My personal experience, both as a First Nations person and a newly ordained member of the Anglican clergy (and a young one at that), has been filled with mixed emotions and experiences. As a young priest and one of only two ordained First Nations clergy in the diocese of Adelaide, at times it can feel like my cultural ancestry and identity are at odds with God’s calling on my life. Most days it feels like I’m walking in two worlds, and not in the positive ways that the Uluru Statement dreams of. It is hard to give an overall picture of my experience within the Anglican Church. I find that my experience of our church and the people within it, both clergy and laity, very much depends on the person, the topic, what you’re trying to achieve, whether it’s a church related issue or something outside of the church. If I’m being brutally honest, it sometimes seems the Church hasn’t changed much in the 235 years since colonisation. If you are someone who goes along to get along, someone who doesn’t make waves, goes to church on a Sunday, worships like everyone else, dresses like everyone else, thinks like everyone else and behaves like everyone else, the fact that you are Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander is not a problem. Personal reflection on navigating the Church from an Aboriginal perspective. 38
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