ABM and AID have a holistic understanding of mission.
In Luke’s gospel, Jesus reads from the scroll of Isaiah:
‘The Spirit of the Lord is upon me,
because he has anointed me
to bring good news to the poor.
He has sent me to proclaim release to the captives
and recovery of sight to the blind,
to let the oppressed go free,
to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favour.’
(NRSV, Luke 4:18-19)
In seeking to follow Christ, ABM and AID have a mandate to work with Anglican Church partners in Australia and overseas. Partnership involves listening respectfully to how churches want to respond to God’s mission in their own contexts and discussing together how we might support them achieve their goals. ABM’s Church to Church Program focuses on spirituality and the work of Anglicans in Development (AID) aims to build sustainable communities.
We ground all our work in one or more of the Five Marks of Mission. AID’s Sustainable Communities work also embraces the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) which aim to significantly reduce global poverty, hunger and disease by 2030.
ABM’s Anglicans in Development is a signatory to the Australian Council for International Development (ACFID) Code of Conduct. ACFID is a network of Australian Non-Government Organisations (NGOs) that share a commitment to ending poverty and promoting human rights. (View a list of AID’s Memberships and Associations here.)
Some of our Sustainable Communities projects are partially funded by the Australian Government through Australian Aid.
Receiving a blessing in a PNG church. © ABM/Brad Chapman 2010
Our Programs
ABM’S CHURCH TO CHURCH PROGRAM
The Church to Church Program provides support to theological education in partner churches overseas. It also seeks to build both skills and enduring relationships between individuals in partner churches and the Anglican Church in Australia through the Encounter Program. ABM’s support for Anglican Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander ministries also forms part of this program.
AID’S SUSTAINABLE COMMUNITIES PROGRAM
The Sustainable Communities Program supports communities experiencing poverty to transform themselves by partnering with local Anglican organisations. With our partners, we promote a strengths-based approach to development that is inclusive, encourages participation, empowers women, and fosters positive and sustainable change. Projects include addressing climate change, gender equality, disability and social inclusion, improved food security and livelihood support, water, sanitation and hygiene, adult literacy, and some early childhood projects. AID’s support for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander education and training is also part of the Sustainable Development Program.
EMERGENCY RESPONSE PROGRAM
The Emergency Response Program raises funds to assist local church partners to respond to humanitarian emergencies as they occur. Emergency responses we have funded include those resulting from landslides, earthquakes, floods, tsunamis and bush fires, wars and other conflicts. Impacts of emergencies can include violent loss of life, loss of access to safe drinking water, destruction of food sources and housing, displacement of people and destruction of vital infrastructure.
Area of focus
ABORIGINAL AND TORRES STRAIT ISLANDER PROGRAM
The Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Program reflects a relationship between ABM, AID and NATSIAC which seeks to to direct funding to initiatives which best represent the aspirations of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Anglicans. Currently the projects funded include a range of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander training and ministry activities in Anglican dioceses around the country. These range from formal training of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders in community and church outreach and leadership, to support of NATSIAC’s annual gatherings, and the complex work of reconciliation.