Tri-Territorial Webinar series kicks off with reconciliation theme
Tri-Territorial Webinar series kicks off with reconciliation theme
7 June 2022
Practising deep and meaningful relationships by walking alongside First Nations people will enable us to meet the local needs of our communities.
The first Tri-Territorial Webinar of the year was held on Wednesday 1 June as part of National Reconciliation Week.
The theme of National Reconciliation Week 2022 was ‘Be Brave. Make Change’, challenging individuals, families, organisations, communities and governments to be ‘brave’ enough to tackle the unfinished business of reconciliation so that effective ‘change’ can be made for all Australians.
The three territories that took part in the webinar were the Australia Territory, United Kingdom and Ireland Territory, and the New Zealand, Fiji, Tonga and Samoa Territory.
To kick off the first of the three-part series of tri-territorial discussions, this webinar featured a yarn between two First Nations Christian women – Hanna Seddon and Shirli Congoo – to reflect on lessons the Western Church can learn from the Indigenous cultures they represent.
Snapshot of the yarn
Hana Seddon is a Salvation Army officer from the New Zealand, Fiji, Tonga and Samoa Territory. On her father’s side, she is from two Indigenous groupings from the New Zealand’s north, and on her mother’s side, she is Irish.
Shirli Congoo is the General Manager for the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander team in the Australia Territory. On her mother’s side, she is a Cobble Cobble woman from Queensland. On her grandfather’s side, she is of Vanuatuan descent.
In both Indigenous cultures represented in the webinar, kinship between families and connection to the land was the overlaying theme of identity and sense of belonging. Through the acts of forced removal from families and place, and the lack of truth-telling of our shared history, Shirli reflected on the disconnection and loss of belonging Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples continue to endure.
With the aim to uncover what role the Western Church can play in the journey of healing and reconciling in harmony, Hana and Shirli emphasised the importance of healthy relationships. Learning from the core cultural principles of Indigenous communities, family values, and intergenerational strength and depth were aspects the two believed the Church could benefit from.
“Challenge the assumptions that we have all the answers, God is great at humbling us. When you sit with people who are different to you, there is opportunity to learn and teach in many ways,” Hana enlightened.
Indigenous kinships are intergenerational and interwoven, meaning no one gets left behind, and the community sticks together. There is a strong opportunity for the Western Church to create long mutual-flourishing relationships with communities if we are willing to sit down, listen and see the spirit of God through a different lens.
“If you want to make meaningful change, you have to ask God: ‘Search my heart, help me understand what baggage and barriers are holding me back’, and then follow the spirit,” Hana explained. “Don’t be afraid to be challenged.”
Practising deep and meaningful relationships by walking alongside First Nations people will enable us to meet the local needs of our communities. Though Shirli accentuated to “do it because you are Christian, not because you want them to be Christian”.
In closing, the Secretary for Mission in the UK, Lieut-Colonel Drew McCombe, acknowledged that Indigenous peoples across the globe had suffered and continue to suffer and questioned whether it was time we also needed to suffer, to be challenged. “How do we engage those who have felt the pain of colonisation, disrespect, and exclusion? How do we build meaningful and mutually beneficial relationships and recognise people for who they are?” he said. The answer lies in seeking knowledge and listening to their truth.
The biggest takeaway from the webinar is that the spirit and love of God is not confined by language or place. We all belong to the human race and are created in the image of God.
The next Tri-Territorial events will be held on 22 September at 5pm AEST and 9 November at 5pm AEDT. Topics and registration details will be available closer to the dates.
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