Communique from the National Bishops’ Meeting March 2024.
The Bishops of the Anglican Church of Australia gathered in Bendigo from Sunday 17th to
Thursday 21st March, 2024 and were warmly welcomed by the Right Reverend Matt Brain,
the Bishop of Bendigo.
The meeting began with the local launch of the National Evangelism Project, entitled
“Hope25 – Hope in an Uncertain World”. This exciting project seeks to provide resources,
training, prayer material, and monthly steps to enable local Anglican communities to share
the reason for the hope that we have in Jesus Christ. The Official launch of the project is
Pentecost Sunday, 2024 with an intensive preparation phase in Lent 2025 and intensive
proclamation phase in the Easter season (Easter Day to Pentecost) 2025.
Each day of the meeting began with Eucharist, Prayer, and Bible Study, with the Reverend
Doctor Jill Firth leading reflections on Praying Uncomfortable Feelings, such as anxiety, hate,
guilt, and disappointment with God based on Psalms 3, 7, 51, and 79.
In small groups and plenary sessions, the bishops considered and discussed issues such as
fellowship, communion, the understanding of marriage and blessing, how to live with
difference, the ministry of the National Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Bishops, the
Mission to Seafarers, international ecumenical dialogues, and the ministry of Anglican
Chaplains in the Armed Forces.
On the final day of the meeting, a public statement with regard to praying for peace in the
Holy Land was considered and unanimously supported by all bishops present.
The bishops concluded their time together by making commitments, including to keep
meeting together; to keep praying for one other; to keep listening to what the Spirit is saying
to the Church; and to continue to uphold responsibility for safe guarding and culture within
churches and dioceses.
The bishops will again meet together in Newcastle in October this year.
The Most Reverend Geoffrey Smith
Archbishop of Adelaide and Primate of the Anglican Church of Australia