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Announcement – 15 November 2012

The Australian Churches of Christ Indigenous Ministries (ACCIM) Annual General Meeting was held in Perth on November 9th and 10th 2012. At that meeting a resolution was agreed to involving two parts.

The first of the resolutions was to move the delivery of Indigenous ministry from ACCIM as of the 30th June 2013 and to accept the offer of the Australian Churches of Christ Global Mission Partners to develop new ministry partnerships in Australian Indigenous ministry on behalf of Churches of Christ. A transition team has been established to oversee this process.

In other resolutions agreed to, tribute was paid to all who have served with ACCIM during the 70 years of its history. This includes the many staff and missionaries who were affirmed for their many years of effective and creative ministry.

The decision to close has not been made lightly. It follows several years of considering what options were available to the ACCIM Board. Of particular importance is the fragile financial position of ACCIM and the need for a new way of working in ministry. These two concerns will be addressed through a new partnership with GMP. GMP will launch this new partnership through the work of local churches involved in ministry with and among Indigenous people. This new program will be coordinated by a Board of Reference that has a majority Indigenous membership.

We invite and seek the support of churches and individuals as this transition takes place. It is too soon to be specific about what it will mean for particular settings of ministry. The transition team will oversee these matters.

Those who attended the AGM left with hope and with a sense of confidence in the future. The Chair of ACCIM, Justin Dhu, commented, ‘There is sadness at the closure of ACCIM and an expectation that through the partnership with GMP new ways of responding to the needs of the Aboriginal community can be implemented in order to continue Indigenous ministry with, for and by Aboriginal people’.

John Gilmore, Executive Director of GMP, assured the ACCIM Board that GMP will take seriously being the steward of 70 years of history and experience of working with Indigenous peoples, saying: ‘GMP is humbled to have its offer accepted and we are excited about the future of this new ministry’.

Justin Dhu Chair ACCIM
John Gilmore Executive Director GMP
15 November 2012

 


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