Anglican Communion News Service

The tragic death of a Nigerian athlete has put the spotlight on the Olympic's hardworking chaplains

By Jeremy Halcrow

The Rev Richard Hurford is extremely tired. He is one of six chaplains co-ordinating the efforts of 80 volunteer chaplains to the 23,000 people in the Sydney Olympic Village.

"It's very difficult finding any space," he said. "It's like running a family drop-in-centre as well as formal study groups and worship."

Just a week after the opening of the 'chapel '- known as the Religious Services Centre- at the Olympic Village, and with the village still not much more than half full, they have already dealt with major incidents. Top of the list was the death of a Nigerian athlete in a car accident on the night of Thursday 7 September. Though not officially part of the Olympics - Hyginus Anayo Anugo was a reserve relay runner - his death has deeply affected many in the Nigerian athletics team.

"We have ministered to Nigerian team members and (hurdler Glory Alozie) the fiancee of the deceased," said Mr Hurford. "Even before the incident Nigerians were perhaps the largest group using the centre. They have particularly valued the distribution of Scriptures. We are very thankful to the Bible Society for providing this service."

Nkem Ofu, a Nigerian team official told Sydney's Daily Telegraph newspaper that Glory Alozie had received a great deal of support.

"Everybody in the team loves her. In Africa, grief is shared. She's had plenty of people around her all day and she has handled it well."

Mr Hurford said he was 'extremely impressed' with the way the chaplains had coped with the tragic situation. He said their chaplaincy systems had been established to cope with just such incidents.

"Our staff were extremely focused and professional," he said. "The feedback from the village administration has been very positive."

Two years ago SOCOG chose the NSW Police Chaplaincy Service to provide spiritual support to the visiting athletes at the Olympic and Paralympic Games. Mr Hurford is rector of St James' King Street in Sydney, a large church situated near the NSW Supreme Court building in the city. He is also police chaplain for City East. Mr Hurford and the Rev Peter Mumford, the NSW Police Service's Senior Anglican Chaplain, were chosen as part of a board of six Police Chaplains to co-ordinate chaplaincy for the Games. Both will be directing the work of the 80 voluntary chaplains representing the five major world faiths - Buddhism, Christianity, Hinduism, Islam and Judaism.

For almost two years, Mr Hurford, Mr Mumford and the four other co-ordinating Police Chaplains have been working with SOCOG to establish the chapel - known as the Religious Services Centre - in the Olympic Village.

"This is an unique religious centre," said Mr Hurford. "Never before at any Olympic Games has there been such an united approach to chaplaincy. Hitherto, athletes have had to find their way to churches, chapels, mosques and synagogues spread across the Olympic site and the community."

Mr Hurford admitted SOCOG's requirement that the chapel be multi-faith had been a controversial decision with some Christians, but said the chaplains - the bulk of who are Christians - were working well together.

"The Chaplains have been saying how much they are learning from each other. Ignorance breeds fear, but we have been working together in a gentle and caring way," he said.

Mr Hurford believes that the multi-faith model will be the way of the future as Australia becomes an increasingly pluralist society. The question for Christians is, 'How to work within that model?'

"How can we do Christian witness with integrity but also with sensitivity? We must act in a way that honours our Lord - Christ is our model," he said.

While the Chaplains are not allowed to 'proselytise', they have also been asked, 'to be proactive in being visible and accessible in moving around the Village'. In practice this approach has enabled the chaplains to build up many contacts.

"We've had lots of contact with people who are lonely and missing home," Mr Hurford said. "It's amazing how many people will stop and ask you about the opportunities for worship."

Mr Hurford has been very encouraged by the way one contact 'blossoms as people come back to our centre time and again'.

"It is so rewarding having these opportunities for sharing and witnessing in one-on-one times as well as small groups,' he said.

In all there will be eight Anglicans working as chaplains to the more than 23,000 people living and working in the Olympic Village every day. They include the Rev Andrew Wingfield-Digby, the Archbishop of Canterbury's representative who runs a high profile sports ministry in the UK, ex-American Olympian, Dr Madeleine Mims, and the Rev David Tyndall, head of the Archbishop of Sydney's Olympic Games Taskforce.

The eight places designated to Anglicans were filled as requested by the Archbishop of Sydney, Dr Harry Goodhew, who is Metropolitan of the Anglican Church in NSW. Other well known chaplains on the team are Australian Baptist pastors Mark Tronson and George Capsis and American evangelist and advocate for the disabled Joni Eareckson-Tada.

Other Chaplains

Apart from the chaplains in the athlete's village, many other clergy will be hard at work during the games. Top of the list will be Sydney's Police Chaplains, who will have hundreds more police from rural areas, interstate and even New Zealand under their care. The Rev Craig Potter, who ministers at St Peter's, Mt Victoria, is also Police Chaplain for the Blue Mountains Area Command. He will have responsibility for the 144 police living at the Meroo Conference Centre, Kurrajong, during the Olympics.

"No doubt we are going to have dramas during the Games," he said. "Already we have had one officer who had to return home because of a death in the family."

Mr Potter has planned a number of visits to the Homebush Olympics Site, as part of his pastoral care of these police officers. He finds police chaplaincy a great avenue for ministry.

"Police are struggling with some of the really tough issues of life," he said. "Their sense of justice is assailed regularly and they are looking for some spiritual solidity. The are often confronted with the human frailty of our justice system and they want to know that God is a just God. Fortunately the gospel of Jesus has an answer."