Mission Statement: Encouraging new directions with Indigenous Christian ministries

Purpose: Transforming Generations and Building Sustainable Communities

Priorities:

• Strengthening Indigenous churches, culture and community
• Teaching and training others
• Sharing as one in Christ and partnering and companioning with others
• Changing paradigms and doing ministry differently

These statements capture the hope of Indigenous Ministries Australia, (IMA) and shared confidence that God is calling IMA to a strong future. IMA is built on the foundations of the Australian Churches of Christ Indigenous Ministries. The transition has taken time and has included consolidating assets so that IMA has a solid financial foundation. The IMA Reference Group, with members from all the states of Australia, developed the mission, purpose and priorities for IMA. They also decided the leadership and staffing structure needed to make these aspirations real. This took time, and that time has proved to be valuable and necessary.

There is a number of opportunities in Indigenous ministry for IMA.Firstly, there is a new partnership with Moorditj Keila, which is a ministry that has developed under the oversight of Lifestreams Christian Church. Their primary mission is to ‘develop the capacity of the Aboriginal community in partnership with the broader community to empower individuals and families to build a community of trust, engagement and participation for the mutual benefit of all’ (www.moorditjkeila.org.au). The first financial support has been provided and we look forward to a growing partnership.

Additionally, the support for the Indigenous churches in Bunbury and Norseman continues as IMA supports these churches in regard to property expenses and development. They also support the Bunbury Aboriginal Fellowship to purchase a bus as part of the church’s outreach program. There was also recent highlight at Norseman as 10 people were baptised. This was a great encouragement to Kevin Tucker in a ministry setting where people frequently come and go.

Ministries in Victoria and New South Wales are also supported. John Saulo and the church at Wentworth-Dareton and a number of local community groups are opening a drop-in centre in what was most recently a second-hand furniture outlet.

A partnership is developing with the Melbourne Indigenous Fellowship and pastoral support is being provided to Frank and Rose Johnson (Tamworth) in their health difficulties.

Most recently IMA was part of a national gathering of Indigenous Christians at the Surrender Conference held outside Melbourne. IMA support meant that two people from the Queensland Aboriginal and Islander Fellowship could also take part.

IMA staff
Remy Sese commenced in February as the IMA Coordinator (West). He is a ni-Vanuatu and brings 17 years of ministry experience with Indigenous people and has strong networks among communities in the North West. He and Theresa and their family are making Fremantle their home. His focus is to develop relationships and connections between Churches of Christ in Western Australia and Indigenous people. He is keen to meet people and chat with them about their experiences of the past and hopes for the future.

The second IMA staff member, Nick Wight, has commenced as the IMA Coordinator (East) and has a similar goal to Remy – to get to know the people and communities. Nick brings experience in church planting and in partnering with Indigenous leaders in the East. Nick has led the Surrender Conference Indigenous program for a number of years and helped develop it from small beginnings to a gathering of more than 100 from all across Australia.