ABORIGINAL EVANGELICAL FELLOWSHIP AUSTRALIA A Celebration of God’s Faithfulness AEF History, Testimonials, Indigenous Theology, Sermons and Bible Studies OCCUPY TILL I COME Editors: Kathryn Naden, Michelle Wighton, Francine Riches and Monica Short 1 2 A Celebration of God’s Faithfulness AEF History, Testimonials, Indigenous Theology, Sermons and Bible Studies OCCUPY TILL I COME ABORIGINAL EVANGELICAL FELLOWSHIP AUSTRALIA A Celebration of God’s Faithfulness AEF History, Testimonials, Indigenous Theology, Sermons and Bible Studies OCCUPY TILL I COME Editors: Kathryn Naden, Michelle Wighton, Francine Riches and Monica Short Contents Welcome to Barngarla Yarta (Country), by Maureen Atkinson ____________________ x Acknowledgments ____________________________________________________________ xi List of Abbreviations __________________________________________________________ 1 Foreword ____________________________________________________________________ 2 Introduction __________________________________________________________________ 3 Purpose, by Kathryn Naden and Monica Short ____________________________ 3 Chapter 1: Honouring AEF’s History ____________________________________________ 5 The Beginning __________________________________________________________ 5 Brief History of AEF _______________________________________________________ 5 The First Federal Council __________________________________________________ 6 An Overview of AEF, by Pastor Neville Lilley ______________________________ 7 Introducing an AEF Founder: Pastor Ossie Cruse __________________________ 10 A Story of Hope, Struggle and Achievement: Laying the Foundations of AEF, 1960–1970, by Dr Maxine Knapp _________________________________ 15 The Early Years of Leaders from WA ________________________________________ 16 The Formation of the AEF in WA ___________________________________________ 22 The Formation of the AEF in the Eastern States_______________________________ 25 Overview of the AIM _____________________________________________________ 25 The Founding AEF Members from Eastern Australia ___________________________ 26 Catching the Vision for Christian Leadership Development _____________________ 29 Coming Together of Leaders From East and West _____________________________ 31 Aboriginal Christian Leadership: Movement Towards Greater Autonomy _________ 37 Introducing an AEF Founder: Pastor Bill Bird _____________________________ 39 Chapter 2: Honouring AEF’s Past ______________________________________________ 41 Why Remember Our Founders With a Meal? by Reverend Neville Naden ___ 41 Prayer for the Foundational Council, by Reverend Max Wright ____________ 43 ‘Ronnie’s Poem’, by Reverend Sonny Graham ____________________________ 44 Candle Lighting Ceremony Commemoration, by Reverend Ray Minniecon ____________________________________________ 44 vi Introducing an AEF Founder: Pastor Lyle Browning _______________________ 46 Comments by the Founders ____________________________________________ 48 Jean Philips’ Testimony _________________________________________________ 50 A Testimonial Dinner Celebration for the Founders, by Reverend Neville Naden _____________________________________________ 50 Honouring Through Food, by Neil Smith ____________________________________ 51 Chapter 3: Honouring the Present While Recognising the Past ___________________ 53 Honouring AEF Women’s Ministry_______________________________________ 53 Thanking God for Women’s Ministry, by Maxine Lawrence (Chairperson, AEF National Women’s Council, 2015) __________________________ 53 The AEF National Convention Ladies Meeting, by Jacqueline Eades (Chairperson, AEF Ladies National Council, 2016) ____________________________ 54 Rose Cox’s Message: Can God Be Trusted? __________________________________ 54 Honouring Youth and Children’s Ministry ________________________________ 58 Pastor Jarred Dimer’s Testimony ____________________________________________ 58 Pastor Jarred Dimer’s Message: Occupy Till I Come ____________________________ 59 Youth Ministry at the 2016 AEF Convention, by Ace Kim __________________ 61 Ace Kim’s Testimony _____________________________________________________ 61 Children’s Ministry team at the 2016 AEF Convention. Photograph Andrew McDonough’s Collection. ________________________________________ 62 Children’s Ministry at the 2016 AEF Convention, by Andrew McDonough __ 62 Andrew McDonough’s Testimony __________________________________________ 62 Honouring Hospitality Ministry _________________________________________ 63 Margaret Jacobs’ Hospitality Ministry Story __________________________________ 63 Dr Maxine Knapp’s Hospitality Ministry Story _________________________________ 64 Chapter 4: Honouring God Through Personal Reflections and Sermons ___________ 65 Reverend Ray Minniecon’s Testimony____________________________________ 65 Kriol Baibul: Jenasis 1 ____________________________________________________ 68 Sharon Minniecon’s Testimony __________________________________________ 69 AEF Port Augusta Convention 1974: A life changing experience, by Pastor Albert and Maxine Knapp _____________________________________ 71 Katrina Tjitayi’s Testimony ______________________________________________ 75 Pastor Leon Hayward’s Testimony _______________________________________ 76 Donna Meehan’s Testimony ____________________________________________ 82 Pastor Max Conlon’s Testimony _________________________________________ 83 vii Max Conlon’s Artwork ___________________________________________________ 84 Introducing: Reverend Max Wright ______________________________________ 86 Reverend Max Wright’s Message: The Broad Path and the Narrow Path __________ 88 Introducing: Pastor Mark Naden ________________________________________ 89 Pastor Mark Naden’s Message: True Salvation ________________________________ 89 Introducing: Pastor Tony Riches _________________________________________ 92 Pastor Tony Riches’ Message: The Church ___________________________________ 92 Chapter 5: Honouring God’s Word _____________________________________________ 97 Introducing: The Reverend Dr Mark Short________________________________ 97 Chapter 6: Honouring Indigenous Theology ___________________________________ 128 AEF Statement of Faith ________________________________________________ 128 Towards an Indigenous Theology, by Reverend Neville Naden __________________ 129 Concluding Comments ______________________________________________________ 135 A Celebration of God’s Faithfulness, by Pastor Gerald and Jacqueline Eades ______ 135 Appendix 1: Part of the Purpose for AEF ______________________________________ 137 Bibliography________________________________________________________________ 138 viii List of Figures Port Augusta. Photographer Paul Tanner. ____________________________________________x Pastor Denis Atkinson and Maureen Atkinson. Photographer Philippa Naden. _____________x AEF Convention many years ago. Photograph Neville Lilley’s Collection. _________________ 2 AEF Federal Council members, 1970. Photograph Neville Lilley’s Collection. ______________ 6 Lorraine Lilley and Pastor Neville Lilley. Photograph Neville Lilley’s Collection. _____________ 7 Pastor Ossie Cruse. Photographer Philippa Naden. __________________________________ 10 Pastor Ossie Cruse and Pastor Kevin Tucker playing gum leaves. Photographer Philippa Naden. ___________________________________________________ 15 From left, Margaret Brewer with two helpers, Sunday School Group, East Perth, 1963. Photographer not known. Jacobs Family Collection. _________________________________ 21 Front row, from left: Denzel Humphries and Ronnie Williams. Back Row, from left: Alan Bonnie and Cedric Jacobs playing gum leaves. Photographer not known. Jacobs Family Collection._________________________________________________ 23 A delegation of leaders from WA to the AIM Conference, Singleton, NSW, 1968. Front row: Jack Braeside. Second row, from left: Ben Mason, Russett Mitchell. Third row, from left: Denzil Humphries, Noel Blythe, Cedric Jacobs. Photographer not known, Jacob’s Family Collection. ________________________________ 32 Brookton Church late 1950s. Far left: Miss Mary Jones. Photographer not known. _______ 36 Pastor David Kirk praying with some elders. Photograph Neville Lilley’s Collection.________ 38 Pastor Bill Bird. Photograph Neville Lilley’s Collection. ________________________________ 39 Setting for the dinner. Artwork by Melissa Lilley. Photograph Neville Lilley’s Collection. ____ 41 Bill & Pauline Manning from Kununurra - Ladies from the APY Lands & Pastor Jonathan Bates from Halls Creek. Photograph Neville Lilley’s Collection. __________ 42 Reverend Max Wright in prayer. Photographer Concilia. ______________________________ 43 Pastor Albert Knapp Candle Lighting Ceremony at the 2016 Convention. Photograph Neville Lilley’s Collection. ____________________________________________ 44 Foundational Council members and their wives at the 2016 AEF Convention. From left: The late Pastor Lyle Browning, Marilyn Koolmatrie (The late Pastor Jack Braeside’s wife), Margaret Jacobs and Reverend Cedric Jacobs, Pastor Ossie Cruse, Pastor Denzil Humphries and Shirley Humphries, Frances Graham and Reverend Sonny Graham (Absent: Pastor Bill Bird). Photographer Concilia. ___________________________________________ 46 ix Pastor Lyle Browning. Photograph Neville Lilley’s Collection. __________________________ 46 Reverend Cedric Jacobs and Pastor Ossie Cruse reminiscing at the 2016 testimonial dinner with Pastor Denzil Humphries in the background.