Living water
Tasmanian delegates at the Australian Health and Welfare Chaplains' Association national conference in Hobart.
AHWCA National Conference
The Australian Health and Welfare Chaplains’ Association National Conference was held in Hobart at the end of January 2009. Rosemary Perrott-Russell writes that is was one of the best AWHCA Conferences.
Over one hundred and fifty chaplains nationally at Jane Franklin Hall listened with great interest to the story of how Christianity spread to the West and not to the East.
The Revd Professor James Haire spoke of the Cyclic Culture (birth, maturity, harvest, death, rebirth, new life) which fitted the Gospel Story and the Word Culture (the Torah) which was what Jewish leaders wanted the people to embrace.
The theme was ‘Living Water’.
The day began with worship and Bible study, lead by: Bishop Phillip Newell who reflected on Mark 4:35-42; Dr Elizabeth Vagg who examined the phrase ‘Living Water’ from John 4:7-15; Fr Chris Hope used John 5:1-18 to speak about Jesus who heals on the Sabbath and the Son who gives life; the Revd Rod Waterhouse reflected on John 7:37ff where Jesus is the one who quenches our thirst.
A personal story of trauma through a car accident and his reflections and learnings through his hospitalisation was given by Professor Carey Denholm.
Mrs Sue Viney gave refreshing insights in her story of ‘Tears and Laughter.’ Mrs Heather Donaldson had us all in fits of laughter in ‘the Power of Humour.’ She introduced into Tasmania ‘Laughter as a Therapy for Chronic Pain’. Mrs Frances Seen shared her journey as a Community Minister for the Beaconsfield Uniting Church during the mine rock fall in 2006.
Electives were given by Dr Tim Begbie on ‘Alternative Therapies’; Mr Peter Ryan gave a workshop on ‘Spirituality;’ Revd Dr Lindsay Carey spoke on the research he is doing for the Association; and the Revd Ross Duncan spoke on ‘Victims of Sexual Assault’.
The opening ceremony was held at All Saints, South Hobart, where the Revd Eric Cave gave the opening address on ‘Living Water’ using an illustration of the building of a pipeline travelling 530 kilometres from Mundaring Weir to Mount Charlotte Reservoir at Kalgoorlie.
National President, the Revd Cheryl Holmes gave the closing address. Cheryl had earlier chaired the AGM of the Australian Health and Welfare Chaplains Association, when motions from the National Search Conference of the AHWCA in May 2008 were brought forward.
The AGM endorsed the establishment of Spiritual Care Australia and adopted the interim constitution. This means the AHWCA no longer exists after 30 June, 2010.
It wasn’t all work as we celebrated Australia Day by having a wine tasting from Panorama Estate Winery, Huon Valley. Fr Michael Tate gave a very interesting after dinner speech on the Australian Citizenship Pledge, which he had written when Labor Senator. And there were excursions on Wednesday afternoon to Richmond and to the Tahune Airwalk.
It was one of the best AHWCA Conferences held and the fourth in Tasmania. It is also the last, as next year the AHWCA National Conference will have the inauguration of the future national body for chaplaincy, pastoral and spiritual care under the heading Spiritual Care Australia.
This is from 7 to 11 February 2010 at Trinity College, Melbourne.