Embracing languages and Culture … Dealing with Racism and Discrimination

By Marilyn Wall.

… the learnings (from history) can shape our future ministry across the wider Lutheran Church here in Australia.

Arguably the ministry with First Australians amongst the Central Australian mission fields, notably Hermannsburg, comes to mind when the topic of the early Lutheran missions in Australia, is raised.

But are we as familiar with the history that surrounds Lutheran mission fields and of their pioneering missionaries, in South Australia or Queensland?

Have we considered the contributions of the First Nations peoples themselves to the spreading of the Gospel as well as to the 150+ years of continuous Lutheran ministry in Australia? Have we recognised the challenges of this ministry not only for the non-Indigenous, but as important, for the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples themselves?

Exploring some of the stories of the early Lutheran mission fields (South Australia, Queensland and Central Australia) can provide a snippet of awareness and understanding of the experiences of those who felt called by God to do his work during those early pioneering days of the 1800 and 1900s. Looking ahead, what are the learnings that we can use to shape our future ministry across the wider Lutheran Church here in Australia.

These were the questions raised at the morning seminar during the recent Churchwide Office staff day, November 7. (See previous story)

Resource list compiled for the Churchwide Office seminar (17 Nov). [Click Here] Includes timelines, power points, as well as selected publications, websites, articles and videos