Movement News:

Australian Student Christian Movement (ASCM)

2008 November

Movement for the ordination of women in Australia
and ordination of SCMer Jazz Dron

Jazz being given robe

In November 2008 Anastasia and I, ASCM women’s officers, embarked on an all-day train journey to the town of Grafton, NSW, for a church service that was to be particularly meaningful for us.

Our fellow SCMer, Jazz Dron, was going to be ordained as a Deacon in the Anglican Church of Australia, a major step in her calling to the priesthood.

It was a great day of celebration, particularly because in some parts of Australia—including Sydney—women still cannot be ordained as priests. As women’s officer with ASCM and a member of the Movement for the Ordination of Women, going to Jazz’s ordination was doubly exciting.

Jazz Dron (left) with friend

I was filled with joy to see a friend and gifted SCMer decide to go down this path. It was particularly significant because in 2008 Australia got its first two women bishops, Kay Goldsworthy and Barbara Dowling. These events give me hope and inspiration, enabling me to persevere in the struggle.

Even though there are powerful people in Sydney who oppose women’s ordination, I continue to hope and work for the day when I will receive communion and hear a sermon from a woman at my own church, knowing that in other places women like Jazz, Kay and Barbara are joyfully living out their ministry and calling.

2008 June-July

Australian SCM Holds National Conference

by Eloise Wright

The Australian SCM recently held its National Conference from June 30 to July 3, 2008 at the Waratah Lodge, Katoomba, NSW, Australia.

Around 16 participants attended the conference as they all aim to achieve the conference’s objective of increasing links and sense of community with in the national movement as well as discussing and reflecting on the theme ‘What is Church?’

Highlights

Sharing about our experiences of church with SCMers of different backgrounds and Christian traditions was exciting and informative.

A combination of bible studies and themed sessions such as ‘Church and Gender’ and Global Church – WSCF sharing, as well as informal discussions over meals, enabled us to approach the theme from many different angles.

The General Committee Meeting following the conference was also successful.

2005 January-April

With tertiary students taking 3 months respite from their hectic schedule of classes over the summer it was a chance for the ASCM to do some socialising as well as some housekeeping. Kate Watts and Bronwyn Hatwell have been sharing the news of the WSCF AP RCM and WSCF GA in Chang Mai. Kate held many evening gatherings of students from many campuses as well as recent graduates in Perth while Bronwyn went to Melbourne to spread the word further and also spending time with Shawn Whelan on the handover process of National Coordinator. 

We also had our January Executive Meeting, in the picturesque surrounds of Tasmania. Many thanks go to Rachel Anderson for finding a beautiful spot for us to forget our worries of day to day life and concentrate on the work of the ASCM. The news from around the country was of winding down from the end of the school year and preparations for the beginning of the new year.

The new year holds many new and exciting possibilities for the ASCM, with new friendships emerging and old ones being renewed. We are particularly look forward to our National Conference in July being organised in Sydney. Following his moving experiences at SELF programme in Jakarta, Tim Ngui has inspired the NSW group to challenge the ASCM members through exposures to the poorest and most marginalised people of Sydney.

We are also looking further ahead with the news from the recent Regional Women’s Committee brought home by Kate of possible events in Australia. It is surely an exciting time to be part of ASCM!

2003 May-August

The ASCM has just held a national conference in Brisbane, Queensland in July. The topic of the conference was ‘Who is my Neighbour?’ Events included: a keynote address about the history of Australia’s relationship with Indonesia by Professor James Haire, outgoing president of the Uniting Church in Australia; a spiritual massage workshop; an exploration of the role of church and society in Polynesian and Melanesian communities; gender workshops, and studies on post-colonial and feminist interpretations of Scripture. Im Thano, the General Secretary of Cambodia SCM was the guest to the national conference, and gave an input on the work done by Cambodia SCM.

ASCMers agreed that there was a strong sense of community amongst members at the conference, and that we will all return to our respective branches with renewed energy and passion.

The ASCM National Conference was followed by the General Committee meeting, where there was full representation from most states in Australia. As well as working on some constitutional and business items, it was an invaluable opportunity to spend time together sharing the stories of our SCM branches, and visioning for our future directions.

The ASCM affirms our commitment to justice and solidarity, and to sharing an active, critical and open faith with students and the wider community in Australia. We extend our prayers and greetings to other SCMs in the Asia-Pacific region.

2002 December

The second half of 2002 began very well for ASCM. We had Beate Fagerli, the Co-Secretary General attend ASCM’s annual national conference in Victoria. It was an excellent opportunity for ASCM to learn more about the history of WSCF, at a regional and inter-regional level. Beate helped the ASCMers see the current position of ASCM in an international perspective, as one of many WSCF movements internationally with similar pressures and problems. Beate pointed out ASCM’s strengths rather than focus on its difficulties. This has been particularly important for ASCM as it continues its restructuring process.

The current activities have included:

Western Australia
ASCM in WA has enjoyed many events together in the past 5 months. They continue to meet every month for `Shared Space’ discussion groups on different topics. A retreat running was held for 4 nights with activities focusing on the theme `Mysticism and Christianity’. ASCMers have also been involved in further developing an ecumenical youth network in Perth, wherein Christian young people join together in worship with a different faith tradition each month.

Victoria
University of Melbourne ASCM has spent time and energy this semester clarifying some core ideas about who and what University of Melbourne SCM stands for and hopes to achieve.

New South Wales
While there are no active ASCM groups on campus, some ASCM members from NSW have combined with people from other campus Christian groups to form a “Stop the WTO Christian Coalition”. Members have also recently attended meetings of the Walk Against the War Coalition (i.e. war on Iraq) on behalf of the NSW SCM, and participated in rallies on the same issue.