ACNS 4180 | AUSTRALIA | 22 AUGUST 2006
New Anglican Archbishop for Melbourne
The Right Reverend Dr Philip Freier has been elected by an overwhelming majority as the new Anglican Archbishop of Melbourne.
Bishop Administrator of the Diocese Dr John Wilson said, "I am delighted with the election - this is a wonderful choice. Bishop Freier brings a very rich experience, coming out of an Australian context."
Archbishop-Elect Freier, 51, who was elected by a two-thirds majority of Synod members at the special Election meeting 14-19 August, is currently the Bishop of the Northern Territory. He was ordained priest in 1984, and has been a bishop since 1999 when he became Bishop of the Northern Territory. His previous positions include Examining Chaplain to the Archbishop of Brisbane (1993-1999); Area Dean of the Burnett, Diocese of Brisbane; Rector, Christ Church Bundaberg, Diocese of Brisbane; and Rector St Oswald's Banyo, Diocese of Brisbane.
Prior to ordination he trained as a teacher and was employed as a teacher at Thursday Island, Kowanyama, and Yarrabah and then as an advisory teacher in Aboriginal education with the Queensland Education Department.
His qualifications include a Doctor of Philosophy from James Cook University; a Master of Educational Studies from the University of Newcastle; a Bachelor of Divinity from the Melbourne College of Divinity; and Diploma in Education from the University of Queensland; and a Bachelor of Applied Science from the Queensland Institute of Technology.
Archbishop-Elect Freier has provided strong episcopal leadership and strategic thinking to a diocese with scarce resources. This has been particularly evident in the encouragement of Aboriginal leadership in ministry and the facilitation of a ministry covenant with the Lutheran Church at Tennant Creek. As a diocesan bishop his ministry is focused on building morale, encouraging clergy, and creating conditions for others to be most effective in ministry, clergy and laity alike.
He is gifted in cross-cultural ministry and in ministering to people in a wide variety of contexts, both formal and informal. This is evident in his obvious skill and experience in ministry with indigenous people. He was a leading proponent of the opposition to legislation on mandatory detention in the Northern Territory.
He has taken a leading role in theological education in Australia as Chair of the Board of Delegates of the Australian College of Theology since 2002, and also through his involvement with Nungalinya College, a leading ecumenical theological college for the training of Indigenous Christian ministers. He has been a member of General Synod for nearly twenty years, first in the House of Clergy and since 1999 in the House of Bishops. He was a member of Standing Committee from 2003 to 2004.
Philip has been a delegate at several ecumenical congresses, including the World Council of Churches 8th Assembly (Harare, 1998). He was an Advisor to the Anglican Church of Australia delegation to the World Council of Churches 9th Assembly (Porto Alegre, 2006); and was a member of the Missionary and Ecumenical Commission of General Synod from 1995 to 1998. He is currently a member of the General Synod Ecumenical Affairs Commission.
In 2000 he completed a PhD at James Cook University for a thesis entitled 'Living with the Munpitch: The History of Mitchell River Mission, 1905-1967'. He maintains a keen interest in Australian Anglican history. From 2000 to 2003 he was an Honorary Fellow of the Faculty of Law, Business and Arts at the Northern Territory University.
He is married to Joy and has two adult children. He includes bush-walking, reading and the visual arts among his list of recreational pursuits.
___________________________________________________________________ ACNSlist, published by Anglican Communion News Service, London, is distributed to more than 8,000 journalists and other readers around the world.
For subscription INFORMATION please go to:
http://www.anglicancommunion.org/acns/acnslist.html