In the Christian Scriptures we are given a prayer said to have been spoken by Jesus before his death. In this prayer Jesus prays for his disciples and for all who follow him in the future:
“I ask... also on behalf of those who will believe in me through their [the disciples’] word, that they may all be one. As you, Father, are in me and I am in you, may they also be in us, so that the world may believe that you have sent me.”
(John 17:20-21)
The twelve member churches and Christian communities in Queensland Churches Together seek to fulfil this common calling, “to the glory of the One God, Father, Son and Holy Spirit”, as the Constitution of QCT puts it. In other words, by working together for the good of God’s world, the Members of QCT point to the community and wholeness that is in God – as expressed in the relational Oneness of the Trinity: Father, Son and Holy Spirit.
Christians believe that in the life and death of Jesus, and in his overcoming death, God opened a door for us to be restored to wholeness as individuals and communities, as well as being agents of restoration in a broken world, including the natural (created) world. The Church is to live out that message of healing and reconciliation, with the help of God’s Spirit, through prayer, worship and the way Christians live in the world.
The Members of QCT share the conviction that in order to see clearly the image of Jesus Christ in the world around us and respond, we need to overcome the divisions between us. In order to be agents of healing, we need to be healed of our prejudices about each other.
"I dream of an ecumenical movement as a movement of people who are messengers of God's grace, a people open to each other and discovering the presence of Christ and of God's grace in the other. To see Christ in the other is so much stronger than all that separates us. The reward in the search for visible unity of the churches in Christ is to discover the presence of the grace of God in each other on the common journey as we walk together." (Revd Dr Samuel Kobia, General Secretary of the World Council of Churches, in: Called to the One Hope. A New Ecumenical Epoch, Geneva 2006, p.2)
At its 1952 world assembly held in Lund, Sweden, the World Council of Churches adopted the so-called Lund Principle.
The Lund Principle states that “given unity in Christ” churches “should do together everything except what irreconcilable difference of sincere conviction compels us to do separately”.
Queensland Churches Together expresses this goal through its own set of AIMS.
QCT aims to encourage and enable Members to:
(a) pray together and share their faith, and to find ways to worship together, while respecting each Church's disciplines, doctrines and traditions;
(b) foster Christian unity through dialogue;
(c) develop a deeper understanding of evangelism/evangelisation in Australia's cultural context;
(d) give prophetic leadership to each other and the community by:
i) speaking out on behalf of oppressed people;
ii) promoting reconciliation and healing between Indigenous and non-Indigenous people;
iii) responding to human need and acting on issues of justice, peace and creation;
(e) dialogue with people of other faiths and ideologies in order to further mutual understanding and strive jointly for peace.
To learn about how QCT translates these aims into action, see What We Do to the left of this page.
Inari Thiel (left) of the Lutheran Church and
Archbishop John Bathersby of the Catholic Archdiocese of Brisbane,
enjoying a chat at the QCT General Council meeting in October 2007.
Read about the history of QCT as put together by Revd Don Whebell. The document is based on an earlier article by Elizabeth Harrington. It has been adapted and updated by Glenine Hamlyn.
The constituting members of Queensland Churches Together are:
Lutheran Church of Australia (Queensland District)
Queensland Congregational Fellowship
Religious Society of Friends (Quakers) – a non-credal church
Romanian Orthodox Church
In 2003 the Salvation Army joined QCT. In July 2007 the Coptic Orthodox Church was also admitted to membership.
Revd Dr David Pitman (Uniting Church), Pastor Tim Jaensch (Lutheran) with QCT banners
QCT is a membership organization. This means that all the work undertaken by QCT is done on behalf of its members. In order to reach consensus about what they want, the members meet regularly, represented in each case by delegates of their choice. This takes place in monthly Executive meetings and twice a year in so-called General Meetings. Each of these meetings is a rich exercise in ecumenical dialogue. QCT's structure, in other words, creates many spaces for dialogue between its various members.
Rev. Father Anastasios Bozikis (left) with former President Rev. Dr David Pitman
Click here for an article introducing the President of QCT
(April 2008-).
The staff (see below) facilitate joint action of the members of QCT in various fields, in consultation with the governing bodies and commissions. In the case of Christian World Service, there are integral links to the main office of Christian World Service, which is part of the National Council of Churches in Australia (NCCA).
QCT has two full-time and two part-time staff, plus a volunteer who regularly assists with the work of the Churches Together Indigenous People's Partnership (CTIPP).
General Secretary: Glenine Hamlyn
Glenine joined QCT in October 2004. She has a Masters in Theology from the University of Tuebingen in Germany and regularly attends a Lutheran Church. In her former employment with the Association of Protestant Churches and Missions in Germany (EMW) and the Church Development Service (EED), also in Germany, Glenine coordinated the support of global ecumenical projects and projects based in developing countries. "I saw ecumenical theological seminaries in places like Cuba and India, where the students were actively involved with marginalized people in their communities as part of their course work. I met some courageous and articulate theologians travelling new paths to contextualize expressions of Christian faith in their countries. I saw councils of churches whose members united to take a stand on particular political or social issues. Yet in such places ecumenical councils face some of the same questions as we do - how to best represent a diverse membership, for example, without compromising the goal of unity."
"Australia and in particular Queensland is blessed with a rich ecumenical history, continuing into the present. In the bush there are many examples of churches supporting each other and joining together in worship as well as other activities. In South-East Queensland local ecumenical sharing often finds expression in joint functions or worship services (e.g. at Easter or Christmas), joint study groups and fundraising for joint projects such as school chaplaincy. The commissions and working groups of QCT testify to the number of fields of activity in which ecumenical dialogue is relevant and practical at the state level.
"My vision for QCT is to see the member churches really living out the Lund Principle at both the state and the local levels and living out their faith together in the community."
Administration Officer: Jela Virzi
Jela began working with QCT in March 2006. Previously she had eighteen years experience working in Administration and Office Management in Catholic schools and parishes. When someone remarked to Jela recently that her life had been ecumenically very rich, she says she realized how true it was.
Jela’s mother was German and her father is Yugoslav (Serbian). Baptised Serbian Orthdox, Jela was welcomed into the Catholic faith in 1993. “We spoke German at home until I was about ten years of age. My father tried to teach my sister and me to speak Yugoslav, but we only ever remembered a few words. We attended the Serbian Orthodox Church every Sunday, which was a wonderful opportunity for my parents and others who had come to Australia post-war to gather and share their stories”.
“I have always loved learning other languages. I am fluent in Italian and while my German is not as good as it once was, I can still understand a lot. I’ve been fortunate enough to have been able to take my children to visit the countries of their grandparents’ heritage, including their father’s Italian heritage. My children have inherited my love of language and are all fluent in Italian. My five grandchildren are blessed with a rich multi-cultural and multi-faith heritage”.
'I love working at QCT,' is what I tell people if they ask me about my job. 'I meet and speak to so many interesting people every day and I enjoy the work that I do. I feel blessed to be working with Glenine, Tanya and Joan who are not only supportive but people with whom I can share a joke and a laugh.'"
Project Officer, Christian World Service (CWS): Tanya Richards
Tanya began working with QCT in June 2007. Immediately prior to taking up the role, she gained valuable experience working for six months as a volunteer with the Bali Protestant Church in an English-speaking congregation at Legian, near Kuta Beach. There Tanya worked as a Pastoral Carer, developing leadership, leading bible studies and organising worship services. She also ministered to Australian and Indonesian inmates of the Bali Prison, leading a weekly bible study and doing pastoral care, as well as teaching English.
Tanya holds a Degree in Theology from Brisbane College of Theology, which she undertook as a Uniting Church candidate for the ministry of Deacon. Tanya's position as Project Officer for Christian World Service in QCT is considered as her internship placement, and in July 2008 she hopes to be ordained into the position of Deacon in the Uniting Church. Tanya envisages continuing with QCT after her ordination.
Asked what motivates her, Tanya says: "I love to be with people, hearing their stories and sharing their dreams. I love seeing new places and experiencing everything that is new and different. Amongst my friends I’m known as the annoying Social Justice one who keeps reminding everyone of the poor and just how good we have it.
"I hope that through my work and personal life I can share the love of Christ and help people realise that they are important to God, and that together we should celebrate the life and blessing God has given. Along with this I believe I should do everything within my power to help make this world a better place for all.
"I also love real coffee, (Fair Trade of course). So if you ever want to come and talk about CWS over a coffee, let me know."
Coordinator, Churches Together Indigenous People's Programme (CTIPP)
This position is currently vacant. QCT is reviewing the scope of the programme and the position. We believe it is a vital ministry, helping to build bridges of understanding and action between the different communities within Queensland. We hope to be able to present a new Coordinator to you in the not-too-distant future.
Volunteer, CTIPP: Sr Joan Murphy
Sister Joan (our Saint Joan) has been working as a volunteer with the CTIPP programme for almost ten years, i.e. since its inception. She compiles resources, prepares meetings of the CTIPP Committee and carries out many other related duties. In the past Sr Joan has conducted parts of workshops, focusing on historical aspects of relations between Indigenous and non-Indigenous people in Queensland. Sr Joan is a Good Shepherd Sister.
