His voice may be hard to understand, but Stephen Simonof moving account of the joy he now finds in Jesus helped win Synod backing for a campaign to make every Anglican Church inclusive of people with a disability.
Mr Simonof was featured in a video produced by Christian Blind Mission (CBM) that highlighted the struggles confronting people with disabilities as they seek to connect with local churches.
Among the "disability inclusive' churches featured in the video was Wild Street Anglican in Sydney and Diamond Creek Anglican in Melbourne.
In speaking to the motion sponsored by the Diocese's Social Issue Executive, Deaconess Margaret Rodgers told Synod of her own father's battle to live with multiple sclerosis.
Deaconess Rodgers said its was "hypocritical" for the Anglican Church to lobby Government to provide better disability services when parishes haven't done more to welcome people with disabilities into church life.
She asked rhetorically: "Are people with disabilities an unreached people group for your parish? If such people come to you… are you ready with appropriate physical resources?"
The motion was seconded by Anglicare Sydney's CEO, Peter Kell, who said the Diocese's community care arm was the largest provider of respite services in the State.
He spoke of on case of an eight year old boy that Anglicare supports, who is the primary carer of his mum who has a disability.
"He has been caring for her since he was four," Mr Kell told the stunned auditorium.
The four-part motion includes a request that "all parishes" develop and implement a plan to remove those obstacles that currently prevent people affected by disability from hearing the gospel and sharing in Christian fellowship."
It also requests the Diocese "continue to advocate for Government policy that promotes the wellbeing and interests of people with disabilities and their families and carers."
At the dinner break Synod delegates were given a kit prepared by CBM aimed at helping Sydney parishes become "disability inclusive Christian communities".
New direction for tertiary education ministry
In the major debate of Monday's session, ministry to NSW's tertiary education sector was given a substantial boost and will enter a new phase of strategic maturity and comprehensiveness.
Formerly university chaplancies had to apply for grants from one of the Diocese's five Regional Councils, while the Rev Craig Blackett's ministry to the technical and vocational education sector was also reliant on support from Anglican Youthworks.
But with the capacity of Regional Councils reduced due to the financial crisis, tertiary chaplaincy will now be accountable to just one committee which has been given the power to set new strategic directions and fund them accordingly.
The pattern of Synod voting also showed strong support for beefing up tertiary ministry as much as possible despite the funding constraints, with one speaker saying this motion may even create "a new Youthworks" for tertiary students.
Synod's heart-felt enthusiasm for this new direction for tertiary ministry was reflected in unusually sustained applause on the passage of the motion.
Debate centred on nearly a dozen amendments.
A number of the amendments were of a technical nature and passed easily, but six were substantive.
Dr Robert Mackay from Robert Menzies College suggested three amendments aimed at strengthening the new committee's accountability to Synod.
Dr Mackay said he was particularly concerned that given the complexity of the tertiary education sector, including TAFE and other vocational education institutions, as well the massive growth in the overseas student education industry, some ministry opportunities may get overlooked.
Two of Dr Mackay's amendments were rejected as being too onerous and restrictive, but Synod agreed to the third which will require the committee to develop a "framework, measurable goals and strategies" across the full spectrum of the tertiary education sector for "Synod's consideration".
Synod rejected a similar amendment from Professor Chris Bellenger that would have required that the committee's strategic priorities "be approved by Synod" rather than merely reporting them to Synod.
From the floor, the Rev Ted Brush raised a concern that this amendment would effectively hamstring the new committee from acting until Synod meets again next year.
In contrast, the Rev Richard Blight successfully argued that the new committee should actually have more firepower and be directly responsible for "the allocation of resources in accordance with strategic priorities" rather than merely "recommending" spending priorities to Synod.
Lastly, Synod agreed to Bishop Robert Forsyth suggestion of an additional clause encouraging tertiary chaplaincies to seek funding from sources outside Diocesan funds.
The former University of Sydney chaplain encouraged tertiary ministries "to think big" despite the Diocese's financial losses, saying that the Sydney University Evangelical Union now had an annual budget of $600,000 on top of its $40,000 grant from the South Sydney Region thanks to its graduate fund.
