News – Anabaptist Association of Australia & New Zealand

Press release circulated on 22 Sep 2023. The full statement is at the bottom of this page, and can be downloaded from here.

The Executive Committee of the Anabaptist Association of Australia and New Zealand (AAANZ) calls on the Australian church to support the aspirations of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples. In a detailed position statement from an Anabaptist point of view, they give clear reasons for Christians to support the requests in The Uluru Statement from the Heart, which include “a First Nations Voice enshrined in the Constitution”.

The AAANZ emphasises that Jesus is the centre of our faith, community is the centre of our life, and reconciliation is the centre of our work. Each of those themes inspire followers of Jesus to seek shalom: that is, a state of true peace, justice, wholeness, and rightness. In the current Australian context, this longing for shalom leads to five calls to action:

We commit to bearing witness, by the actions within our own communities, to a society in which First Nations peoples are fully included and honoured. We call on the churches of Australia and the broader Australian community to do likewise.
We commit to listening to First Nations leaders, expecting to find wisdom there that helps us to reconnect to each other, to God, and to this land. We call on the churches of Australia and the broader Australian community to do likewise.
We commit to speaking boldly for justice in relation to First Nations peoples. We call on the churches of Australia and the broader Australian community to do likewise.
The majority of AAANZ supporters commit to supporting the Referendum and to doing what we can to make the Constitutional change succeed. We call on the churches of Australia and the broader Australian community to do likewise.
We commit to continued solidarity after the Referendum with First Nations peoples in general and personal protection and care for those First Nations people we know. We call on the churches of Australia and the broader Australian community to do likewise.

The AAANZ President, Matthew Clarke, noted that this is a significant step for the Association given that Anabaptists often stand back from direct political engagement. “We believe this statement adds theological insights to the current conversation and will help Christians understand the importance of demonstrating their faith in the way they relate to their indigenous neighbours.”

Position-statement-on-Referendum Download

“Let us be concerned for one another, to help one another to show love and to do good. Let us not give up the habit of meeting together, as some are doing. Instead, let us encourage one another all the more, since you see that the Day of the Lord is coming nearer.”
-Hebrews 10: 24 - 25, Good News Bible

First Saturdays are a monthly gathering via Zoom on the first Saturday of each month, with the goals of connecting and encouraging AAANZ members and friends around Australia and Aotearoa/New Zealand.

The Zoom opens at 3.30pm (Sydney time) for informal sharing.

The hour between 4pm and 5pm is usually recorded, and includes a short meditation, and some discussion around a specific topic.

After 5pm, there's time for those who want to stay a little longer to hear from and pray for people around the AAANZ network.

Email info@anabaptist.au to request the Zoom link to the meeting, or check your email if you're on our mailing list (First Saturday info will be in the "Events & Actions" mailing).

First Saturdays in 2024:

NEXT DATE: Saturday, May 4, 3:30pm AEST - 5pm, on Zoom

TOPIC: A Conversation With Dr. John D. Roth – “Anabaptism At 500”

ABOUT THIS TOPIC: On 29 May 2025, Mennonite World Conference (MWC) will welcome guests from around the world to The Courage to Love: Anabaptism@500. The day-long celebration commemorates the birth of the Anabaptist movement in Zurich, Switzerland. Following workshops, concerts, a panel discussion and self-guided historical walking tours, participants will gather for an ecumenical worship service at the Grossmünster cathedral.

DISCUSSION FACILITATOR: John D. Roth

ABOUT JOHN: One of the planners of Anabaptism@500 is Dr. John D. Roth. From 1985 to 2022, John was a professor of history at Goshen College, where he also served as director of the Mennonite Historical Library and editor of The Mennonite Quarterly Review. John has published widely on topics related to Anabaptist-Mennonite history and church life. He is also the founding director of the Institute for the Study of Global Anabaptism at Goshen College and secretary of the Mennonite World Conference Faith and Life Commission.

In July 2022, John accepted a new position with MennoMedia as project director of the Anabaptism@500 initiative. John and his wife, Ruth, are the parents of four adult children and grandparents to five grandchildren. They are active members of Berkey Avenue Mennonite Fellowship in Goshen, Indiana.

If you're on our mailing list, you can find the Zoom link in your emails. Sign up for AAANZ mailings here.

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LATER DATES:

June 1 - Book Study, Anabaptist Essentials, chapters 1 - 3

July 6 - Topic pending

August 3 - Topic pending

September 7 - Book Study, Anabaptist Essentials, chapters 4 - 6

October 5 - Topic pending

November 2 - Topic pending

December 7 - Book Study, Anabaptist Essentials, chapters 7 - 9

ABOUT THE BOOK STUDY SERIES: Anabaptist Essentials by Palmer Becker.

DISCUSSION FACILITATOR: Errol Thompson, from the AAANZ Leadership Committee.

ABOUT ERROL: A long-term follower of Christ who is still struggling to learn the implications of what that means but has found the Anabaptist approach the most encouraging. Having been part of the UK Anabaptist scene for a number of years, he has returned to New Zealand to live out his faith according to how he understands the Anabaptist vision.