wfn.org | Lutherans in Australia celebrate reconciliation

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ADELAIDE, Australia/GENEVA, 27 July 2000 (LWI) - The Lutheran Church
of Australia (LCA) has asked its indigenous members for forgiveness
for the suffering as a result of Australia's European settlement.

In a "Rite of Reconciliation" celebrated on July 23 at the LCA's
national convention in the Barossa Valley, LCA President Dr. Lance
Steicke said the church was sorry for the suffering that indigenous
Lutherans have endured.

"When European people came, much misunderstanding took place which
caused great suffering to your people," Steicke told close to 1,000
participants in the service, part of the opening day of the five-day
Synod.

"Many of your people were killed, many died from new diseases, and
many others were driven off their land. This has caused a grave
breakdown in the culture and lifestyle of your people, which
continues even today," the LCA president said.

Pastor George Rosendale, a senior indigenous minister from Cairns,
northern Queensland, led prayers for forgiveness, healing and
reconciliation. Indigenous Lutheran pastors and members from
Queensland, the Northern Territory and South Australia, participated
in the service in which members of the church resolved to work
together, to accept and respect each other.

Dr Steicke made the following statement of apology: "On behalf of the
rest of the people of our church, I am sorry for the suffering and
hurt that your people have had to endure. We ask God to forgive us
for the evil we have done, and the help we have failed to give you.
We resolve to work together with you, to share and learn together, to
accept and respect each other. Help us listen to you and learn from
you. We promise to work with you and others for justice and harmony
in relationships. We recognize the contribution which indigenous
people are making. We are sorry for the bad things that have happened
in the past. Please forgive us."

Pastor Jimmy Haines, representative of the Aboriginal people of
Central Australia, responded in Arrarnta, which was translated by Mr.
Garry Stoll: "Dear President, Dr Steicke, Christian friends: Many of
us Aboriginal people living in Central Australia and also us pastors
have been discussing this word reconciliation for a long time. More
recently people asked me to speak on their behalf at this synod.
That's why I'm speaking to you as their representative. We do not
hold a grudge against white people for what happened. There are
people who always want to only talk about the bad things the white
people did. We however would rather remember that many white people
helped us and many are our friends to this day. More than anything
however, we thank God that he sent his messengers to us with His
Word. The missionaries taught us about God and stayed with us for a
long time. Today there are many Aboriginal Christians and pastors in
Central Australia. We are really happy about that. We are also happy
that the Lutheran church continues to help us."

Many emotions were outwardly shown as all in attendance were invited
to share the peace, both with a hand shake and a hug in the true
tradition of European and Aboriginal cultures. Each of the main areas
of ministry with Aborigines in Australia then presented broad
overviews of their work, and participants were honored with the
presence of many of the Aboriginal pastors and leaders.

At the end of the rite, the Lutheran World Federation (LWF) General
Secretary Dr Ishmael Noko, who was invited by the LCA to attend the
Synod stated that this is the first time in his experience in the LWF
that he has witnessed a rite of reconciliation between two cultures.

Noko presented Steicke and Rosendale with two symbolic plates
depicting forgiveness and the granting of forgiveness. They were
inscribed LWF wishes God's peace among people.

(This article is a contribution of LCA Synod Media Coordinators, Ms.
Grace Bock and Ms. Helen Beringen.)

(The LWF is a global communion of 131 member churches in 72 countries
representing 59 5 million of the world's 63.1 million Lutherans. Its
highest decision making body is the Assembly, held every six or seven
years. Between Assemblies, the LWF is governed by a 49-member Council
which meets annually, and its Executive Committee. The LWF
secretariat is located in Geneva, Switzerland.)

[Lutheran World Information (LWI) is the information service of the
Lutheran World Federation (LWF). Unless specifically noted, material
presented does not represent positions or opinions of the LWF or of
its various units. Where the dateline of an article contains the
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acknowledgment.]

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Lutheran World Information
Assistant Editor, English: Pauline Mumia
E-mail: pmu@lutheranworld.org
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