get in the way. I believe that one of the reasons for this is because the Church is either trying to avoid having the uncomfortable conversations, or is afraid of the changes that are necessary for true reconciliation and the acknowledgement of a First Nations Voice, or both. It has come to a point for me where I have taken a step back from parish ministry, going into full-time chaplaincy to Anglicans and First Nations people from the lands at the Royal Adelaide Hospital, so that I can dedicate more time in the evenings and on Sundays to invitations to speak at churches and host book studies. Once the requirements of my formation are completed, I look forward to visiting more parishes on my Sundays to strengthen their understanding of First Nations culture and how it might enrich them and our nation as a whole. Furthermore, I will use the opportunity to find a church where I feel comfortable and safe to explore my faith as an Aboriginal man within an Anglican framework. I will say that the environment within the Anglican Church towards First Nations has changed a little, as it has generally across the Australian public. But as I’ve sat down to reflect on my experience as an Aboriginal person within my Diocese and the Anglican Church of Australia more broadly, I would have to be honest and say that the Church is still generally not a safe, inclusive, and welcoming place 40
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