BCA's Vision

BCA's VISION

The Bush Church Aid Society of Australia
is an association of Christians within the Anglican Church whose vision is and goal is

Australia For Christ

BCA has a priority in mission to the isolated, remote urban and rural people of Australia.

BCA's purpose is:

to proclaim Christ so that people may respond to him;

to nurture Christians in their faith and ministry;

to strengthen local Christian communities in their mission;

to provide services of Christian care and advocacy;

to develop an understanding of Christ's mission and

to promote active partnership throughout the church.

BCA orders its life and ministry:

by prayer for God's help and the Holy Spirit's guidance;

by the vision, wisdom, authority and encouragement of Scripture;

by humility, servanthood and fellowship with the church in mission;

by interdependent relationships with Diocesan Bishops;

by providing pastoral care and professional development for staff and

by responsible management of its resources.

BCA fulfils its mission as the people of Australia are given the opportunity to know and love the Lord Jesus Christ, trust in his promises, respond to him in obedience, reflect his character in their lives, be committed to his church and work for his purpose in the world.

The Beginnings of the Society

The Bush Church Aid Society has been working on its own as long as the Colonial & Continental Church Society worked in Australia before it handed the work over to a local Australian committee, which in turn became the Bush Church Aid Society of Australia and Tasmania.

Many Australian place names, churches and Dioceses appear in the records of BCA’s parent body, All Saints’ Upper Swan, Denmark, Hobart, Diocese of Sydney, St Barnabas Broadway, St Mary’s Middle Swan, the Hawkesbury River, Bathurst Goldfields, Diocese of Melbourne, Darling Downs, Normanton, Thursday Island, Gippsland, Sale, Yatheroo, Moora, Townsville, St Paul’s Redfern.

The Colonial & Continental Church Society, Col & Con as it became known, started life in two very different mission fields as the Newfoundland Society for Educating the Poor (1823) and the Western Australian Missionary Society of 1835. Refer to the diagram, "Outline of Formation." Today the work continues as two independent societies the Bush Church Aid Society and the Intercontinental Church Society (ICS).

The current director of ICS says that ICS owes it mission and evangelical outreach today to the call from Australia for gospel workers in the Swan Colony.

Captain Frederick Irwin had been sent to the Swan River Colony in 1829 and finding a dearth of Christian ministry had held services in the area himself. On his return to England he urged that gospel workers be sent for church and mission work in what is now known as Perth. The urgency of the matter led him to the principals of the Newfoundland Society for Educating the Poor who in turn formed the Western Australian Missionary Society (WAMS) in 1835 as a sister agency.

Three missionaries were recruited and arrived in the Swan River Colony in 1836. The outreach opportunities were enormous and the work spread to other areas of Australia.

The Society underwent various name changes to keep pace with expansion of the work across Australia and elsewhere. In 1851 it joined with its sister agency, the former Newfoundland Society to become the Colonial Church and School Society and then within 10 years the Colonial and Continental Church Society based in England. These two Societies had become active in providing Christian ministry and Gospel outreach not only in Australia but also in Canada, South Africa and through English Chaplaincies in various European countries.

Increasing migration of people from England to Australia encouraged Col and Con’s increased support of churches here. Moves by the Australian Church to take more responsibility for this ministry in outback areas were considered in the early 20^th Century, however they were shelved due to the 1914 –18 War.

On 26 May 1919 at a meeting of a small group of Australian church people in Sydney, the Bush Church Aid Society of Australia and Tasmania was formed with the power to call, train and support clergy, lay workers, nurses and deaconesses and generally arouse interest in the work of the church in the bush and the spiritual needs of the men and women in the outback. The motto of the new Society was "Australia for Christ", not unlike the motto of the "Col and Con", the "Empire for Christ".

It was with Col and Con’s continuing support by means of manpower and "grants in aid" that BCA was able to grow from nothing other than faith and sacrifice. Col and Con’s support in a "mother and daughter" relationship with BCA continued for many years despite financial stringency, which both Societies suffered from time to time.

In 1969, the Colonial and Continental Church Society became known as the Intercontinental Church Society continuing and expanding its missionary work. Known principally in Australia as an agency providing short term chaplaincy placements on the Continent, ICS’s major goal is to plant 3 English speaking congregations every two years within the Diocese of Europe, which as a part of the Province of England takes in English speaking Anglican congregations across much of Europe, Asia including Japan, the Southern Cone and the Falkland Islands.

ICS and BCA have a common goal to see people won for Christ and be nurtured in discipleship and ministry even if our field of activity is geographically distant from each other. The National Director on a recent visit to the UK opened conversations regarding future connections between both Societies, which may broaden the vision and work for the good of the Gospel.

BUSH CHURCH AID SOCIETY

OUTLINE OF FORMATION

SYDNEY JAMES KIRKBY

The Lectionary Calendar entry for 13^th July in "A Prayer Book of Australia 1995" notes Sydney James Kirkby, bishop, pioneer of outback ministry and Bush Church Aid Society (d.1935).

As Sydney James Kirkby was the first Organizing Missioner of the Bush Church Aid Society we record some facts of his life together with Readings and Prayers to accompany the Lectionary Reference for that day.

He was born in Bendigo, Victoria, in 1879 and trained at Moore Theological College, Abbott scholar and 1^st Class Honours scholar, being priested in 1906.

After spending 6 years in Victorian country parishes he had opportunity to study at Durham University 1911-12 before becoming Acting Principal and Tutor at Moore Theological College for an interregnum period. After serving in two Sydney parishes he was appointed in 1920 as the first Organizing Missioner of the newly formed Bush Church Aid Society, the objectives of which were to take Christian ministry to people in remote and isolated areas of Australia.

He thrust himself into this new work with much energy, spiritual faith, organizing ability and fearlessness. Through the Society's Journal, "The Real Australian" and by constant deputations and lantern lectures, he called on and encouraged city people to serve and support the Society in its aim, "Australia for Christ".

His leadership of the Society assessing and prioritizing mission needs, involved travelling extensively by all means of transport from foot and horseback to rail and motor vehicle. He was innovative, encouraging new projects in BCA, such as Mail Bag Sunday School, Mission Van and Women's Ministry, Hostels, Medical Work and Aeroplane Ministry.

He was a staunch evangelical clergyman, popular preacher, capable yet humble administrator and showed himself to be a pianist, photographer, pen sketcher as well as having a good sense of humour, all working together in his witness to God and the Gospel of Jesus Christ. In 1932 when he was appointed bishop Co-adjutor of the Diocese of Sydney, he relinquished his position with BCA but continued his association as President of the Society. As part of the Bishopric he also became Rector of the city church of St. Philip's Church Hill where he exercised a popular outreach to city workers. Six months after these appointments, Archbishop J.C. Wright died and for 12 months Kirkby was Administrator of the Sydney Diocese until the arrival of the new Archbishop, H.W.K. Mowll from the Bishopric of West China.

In introducing Mowll to his new Diocese and Country, he won the everlasting trust, admiration and friendship of Mowll, a friendship which continued to the Bishop's family long after Kirkby's death.

Kirkby continued to energetically apply himself to his Diocesan duties until a breakdown in his health resulted in his death on 12^th July 1935 at the age of 56 years.

The extent of his Funeral Arrangements and Cortege was indicative of the respect and endearment in which he was held by many civil and church leaders and the general public.

Whilst BCA. itself was in many ways his Memorial, the Bishop Kirkby Memorial Hospital erected by his friends at Cook in South Australia was his real Memorial. This Hospital served people in that isolated area until 1998 when the town closed down. The Memorial is now continued by the Kirkby Trust which gives support to various BCA activities.

A copy of prayers and reading for the Lectionary Calendar for 13^th July is available upon request.

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