by Jeremy Halcrow

It may have taken eleven tiring years, but the Rev George Gayagay is ‘overjoyed’ that his congregation of Filipino Anglicans has been officially accepted into the Diocese of Sydney.
“This offer came out of the blue,” he said “It’s a great joy we have become part of the established Anglican Church otherwise we are just nomads.”
The offer was due to the initiative of North Parra-matta parish who were seeking to help resource an ethnic church, not merely rent out their buildings.
A ‘celebration’ service in late October marked the integration of the congregation into the parish . The service at their new home – St Paul’s, Harris Park – was attended by the Prime Bishop of the Episcopal Church of the Philippines (ECP), the Most Rev Ignacio Saliba, and five other Filipino bishops.
Mr Gayagay’s vision took shape when he met Filipino-Australians at a ministry conference in 1987. From Manila, he applied to migrate to Australia.
Arriving in 1991with support from the ECP to oversee his church until arrangements were finalised with the Anglican Church in Australia, Mr Gayagay accepted an assistant ministry position at St John’s, Ashfield and then St Luke’s, Enmore. But with most Filipinos living in Sydney’s west, he realised that if the ministry was to progess it would need another home.
Taking a full-time job as chaplain at the Seafearers Centre, Port of Sydney,  he rented a hall at Rooty Hill in 1996. Now there is a regular congregation of 30 adults and 15 children drawn from 120 contacts.
“My prayer is the continuity of our ministry and the integration of ourselves into the diocese,” said Mr Gayagay, who is looking to-wards retirement reassured his people will be cared for. “My hope is that one of our [Filipino] children would go to Moore College to train for the ministry.”