Archbishop here to check on flood recovery

 By Tim Howard

 The world’s leading Anglican will be on the Northern Rivers to check out the flood recovery this week.

The Archbishop of Canterbury, Justin Welby, is in the middle of a tour of Australia and his itinerary takes in a visit to the Anglican Diocese of Grafton which also incorporates Lismore and Ballina.

The head of the world’s 85 million Anglicans will visit the Lismore Parish on Thursday and Friday and will talk with members of Anglicare and other organisations involved in the recovery from the February/March floods.

The Archbishop has spoken extensively about climate change, and has been at the forefront of climate change initiatives.

The Archbishop, who is touring with his wife, Caroline Welby, he will give a public lecture entitled Building Peace in Robust Diversity at Emmanuel Anglican College on Thursday night.

The venue is the Lindsay Walker Centre at Emmanuel Anglican College, Ballina. Organisers recommend arrival at 7pm for a 7.30pm start.

On Friday he will be in Lismore, where he will join the Catholic Bishop of Lismore, Greg Homeming for communal prayers at noon and then meet with the flood responders.

This visit of an Archbishop of Canterbury to Grafton Diocese is the first since the visit of Archbishop Geoffrey Fisher in 1950.

During the 14-day visit he will travel from Perth to Thursday Island, visiting Adelaide, Sydney, and regional centres.

The Archbishop is scheduled to meet Anglicans delivering diverse ministries and services including First Nations groups to discuss issues of reconciliation and multicultural ministries including refugee groups.

In Sydney, he will spend time with Ray Minniecom, pastor Scarred Tree Indigenous Ministries with St. John’s Anglican Church, Glebe.

Archbishop Welby will also meet people across the country affected by climate change, an issue which the Archbishop has spoken about extensively.

He will talk to Thursday Islanders coping with rising sea levels as well as the visit to Lismore and Ballina.

The Primate of the Anglican Church of Australia, Archbishop Geoff Smith, said he was delighted Archbishop Welby was visiting Australia.

“We are looking forward to this visit immensely,” he said. “In a world plagued by division it is good to be reminded of our common values and to cement the ties of the Anglican Church of Australia with Anglicans around the globe.

“We look forward to this visit reinforcing our shared values and letting us draw strength from each other as we confront the imperatives of our time,” Archbishop Smith said.

Archbishop Welby will also meet with young people in Anglican schools and spend a day meeting with the Bishops of the Anglican Church of Australia.

In Adelaide he will take part in the celebrations of the 175th Anniversary of the Diocese and will ordain two Aboriginal women as priests during a visit to the community of Yarrabah, near Cairns.

The tour, which began on October 4, winds up on October 18.