Celebrating 100 years of BCA

[Pages:32]The Real

spring 2019

Celebrating 100 years of BCA

Just who am I? 4 Vale Bruce Chapman 7

BCA Directory

Contents

The Real Australian is a registered trademark

of The Bush Church Aid Society

Editorial

3

First published 1920 Edition No. 381

Circulation 32,000 All enquiries to

Just who am I?

4

The Editor, The Bush Church Aid Society of Australia

Level 7, 37 York Street, Sydney NSW 2000

A unique bush town

6

ra@.au

.au Patrons The Most Revd Dr Glenn Davies

Vale Bruce Chapman

7

The Rt Revd Dr Peter Jensen

The Most Revd Dr Philip Freier

Centenary celebrations

8

President The Rt Revd John Harrower

Vice President The Revd David Crain Vice President Emeritus The Revd Tom Morgan

Reinvigorating ministry

Chairman Mr Fred Chilton

in the `new bush'

10

Honorary Treasurer Mr Richard Host

National Director The Revd Greg Harris

What a privilege

12

National Office The Revd Greg Harris

Level 7, 37 York Street, Sydney NSW 2000

New Field Staff commissioned

14

Phone (02) 9262 5017 Fax (02) 9262 5020

greg.harris@.au

BCA for Kids pull-out

15

Indigenous Ministry Officer

The Revd Neville Naden

20 Boundary Road, Dubbo NSW 2830

Noah and the BCA box

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n.naden@.au

NSW/ACT Regional Office The Revd Ted Brush

Bush Parson re-released

19

Level 7, 37 York Street, Sydney NSW 2000

Phone (02) 9262 5017 Fax (02) 9262 5020

My BCA story

20

ted.brush@.au

Victoria Regional Office The Revd Adrian Lane

100 Voices for 100 years of BCA

22

PO Box 281, Heidelberg VIC 3084

Phone (03) 9457 7556 Fax (03) 9457 7610 victoria@.au

2020 North West Australia Tours

23

SA/NT Regional Office The Revd Steve Davis

Ground Floor, 37 Angas Street, Adelaide SA 5000

From the Archives

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Phone (08) 8221 5444

steve.davis@.au QLD/Nthn NSW Regional Office

Post & Rails

25

The Revd David Rogers-Smith

PO Box 6565, Upper Mt Gravatt QLD 4122

Councillor's Column

26

Phone (07) 3349 9081 Fax (07) 3849 7927

d.rogerssmith@.au

Christmas Catalogue

27

Tasmania Regional Office The Revd Dennis Quinn

63 Belar Street, Howrah TAS 7018

Phone (03) 6244 5098

Centenary Catalogue

28

tas@.au

WA Regional Office

The Revd Rob Healy PO Box 394, Mount Lawley WA 6929 Phone 1300 554 025 rob.healy@.au

Cover: St Andrew's Cathedral Sydney on Centenary Sunday 26 May 2019

2 THE REAL AUSTRALIAN

Editorial

A century ago when BCA was launched, the goal was to venture outback beyond the established towns, to people the churches seldom reached through our usual parish ministries. The not so tiny country towns generally had a set of three or four protestant churches all managing to support their (fairly low paid) minister. A typical BCA mission however would be based in a smaller town and reach out in all directions to other villages, properties and isolated homesteads.

This past century has meant big changes in the bush. The flight to the cities was serious after World War I, reversed in the depression, then resumed in earnest after World War II. Towns with several different denominational ministers in 1919 today are often down to one or two and their future looks as bleak as that of their last bank branch.

On the other hand three types of growth have come to the bush. Significant mining towns have mushroomed beside huge iron ore or coal deposits. Attractive coastal towns have doubled and doubled again with retirees and tourists. The big (usually inland) regional cities have boomed with new suburbs. Total rural and regional numbers keep growing but rural dioceses are battling. The need to maintain ministry in severely shrinking towns while at the same time trying to initiate congregations in new housing areas beside our cities, is often just too hard for our country dioceses. Enter BCA.

For fifty years we have enabled good ministry in big mining communities where rapid turnover of population guarantees the churches will never be self-supporting. More and more we support clusters of shrinking towns with leaders who also discover and train local leaders aiming at a group of competent leaders. We also send church planters into some new growth areas in the expectation of setting up a self-sustaining ministry in as short a time as is sensible.

Bush Church Aid's modus operandi has changed dramatically ? while the good news and our dependence on prayer are absolutely changeless.

David Crain

BCA Interim National Director (March 2019 ? August 2019)

BCA's modus operandi has changed dramatically ? while the good news and our dependence on prayer are absolutely changeless

SPRING 2019 3

Just who am I?

Karen & Greg Harris 4 THE REAL AUSTRALIAN

Who am I? That the Lord of all the earth, would care to know my name? (`Who Am I' by Casting Crowns)

The opening lyrics of this song by Casting Crowns are what came to my mind when I was asked to write my first article for The Real Australian. Firstly, because I was asked to write about who I am, and secondly because of the truth that this song explores.

So who am I? I often say I am just a `country preacher' but that wouldn't tell the whole story. I was born in Sydney and lived there until I left school and moved to Armidale in New South Wales to study. My first encounter of living in the country caused me to joke that I was `born in the wrong spot.'

At St Mark's Chapel UNE I had numerous ministry opportunities which led to my appointment as the youth worker at Moree Anglican Church. There I met the most gorgeous music teacher and within 12 months Karen and I were married. It was also in Moree that I worked for a number of years as a farmhand on cotton properties. Eventually Karen and I moved to Sydney for my theological studies and it was here that our first son Jon was born.

Before long this `ex-tractor driver' was back in the country, ordained in the Armidale Diocese and appointed as the Vicar of Collarenebri. `Colly' had a population of 500, and it was the town, the church and of course the people, that shaped so much of my passion for country ministry. It was here that our second son Matt was born.

Four years later we moved to the Parish of Guyra, another rural parish, and served for six years. Then it was time for regional living, moving to Victoria to be the Rector

of South East Bendigo. In the Diocese of Bendigo I was also privileged to serve as Archdeacon and Vicar General, the chaplain of Girton Grammar School, and represent the Diocese at a provincial and national level. I am still a member of the Standing Committee of General Synod.

Importantly, it was during those 12 years in Bendigo that our boys grew up and finished school. Jon is now married to Eilannin and Matt is engaged to Rachel.

One consistent focus for me in each of the places I have served has been a passion for mission and particularly the work of BCA. I have no other way of describing it but to say, `I always had a soft spot for BCA' that I couldn't fully explain. This is why it seemed so humorous to me when I was asked to consider the role of BCA National Director.

I initially balked at the idea but soon recognised that God had been putting the jigsaw pieces together over so many years. These jigsaw pieces include my experience of both the city and the country, familiarity with both a tractor cab and a boardroom, and being comfortable in either boots and jeans or suit and tie. More importantly, a growing passion for country ministry and its people all combined with this unexplained `soft spot' for BCA. Isn't it funny how God works like that?

So that is the first part of my answer to `Who am I?" Yet the previously mentioned song lyrics hint that there is something much more significant to who I am.

In my final years of high school the good news of Jesus `clicked for me.' As the chorus of `Who am I' so succinctly puts it; I realised that it was...

Not because of who I am, But because of what you've (Jesus) done, And not because of what I've done, But because of who you (Jesus) are.

In this centenary year I know I walk in the big shoes of my predecessors all the way back to SJ Kirkby ? another Bendigo boy. So this ex-tractor driving, country preacher would value your prayers. Pray that I might indeed have the `grace, grit and gumption' needed to go the distance

I suddenly realised it was all about grace and that realisation changed everything for me, both now and forever.

Hence, my hope for rural, regional and remote parts of Australia is that God might graciously use us, BCA supporters and Field Staff alike, so that people across this great country might know who they are in and through this grace of Christ.

In this centenary year I know I walk in the big shoes of my predecessors all the way back to SJ Kirkby ? another Bendigo boy. So this ex-tractor driving, country preacher would value your prayers. Pray that I might indeed have the `grace, grit and gumption' needed to go the distance.

Greg Harris

SPRING 2019 5

A unique bush town

After five years serving the community of Exmouth, last month the Nicol family moved to take on the BCA-funded ministry in Karratha. Here Frank tells us why Exmouth is so unique...

Exmouth is a bush town. We're a small community, 2500 locals. When you go down to the shops you feel like you know everyone. We're isolated, 1250 kilometres from Perth, 370 kilometres from the next town. The kids of this town learn from a young age, you can whinge but the car must go on. And we're surrounded by the bush. Dirt, dust, cattle stations, cows, sheep, roos and emus, you'll see it all on the way here. But we are a unique bush town. We're situated on a peninsula that juts out into the Indian Ocean. Sandy beaches surround us on three sides teeming with wildlife ? turtles, dugongs, whale sharks and coral reefs. In the winter our streets are filled with people from all over Australia seeking to enjoy this amazing creation that God has given us. We stand in the middle as a church trying to point people to the one who made it all through His son Jesus Christ.

Bush Church Aid has been partnering with us for the last five years helping us proclaim the gospel in this unique part of the world. Like many other churches, in May this year we went bush to celebrate this partnership. The fire was lit in a dry river bed. The kids threw rocks and explored caves. If the flies were included in the head count, millions turned out for the day, they were truly horrendous! But we enjoyed the BBQ none the less and as the sun set the small group of us, pictured here, prayed. We all chose a state and using the regular prayer notes we prayed for gospel work around this county. It was a very simple event and made me think we should have more cruisy Sunday nights like this, eating food around the campfire and praying for the gospel to go out across our country.

Thanks BCA for your partnership with churches all around this country. May God continue to use this organisation to reach rural Australians with the message of a God who loves them and sent His son to die for their sins.

Frank Nicol

6 THE REAL AUSTRALIAN

Vale our dear friend Bruce Chapman

Our dear brother in Christ, colleague and much loved member of the BCA family, Bruce Chapman lost his battle with melanoma on Monday 7 May 2019. While our hearts are heavy especially for Jodi, Matthew, Laura, Felicity and Oliver, we take comfort in the assurance that God took him to glory and welcomed him home as a good and faithful servant.

When Bruce visited the BCA National Office in February after ending his treatment he recorded a video where he wanted to assure his supporters, that while he was waiting for our heavenly father to call him home, that wasn't a hopeless thing as he had his trust in the risen Lord Jesus. Bruce shared from Colossians 2 as he found these words an encouragement throughout his Christian life ? Just as you received Christ Jesus as Lord, continue to live in Him, rooted and built up in Him, strengthened in the faith you were taught and overflowing with thankfulness.....

Bruce's life was celebrated at services in Darwin (May) and Sydney (June). In Sydney, Laura and Oliver shared memories of their Dad: "I never realised how lucky I was to have such amazing parents who took me to church every week and loved me unconditionally," said Laura. "And I'm sorry I didn't get to spend more time with my Dad, but I'm so grateful for every opportunity and moment that we had." Oliver's fond memories made those in attendance laugh, especially when he told everyone that Bruce was like the good cop/bad cop character in the Lego movie: "Sometimes he would be angry and scary and other times he would be happy and friendly."

Carly and Larissa Simpkins spoke about their days in Bruce's youth group in Darwin:

"Bruce's motto for youth group was to keep it simple, build relationships and read the Bible," said Carly. The most important thing to know about Bruce according to Larissa "was his focus on God's big plans and purposes for us and spreading that good news to everyone."

Jodi, Matthew, Laura, Felicity and Oliver would like to thank you for your prayers and support for both Bruce and us over during our last 11 years as BCA Field Staff and especially these last three years since Bruce was diagnosed with melanoma. We have found it a privilege to be part of the BCA family and especially the prayer support that comes with it. We are overwhelmed with the expressions of love and care for us during these last days. We pray for you and us to be encouraged by Bruce's example to keep serving and trusting in Jesus Christ our Lord and Saviour each day.

SPRING 2019 7

Centenary celebrations

100 years, what a milestone, what a celebration! Right across the country in churches in small country towns, and cathedrals and churches in big ones, 100 years of BCA was celebrated on Sunday 26 May.

It was exactly 100 years to the day that a small group of ministers and lay people gathered to start this organisation with the mission to spread the gospel right across the country. We thank God for His goodness and graciousness to us this past century and we look towards the next 100 years with confidence. We hope you enjoy some pictorial highlights from the day.

8 8 THE REAL AUSTRALIAN

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