Archbishop Jensen’s Presidential Address to Synod, 2006

Archbishop of Sydney, Dr Peter Jensen will deliver his Presidential Address to the Sydney Anglican Synod at 4.00pm today. The Synod, which commences at 3.15pm will be meeting in the Wesley Theatre, 220 Pitt, Sydney.

The theme of Dr Jensen's Address is leadership and change in the Church. This theme is the main focus he pursues throughout the address. He suggests that to fulfil the Church's Mission there must be leaders who bring creative and innovative change. He also speaks of the difficulties of leadership especially in the secularist environment of the contemporary Australian community.

"It is not easy to be a leader; the blame falls on the just and the unjust. It opens us to criticism; it calls for uncommon energy and commitment; it is disturbing; it makes us accountable. To be a leader is to accept the risk of failure; to learn to live with rejection; to sacrifice for others" . But we need leaders. "

"As the Sydney Anglican community, we have committed ourselves through the Diocesan Mission to an evangelistic outreach of significant proportions. It requires energetic and planned effort on a large scale. Furthermore, we are evangelising in a hard place at a hard time. I am always interested to hear from our African friends who are experiencing vast evangelistic success. They confirm that when it comes to secular western culture, they would find it as hard as we do. It is a daunting project. I am not in the slightest surprised that we are finding it rugged work and sometimes dispiriting.

"We must not be dismayed at the difficulties. The failure of secularism creates opportunities for the gospel. And the failure of secularism becomes plainer by the month. Secularism fails to support the central concern of the truly human life: relationships. And Australians regard relationships and families as their chief source of happiness. These are issues about which the Bible speaks with power, most notably our obligation to love.

Dr Jensen explains that this is also a matter that is gaining serious and necessary attention in the community at large.

"In an excellent article in the Australian Paul Kelly helps us to understand what we are going through culturally, and how well Mr Howard - and now Mr Rudd - has understood the mood of the nation. He refers to the battle between the cultural progressives and the cultural traditionalists. Quoting Francis Fukuyama, he points out that ‘The culture of intense individualism" spilled into to the realm of social norms where it corroded virtually all forms of authority and weakened the bonds holding families, neighbourhoods and nations together’.  Kelly says, ‘The story of the past 15 year is that tolerance will not suffice as the glue to bind society. The dwindling postmodernists who still think this have lost the plot’. I have longed for the day when I would see that in one of our newspapers. Now let's her it for love!

“Whatever we think of Mr Howard’s policies, according to Kelly he has understood this. It is right and proper to disagree with the policy and operation of Government: I have expressed disagreement most recently over the continued detention of David Hicks, for example. But there is something revealing about the malice and hatred, the sheer lack of civility " dare I say failure to love our neighbour? - in so many of those who write to newspapers about the Prime Minister.  I think it reveals a fear that Mr Howard’s social conservatism may actually have proved to be broadly correct - and that it is the libertarian position which has done untold harm during the forty years that it has been the ruling philosophy. Let me add, lest you think that I am merely endorsing Mr Howard, some of these insights appear on the other side of politics as well, for example in the writings of Mr Lindsay Tanner.

“The gospel of Jesus is strikingly relevant to all these common human concerns. We are talking the same language as our neighbours - and the word of God, with its emphasis on love not tolerance, on community not individualism, on self-discipline not permissiveness is going to enhance human life and make our aspirations more readily achievable.”

The Archbishop also asked the Synod to consider the provocative question "Why do men hate going to Church?'

"You can respond in three ways. If you are antique, the easiest thing to do is simply to blame the men who are absent. If you are thinking mission, you will at least agree that it is a good question. If you are thinking leadership, you will act to do something about it" ..It's a key question, since when men relate to church, their families are more likely to come and more likely to stay. One thing is for sure: you will not increase your contact with men by treating them as though they are women. In other words, don't even ask this question if you are not willing to do something new and different.

Towards the conclusion of his address, Archbishop turns his attention to two matters that will be discussed during the Synod.

He encourages members to welcome the Ordinance that will permit Indigenous Anglicans in the Diocese of Sydney to have specially elected (by the members of the Indigenous congregations) representatives on the Synod. There is an increasing development of indigenous groups in the Diocese. To this time none of them have fulfilled the requirements for appointing Synod members. This Ordinance is intended to be in place until the indigenous congregations meet the requirements for Synod representation.

"Indeed, in 2006 we have the opportunity to welcome as members of the Synod representatives of our indigenous churches. I believe that the Lord has moved among us in the creation of these churches, and I hope that we do not hesitate to give that ordinance a cordial reception. We can never forget the debt we owe to the first inhabitants of our land

Archbishop Jensen also addresses briefly the fact that a private member's motion will attempt to bring the matter of the ordination of women to the priesthood onto the Synod agenda. While indicating his own opposition to the matter of women priests Dr Jensen tells Synod members of his concern that this move may prove a hindrance to the burgeoning varieties of women's minstries that have developed in the Diocese of Sydney.

"Let the whole of scripture speak for itself. The answer is clear: the ministry of women is encouraged; the eldership of women in the congregation is denied. By obeying scripture at this point we have been blessed, not least in some truly remarkable ministries by women, but also in the encouragement it gives to men to take up their specific responsibilities. We are seeing many men and women offering for biblical ministry and to model family life."

An EMBARGOED copy of the complete text of the Presidential Address is available from the Archbishop's office (contacts below) at 12 noon today.

CONTACT:
Margaret Rodgers
(o) 02 9265 1507
(Mobile) 0411 692 499

Thelma Lyell 02 9265 1519 OR 02 9265 1521