by Madeleine Collins
Stunned amazement greeted the voice on the phone from Western Australia, when the rector of St John’s, Parramatta received a call telling him he had just been elected bishop of one of the largest Anglican Dioceses in the world.
When Canon David Mulready, 56, was told that he had been elected bishop of North West Australia by a clear majority at the diocese’s election synod on September 13, he confessed to feeling ‘overawed and inadequate’.
Canon Mulready is currently serving as rector at St John’s, Parramatta, a position he has held since 2000. He will succeed the Rt Rev Anthony Nichols as Bishop of North West Australia, a Diocese which spans about 25 per cent of Australia and is geographically the largest in the Anglican Communion.
Canon Mulready is the eleventh rector of St John’s since Samuel Marsden founded the Cathedral in the early years of the colony.
After graduating from Moore Theological College in 1970, he began his career serving in the Diocese of Sydney. In 1974 he took up parish ministry in rural NSW, including positions in Tambar Springs, Manilla, Walgett and Gunnedah during a 15-year tenure in the Diocese of Armidale.
In 1989 he became the NSW State Secretary of the Bush Church Aid Society and from 1993 to 2000 was rector of St Stephen’s, Penrith.
He will be consecrated as bishop in February 2004. He and his wife, Maureen, will live in Geraldton. Their three adult children will all remain in NSW.
Canon Mulready said his first response to being approached to run for election was ‘don’t be ridiculous’. “I wasn’t sure I had what it took. But we prayed about it. We don’t want to leave our kids … but if it’s God’s will, we are meant to be there,” he said. “People thought that we as a couple had something to contribute.”
Canon Mulready says his pastoral care and organisational skills will be beneficial in his new role, as will his long experience of both city and country ministry. But he is aware that some West Australian churches might be wary of the so-called ‘wise men from the east’. “I’m looking forward to sharing in ministry with people, not telling them how to do it,” he said.
Moving to a small country parish to retire was on the cards following their seven-year tenure at Penrith during the mid-1990s. But it was not meant to be. “We had thought maybe in a couple of years we would resign and find a nice little country ministry, then we came to Parramatta,” he said. “Sydney has been very supportive.”
He describes the new role as similar to that of an overseas missionary, with the distance and isolation bringing its fair share of challenges. “It’s going to be a huge learning experience,” he admits. “The distances are huge. Some [clergy] are ten hours from their nearest colleague.”
The population of North West Australia is far-flung and transient. There is a large aboriginal population in addition to mining families, pastoralists and tourists. The couple admit that weekly Bible studies and other regular ministry groups will be difficult or impossible to maintain when clergy can travel 3,000 kilometres to visit a parishioner, and miners and tourists come and go. “A church might be doing well this year, but next year there might be a 100 per cent turnover,” said Canon Mulready.
Due to the Diocese’s financial strain, Canon Mulready said he hopes to call on a team of supporters to help fund their living costs. “It will take a lot of dependence on God,” Mrs Mulready said.
