Celebrating reconciliation in the Pilbara

Janine van den Tillaart, Communications Coordinator

Each year BCA offers our Field Staff NAIDOC Week and Reconciliation Week Grants. This year Frank & Jo Nicol used their grant to celebrate the reconciliation God has brought in Christ, together with the faithful from the Pilbara Aboriginal Church.

The Parish of the West Pilbara includes the town of Roebourne which is located around 30 kilometres from Karratha.

“While the Anglican Church has a historic building in Roebourne*, our church hasn’t chosen to move into town and use the building
regularly,” says Frank. “Instead, on a quarterly basis we partner with the Pilbara Aboriginal Church and our church family travels to Roebourne to fellowship together.”

The historic building, which was refurbished when former Field Staff Rich & Tracy Goscombe served in Wickham and Roebourne, is often used to gather, but the Pilbara Aboriginal Church building is better set up for post church gatherings.

“The BCA Reconciliation Grant allowed us to continue celebrating our unity in Christ over a meal, which was such a treat,” says Frank. “We were able to purchase barbecue supplies and have a really good feed. The faithful in Roebourne love lamb chops, so that’s what we had. The extended time of fellowship allowed us to continue deepening  relationships with our First Nations
Brothers and Sisters in Christ.”

“In Karratha, we don’t get to spend much time with our Indigenous Brothers and Sisters, so it is really great to go out to Roebourne for those services. As relationships deepen, not only are we mutually encouraged by each other, but further ministry opportunities flow.”

In a few weeks’ time there is a funeral coming up for the Roebourne community. While the Aboriginal minister generally does the bulk of the funerals, this time the funeral being conducted is for a member of the minister’s family, so Frank’s been asked to come and run the service.

Frank is also the official Roebourne Prison Chaplain, and he partners with the Pilbara Aboriginal Church to share the Gospel with Indigenous and non-Indigenous people serving time there. “We are blessed to be able to minister alongside the family of people who make up the Pilbara Aboriginal Church and are thankful that they are willing to share their time with us. They have so much to
offer us and we are thankful for the wisdom they share with us as we minister in this area,” says Frank.

“We’re going to be back in Roebourne towards the end of August to once again worship together and have a time of fellowship. It not only gives the minister some respite, but fosters closer ties.”