Giving thanks for 175 years and seeking to be a Church for Tasmania into the future

The Anglican Bishop of Tasmania, Dr Richard Condie, said, “Birthday Celebrations are important moments in anyone’s life, especially so if you have reached the grand old age of 175”.

“These anniversaries are time to reflect on the past and make some plans for the future,” he said.

“The Diocese of Tasmania and the Cathedral Church of St David have been here for 175 years, and will be here until Christ returns.

Bishop Condie said, “Today rather than dwelling on the past we are looking to the future. Nearly three months ago now, we launched a new Vision for the Diocese of Tasmania. We want to be ‘A Church for Tasmania making disciples of Jesus’. We are a church for Tasmania and our history is closely intertwined with the history of this state. Some of our history is very dark. Our involvement with the government in the removal of the indigenous people of this island is a particularly sad contribution, and more recently the scourge of sexual abuse of the most vulnerable. We have appropriately repented of these sins and strive to be a blessing in these areas today. Most of our history here has been very positive: establishing churches; schools; welfare organisations; providing health care; chaplains; and services for the poor and needy for travellers and residents alike. So we are a church for Tasmania, but in our new vision we specifically want to be a church FOR Tasmania, to work for its good and its flourishing,” said Bishop Condie.

“We Anglicans are FOR this state: for business; for education; for health care; for the arts; for the media; for Government; and for families and individuals. We pray and work for each of these areas of our life, and to make contributions wherever we can. But the most important thing we can do as we live out our life FOR Tasmania is to do the second part of our Vision, and that is “making disciples of Jesus”.

“The one thing Christians can contribute, that only we can, is to commend Jesus Christ and to urge people to consider his claims and to respond to him,” said Bishop Condie