From Rod and Ruth Matthews
Australia and New Zealand
By Rod Matthews
BURLEIGH HEADS, Australia--Australia's colonization came about because Britain had a crime problem.
The greatest event that caused Britain to establish a distant penal colony was the American Revolution.
Without a place to send its undesirables in the New World, Britain chose a newer one. They chose a distant land mass called Terra Australis Incognito (Unknown South Land).
In 1788, the first fleets of cramped ships arrived at what is now Sydney.
In the first decades, the church backed up the state. However, religion turned out to have little influence in Australia.
Australia today is a free country in many ways, but it has no Bill of Rights. Freedom of religion is not written into law except in Tasmania.
Australia was born with religion being seen as hypocritical. It talked about freedom, yet it reinforced the prison warden. It talked of love but it reinforced cruelty.
Free settlers later brought traditional religious beliefs, but came to see that this was at odds with the reality of experience in Australia.
Our task today is to preach the gospel in a sensitive manner as we wrestle with deeply imbedded and occasionally contradictory perceptions of religion.
Today, to address religious issues directly raises a psychological barrier in people's minds. Australians profess high levels of belief in God but demonstrate low levels of commitment to the Christian life.
Religious issues are most effectively raised by leading people gently from practical issues that affect them daily to the underlying message of God in a nonthreatening way.
Jesus was a "survivor," a man with his friends, who loved life and gave himself that we all might have more of it. He wrestled problems and won. He is Someone to respect and get to know.
The Aussies would like him if only they would get to know him. With God's help, our members using our magazine Living Today as a tool, are working on that.
Stats
Australia churches 38
New Zealand 12
Average attendance (Aus.) 2,100
Average attendance (NZ) 360
Members (Aus.) 3,054
Members (NZ) 531
Associates (Aus.) 506
Associates (NZ) 71
Employed church pastors (Aus.) 14
Employed church pastors (NZ) 5
Office staff (Aus.) 9
Office staff (NZ) 2
Feb. 24, 1998, WN, page 12
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