Baptist Churches SA & NT is committed to learning and walking alongside our Indigenous sisters and brothers.
Aboriginal Member Churches
Our Shared Story
Apology to Indigenous Australians
May 2000
Throughout 1998-2000, Baptist Churches held meetings to listen to the painful story of Indigenous Australians, including their treatment by Australian Christians. Assembly drafted, discussed and adopted this Apology statement.
The statement includes acknowledgement, confession, apology, and repentance as well as significant affirmations for our shared story into the future. It is a hopeful document that witnesses to true reconciliation, a redeemed humanity and the Kingdom of God being lived out in the body of Christ. The statement was formally adopted at a special service on 21 May 2000.
The Uluru Statement From The Heart
May 2017
In May 2017, over 250 Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Delegates from all points of the Southern Sky gathered in Mutitjulu in the shadow of Uluru and put their signatures on a historic statement.
Addressed to the Australian people, the Uluru Statement From The Heart invited the nation to create a better future via the proposal of key reforms.
Response to the Uluru Statement
September 2022
In 2022, the National Council of Australian Baptist Ministries (also known as the Baptist Union of Australia) formally accepted the invitation of our First Nations sisters and brothers in the Uluru Statement from the Heart to “walk with us in a movement of the Australian people for a better future…” (continue reading).
Our BCSANT Assembly Board adopted this statement on 5 September 2022.
Walking Together Taskforce
In 2023, BCSANT re-established a focus group to lead our learning and walking alongside our Aboriginal sisters and brothers.
The Walking Together Taskforce exists to deepen meaningful relationships, collate shared theological reflection, and develop mutually beneficial partnerships with our Aboriginal member churches, and the Aboriginal Christian community more broadly.
The taskforce seeks to inspire non-Aboriginal local churches to listen, learn, respond, and act in love and hospitality to Aboriginal Christians in their churches and from across SA & NT.
As part of this shared story, we have created an Aboriginal Ministry Support Fund to financially support community development, leadership development, and capacity building across SA & NT. We invite individuals and churches from across our movement to invest with us in Aboriginal ministry and development.
The distribution of funds is upon application or by proactive decision of the taskforce, and is overseen by the BCSANT Assembly Board. The goal of the fund is to create further opportunities for practical support of Aboriginal ministry, partnerships, community, and leadership development, as well as sustainable capacity building for the future. We encourage individuals and churches to consider contributing one-off and regular gifts to invest in these partnerships.
Meet the Taskforce
Pastor Uncle Don Hayward
Aboriginal Berean Community Church
Claire Jenkins
Hills Baptist Aldgate
Kerry Davies
Enfield Baptist
Jason Hoet
Unley Park Baptist
Elliot Keane
Baptist Churches SA & NT
The Walking Together Taskforce seeks to:
- Hear and respond to the invitation of Aboriginal communities to walk together
- Create space to listen well to and share the stories of our Aboriginal Christian Leaders and communities
- Deepen meaningful relationship and opportunities to learn from the Aboriginal Berean Community Church, our indigenous member churches in the NT, and the Aboriginal Christian community more broadly
- Collate and commission theological reflection on the Gospel and racial injustice and learn from indigenous theology
- Facilitate informed discussion and inspire non-Aboriginal church communities to understand the truth about our shared history, white privilege, and the rich aspects of Aboriginal culture
- Advocate alongside our Aboriginal communities for BCSANT investment, broader community issues and other invitations to support the voice and capacity building of Aboriginal Christian leaders and communities
Significant Dates
Aboriginal Sunday
Sunday before 26 January
An opportunity to re-establish William Cooper’s Aboriginal Sunday and go deeper in listening, learning, and being led by Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Christian Leaders. You can get a toolkit from commongrace.org.au
Reconciliation Week
27 May to 3 June
This week is a time for all Australians to learn about our shared histories, cultures and achievements and to explore how each of us and our churches can witness to the reconciliation of all things in Christ.
NAIDOC Week
The first full week of July
An annual week-long celebration of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander history, culture and achievement. It is a chance to learn about and celebrate the contributions that Indigenous Australians make to our country and society.
Resources
Australians Together
Australians Together help non-Indigenous people learn the true story of our shared history, understand how it’s still having an impact today and imagine new ways to live together more respectfully. One of the powerful resources on offer from Australians Together is a small group resource, Sharing Our Story.
Common Grace
Common Grace is a movement of Australian Christians seeking to live, speak and act more graciously, more compassionately, more like Jesus in today’s world. One part of the Common Grace movement is led by Aboriginal Christian leaders with an aim to pursuing friendship and reconciliation in our lifetime.
Surrender Co.
Surrender aims to raise up Christians to live the radical of Jesus and follow him to the least, the last and the lost. The Surrender Conference is co-created by aboriginal leaders and includes speakers, workshops and artists as a central and powerful voice.
Aboriginal Ministry Support Fund
You can partner with us to invest in Indigenous ministry and capacity building by giving to our Walking Together Fund. All donations made to this fund are invested in Indigenous ministry, leaders and initiatives.
Walking Together Logo derived from Artwork by Kristen Forbes (2018)*
This picture depicts two pathways that represent the journey of two cultures – Indigenous and non-Indigenous.
Each of the eight circles have a unique meaning. They represent:
- State of being one
- Nature of Unity
- Vision of Unity
- Nurturing of connection
- Humanity united
- Nation of Oneness
- Vision of Oneness
- Reconciliation
The circular symbols on the outer represent all Indigenous nations and the broader Australian community.
The colours, red ochre, yellow ochre, orange, yellow, and browns represent the country, while the star constellations are associated to ancestors, who are an important spiritual connection.
The centre represents the ceremony place of meeting for all cultures.
* The artist has given Baptist Churches SA & NT the rights to reproduce and use the work in digital formats.
To find out more, get in touch with Elliot Keane, our Leadership Development Facilitator.