we can look forward to a People fully reconciled with one another.
Denominationalism does not advance our cause but stifles the process that could lead to a possible unity in diversity. The week of prayer for Christian Unity is a reminder of our divisions, even when we repeatedly hear the words of Jesus praying for unity amongst his disciples and followers encapsulated in John 17…’that they may be one’ (11b); ’that they may all be one ……so that the world may believe.’(v21); ’that they may become completely one’ (v23).
Yet, we are also very aware of denominational challenges that we are facing and have faced over the past few years. I often wonder if we are ever going to ‘disagree well’ (to use a title of a book by Archbishop Justin Welby) and still love and care for one another as the redeemed community for whom Christ offered his life.
Parochialism is another concern, especially when sentimentality is often associated with it. It is as if we have forgotten our primary calling, our core values and actual business of being the Church of God. Jesus gives us a model through his own ministry with the people of God. This should lead us to the associated concepts of forgiveness, truth telling, restoration, reconciliation and peace.
We should not be caught up in ecclesiastical bureaucratic bungling, but we need to foster those elements which make the Church relevant and hopefully attractive in an age of great moral decline, a time when we do pay for the sins of the past and where there are more exciting things for people to look toward other than the Church. This is so evident in the generational gaps in our worshipping communities and, unless we bridge this gap, our tomorrow will be in a constant state of decline.
A further development is the breakdown of relationships within a Parish context. There are those who prefer telling everyone else about a concern rather than speaking to the person with whom they have that concern. There seems to be a lack of respect and attention to holding those whom God has called to minister in high esteem for the work they do. ‘Poison’ (false stories) is often spread, which makes the work of reconciliation even more difficult. Bitterness can lead to resentment and an untruth can destroy the reputation and integrity of the other person and that of a community of faith.
Jesus prays for unity amongst his disciples and offers them the binding cord which will hold them together: ‘Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another.’ (John 13:34-5)
We are still emerging from COVID 19. We have lost time; we have lost loved ones and we mourn the time when we could not gather for worship. We yearned to be back in our Churches to worship and to share in fellowship, but we also knew that it would take a long time to re-establish a re-invigorated ministry. I therefore call on all our Clergy and People to walk with Christ as we walk with one another and that we take our congregations to the next level of leading our Churches into Growth. I hope that we have the desire, ability, patience and forbearance to do this successfully.
LEADING YOUR CHURCH INTO GROWTH (LYCiG)
Earlier this year, a few of our number attended the LYCiG Conference offered by the Diocese of Melbourne. There was a lot of information, but what I found very helpful were the various concepts being developed in our operation as a Church. Much of this coincides with my own Ministry Development Program, developed during my work as the Archdeacon for Ministry Development. This program and re-developing, re-defining, re-structuring, re-focussing and re-birthing together with the LYCiG program can be good tools to help us foster growth within our Churches. It is, however, an Every Member Ministry (EMM) program.
Over the past few years, we have tried various things to help us invigorate our ministry as a Diocese and our Vision and Mission Plan and initiatives have certainly assisted us along the way. Understanding the geography within our Diocese, we are arranging two sessions of this program on 14 September in Mansfield and 5 October in Rutherglen and invite all clergy and parishioners of the Diocese to join the nearest workshop. Please make every effort to attend so we can implement these strategies in our own congregations.
HOPE 25 – ANGLICAN CHURCH OF AUSTRALIA
The national program for the Anglican Church of Australia set from Easter to Pentecost 2025 is called HOPE25. This program was launched in all Dioceses on Pentecost Sunday this year and you have been asked to join by signing up – information that I hope was shared in your Parishes. Our MAP Team will encourage interest for this program and I hope that you will join up. There will be a motion before Synod asking us as a Diocese to endorse this program and fully participate in it.
I ask you to pray and I hope that ‘The God of Reconciliation’ will lead us to reconcile with one another as Anglicans within Australia. It is exciting to have a national initiative to promote our common gospel sharing, but it is very sad that our inability to ‘disagree well’ prevents us progressing to unity in diversity.
I find it particularly difficult engaging in a context where I know that I have been declared ‘out of communion with some’ and how we will not have the Eucharist at these events to avoid embarrassment. Talking about these things makes me feel uneasy, but it is necessary to mention this, as my hope for HOPE25 also includes a space where we will all be able to bend the knee at the Eucharist as the whole people of God: Bishops, Clergy and Laity, because I believe that it is at the altar of God where we can be a church and a people fully reconciled to God and one another, a place where healing, wholeness and empowered service can have its full and effective meaning. The Eucharist presents broken things for broken people and offers wholeness through the reconciling love and Cross of Christ.
CONTINUING RECONCILIATION – 31 AUGUST 2019
On 31 August 2019, The Diocese of Wangaratta resolved by a large majority to sanction a service of blessing for any who were married in accordance with the Marriage Act 1961, as amended in 2017. It was made clear that this was a service of blessing of people and not a service for the blessing of a marriage. This has often been misunderstood, though our order of service and the resolution make this quite clear.
For some this was rather insignificant because it did not address what a large majority of the Australian people agreed to through the plebiscite. For others it was as if we changed the doctrine of marriage, which we did not, as proved through our submission to and the determination of the Appellate Tribunal. There were however those, both within and outside the Diocese, who were very grateful for this simple blessing of people that made them feel as if their faith mattered and that they were included, accepted and embraced for who God created them to be.
Of course, I was not the bishop at that time but, in 2018, I shared my thoughts of an all-inclusive, all-accepting, all-embracing and all-loving Church. I have ‘copped the flak’ since September 2019, but am very grateful for the support of our clergy and people.
I shared about how I could not change things about myself and how my own children challenged me about the way in which the ‘church’ excluded people. My context of course was the South African situation, where we were excluded and looked down upon because of the colour of our skin, something I could not change. Sadly many are still excluded even in this place called Australia which became a sanctuary many years ago to so many people.
Yet, it is within this context where both my family and I have felt that things haven’t really changed, yet this has become home for us. Many a time I have felt really sad about the treatment of, and statements made to, my sons. Even in the ecclesiastical setting there is always an inquiry about where one is from and the most ridiculous queries about one’s origin. Michelle often now tells people that she is a citizen from heaven which utterly confuse the masses.
But I can almost understand this, because it is in this place where the world was shocked that the YES-23 vote could not carry like the Marriage plebiscite of 2017. I was in the United States at the time speaking on race, religion and reconciliation, when an American Priest came to sympathize with me about the result of the vote in Australia. I have always respected and will continue to respect the viewpoint and democratic right of people. For exclusion happens on so many levels – the saddest of all being in the Church – the Church of Jesus Christ – where the image is distorted and where you are sometimes made to feel like an ecclesiastical conundrum and episcopal fool.
In addition to what I said before about HOPE 25, our 2019 decision has meant that there are still meetings of Bishops where others tell me to repent and will not look me in the eye and I can feel like the stone which the builders have rejected as worthless. Yet I know that God has set me in this place, probably as an unintentional rabblerouser, but more so to remind ourselves that this is the Church of God built on the foundation of his Son, Jesus Christ, the one for whom I live and the one for whom I am ready to be excluded, spat upon and rejected.
And so, the Church has not fallen because of a regulation in 2019 offering blessings, but the Diocese has been a blessing to so many others and we welcome all and celebrate God’s gift of creation in each one of us.
I pray for the strength to continue, as I am struggling in a Church and in a space where many are excluded; a Church where the image of the inclusive and loving Jesus is distorted with a hierarchical structure and where anyone different is seen as a second-class citizen; a Church where we still offer apologies through Synods instead of blessing God’s people.
WHERE HAVE WE ARRIVED?
So, what has changed or not changed over the last five years?
The Diocese of Wangaratta continues with its mission and ministry and our vision to walk with Christ and with one another.
We still hold together, break bread together, pray together, talk together, even if we do not all hold the same view and agree on the same things.
Even as we face the challenges of redress and civil action against us because of the ‘sins of the past’, we are still producing a positive financial result – not that this is the crux of ministry. We believe that this is because the divine blessing from God is upon us as God’s people.
We have managed to set up cooperative ministry structures that enable long term financial viability initiatives and have put a structure in place that will sustain this ministry through Parish Endowments Funds.
We have almost all our Parishes filled with Clergy to take care of the local ministry needs and we are just about fully compliant with all our Safe Church requirements, acknowledging that both situations will be ongoing and always changing.
We have apologised, we are blessing, loving, caring and embracing and we pray for the Church here to be one so that the world will believe.
We do not seek anything else than to be faithful to God’s call as God’s people for God’s Church within God’s world.
LEGISLATION
At this session of Synod, we will introduce a new Safe Church Bill replacing our Professional Standards Act of 2010 as amended in 2013. This is important for our common life as a Diocese in the face of the ever-changing requirements, ensuring that we are not only a Welcoming Church, but a Safe Church. We have done well so far in our clearance processes, but we still have a few Parishes where there is total ignorance of this requirement. I have moved the goal posts so many times to ensure that all who need a ministry clearance have one; we have had both David Still and Neil Hicks dedicating time to engage with a strategy of compliance. I, with some help, will now coordinate this work and hope to get all outstanding matters finalised by 30 October.
In addition to our Safe Church Bill, we have a few legislative changes to our Parish Governance and Appointments Acts to ensure we have all our bases covered in the smooth running of the Diocese. We are also cognisant of further need for changes and will engage a Synod Planning Committee to work towards this, facilitating different conversations in the coming months and to present these to the Advocate of our Diocese. I do hope that we will have your support for all these new Bills as we have provided a great presentation and interaction through our Pre-Synod Meeting.
I do want to express our deepest thanks to the Diocesan Advocate of Melbourne, Mr Ian Gibson, our own Diocesan Advocate Rachel Ellyard and our Chancellor, Clyde Croft who unfortunately cannot be at this Synod, for all their work over the past year in bringing to our Synod the Safe Church Bill.
A very special thanks again to Rachel for the unselfish giving of her time to us as a Diocese and for being the one who wrote our submission to the Appellate Tribunal five years ago. In your demanding work and your responsibilities as a parent as well as your committed Church relationship to St Peter’s Eastern Hill, I thank God for you and your willingness to guide us as a Synod and Diocese.
CHANGING CONTEXT
There is no doubt that our ever-changing context demands that we look differently at various aspects of our ministry and administration. The past almost five years has been trial and error, but we have been able to navigate so many things together as a Diocese and have achieved so much. I am very grateful to all and sundry for their contribution in whatever way.
Bishop’s Leadership Structure:
With effect Advent Sunday,1 December 2024, we will re-organise our ministry structure into two regions that will once again be known as Goulburn and Hume. The reality about our present Deanery Structure is that, since we are still geographically a big Diocese, Cooperative Ministries mean fewer clergy within a Deanery which makes Clergy Deanery meetings a bit lean. Like the LYCiG presentations and workshops, we hope that more gatherings will happen in these two regions under the oversight of those who will most closely assist in the Bishop’s ministry.
Diocesan Mission Fund and Social Justice Ministry:
Today we welcome Meagan Schwarz from the Anglican Board of Mission (ABM) to do a presentation and we have a report from Rev’d David Still, Coordinator at Anglicare of the Loaves & Fishes Program and Parish Partnerships. Even though we have Parishes supporting the work of other Mission Agencies like Bush Church Aid and Church Missionary Society (CMS) we have never, or, at least in my episcopacy, had any of them for Synod or even supporting any program within our Diocese. I think I know the reason why, as I certainly hear of their work and support around the Australian Anglican Church and even within our neighbouring Dioceses. For some time, even after numerous visits with Rev’d David Still to parishes talking about Parish Partnerships, both David and I have agreed that the present system is simply not working. This could very well be due to the decline within our Parishes and the fact that we don’t have enough volunteers to coordinate activities in parishes to manage Anglicare Parish Partnerships program.
Of course, much of our support is financial as well as goods to some of these agencies which is heart-warming. However, we do have needs within our own Diocese regarding Parish support, and I would like to implement a Diocesan Mission Fund whereby Parishes would be able to support a financially struggling Parish for the next year through gifting and simple and easy fundraising initiatives. I therefore call on all our parishes to direct their mission giving for the next year to this special mission fund. More information will be sent to Parishes in due course.
The Season of Creation – Gill Baker & David Mitchell Memorial Prize:
Through the generosity of the families of David Mitchell (former Parish of Northern Albury) and Gill Baker (formerly from St Jude’s Eldorado) and the ingenuity of Suzie Don Leonard, as well as a financial commitment, we are hoping to provide an opportunity for Parishes to actively and practically implement projects aimed at nurturing and caring for our planet and to be recognized via a Diocesan Memorial prize for strategies which can achieve Environmental sustainability. This is in line with our mark of mission regarding the safeguarding and integrity of creation and our participation in the ongoing work of environmental sustainability. Soon, we hope to get pictures and a report from Parishes and Institutions where orange trees were given to Parishes last year. It is our intention to have a Spring Picnic at Bishop’s Lodge where we can officially launch this program.
The Rev’d Robert Storey Whalley Memorial Lecture and 5th Anniversary of the Consecration as Bishop.
Next year marks the 5th anniversary of my consecration as a Bishop and Enthronement as the 11th Bishop of Wangaratta. To mark this occasion, I am proposing a Memorial Lecture and Ministry Conference in honour of one of our former clergy, The Rev’d Robert Storey Whalley, who has contributed so greatly and positively to the Ministry Development of the Diocese as well as the training of lay people. Rob always had a vision of a Rural Ministry Centre and, though we have Trinity House in The Close available for our use, there is still a contract in place with the school. In the meantime, we will continue to fulfil part of Rob’s dream by having all our Lay training and occasional Clergy gatherings in that space.
CONCLUSION
There have been trials, tribulations and errors of judgement, but also many opportunities that have created the space for us to share in a collaborative ministry and to move the Diocese to a space that will enable us to build on the work of all those who have led and worked within this Diocese for many years.
I was always aware that the mitre was never a crown of glory but a crown of thorns and I have often felt that throughout these past few years. Yet, I stand in the strength of Christ who called me to a ministry of humble and faithful service.
I believe in the God of Surprises, the God of Possibilities, the God of Hope, the God of Transformation and the God of Reconciliation, as my life is anchored in the God who called me to this place.
I am grateful to all those who have assisted me in so many ways, whether publicly or as unsung heroes. You know who you are – THANK YOU.
I will however admit that God’s sustaining power is beautifully aided by the lady who is my life partner and spouse for the past almost 25 years. Michelle sees me at my worst and hardly at my best and her support and her intentional prayer for me and our family and for all of us in this Diocese are beyond valuing.
The Rt Rev’d Clarence E Bester
Bishop of Wangaratta
