Anglican Communion News Service

31 January 2001

[Anglican Media Sydney] At a time when many churches are struggling to find new clergy, the Anglican Church in Sydney will ordain 27 men and commission two women for a range of ministries reflecting the diversity of Australia's multicultural society. The ordination service will be held at St Andrew's Cathedral, George Street, Sydney, on Saturday, February 3 at 10.30am.

The ordinands include Manoj Chacko, who will take up a position at Moorebank in Sydney's south-west, Moussa Ghazal, who will become a pastor with a specialist multicultural ministry, and David Tai Ming Yue, who pastors a Chinese-speaking congregation at Eastwood. Two Aboriginal men - Neville Naden and Ray Welsh - are also among the new ordinands.

Their ordination represents the fruition of the $1.2 million trust set up in 1996 to resource Aboriginal ministry as part of Sydney Diocese's commitment to reconciliation between indigenous and non-indigenous Australians. Mr Naden pastors the Anglican Indigenous People's Church based in Mount Druitt, in the western Sydney region which is home to more Aboriginal people than Arnhem Land. Mr Welsh heads the Cross Roads Aboriginal Fellowship at Redfern.

"This will certainly help indigenous ministry, especially within Aboriginal circles, where people will be able to see that the Anglican Church recognises and supports what we're doing," said Mr Welsh. "It will also help us among non-indigenous people who may have had problems recognising the ministry because we weren't ordained."

While both Mr Naden and Mr Welsh have worked in their respective ministries for a number of years, the decision to ordain them is a significant development for their work, according to Archdeacon Alan Donohoo, honorary secretary of the Indigenous People's Ministry Committee.

"This move will free them up for wider ministry in the Diocese, and should help bring greater acceptance in the Aboriginal community as well," said Archdeacon Donohoo. "Apart from that, it's up to the men themselves. Any ministry is ultimately accepted based on its own virtues and what it achieves."

Other points of interest:

Darren Box, who suffers from muscular dystrophy - a progressive, genetic illness affecting muscle tissue - will become assistant minister at Christ Church, Gladesville. He plans to develop a ministry to disabled people.

A husband and wife team will be among those recognised at the service. Stephen McKay will be ordained as a deacon and Heather McKay will be commissioned as a parish sister for ministry at All Saints, Albion Park.

Tori Walker was set to be ordained as an Anglican deacon until she got married... to a Baptist pastor from Queensland! She will be commissioned as a parish sister to work at St Catherine's School, Waverley.

Three of the Sydney ordinands will take up positions around Australasia. Peter Collier has been appointed assistant minister of St John's, Latimer Square in Christchurch, New Zealand. Simon France will serve as assistant minister at St Matthew's, Wanniassa in Canberra, while Andrew Ford will work in Broome, Western Australia, with the Bush Church Aid society.

Archdeacon for ordination, the Venerable Trevor Edwards, said the number of ordinations reflected the health of Anglican ministry in Sydney Diocese.

"These days, there are more choices for people who want to be pastors," Archdeacon Edwards said. "But there are still wonderful opportunities that arise for reaching people with the saving truths about Jesus Christ from being identified as an Anglican minister. For example, you can visit people in hospitals or you can teach Scripture. It offers people the chance to teach and pastor people within a congregation, and be able to reach out to the community with whatever gifts they have."