Anglicare’s plans for chaplains

43. Bishop ROBERT FORSYTH asked –

What are the present plans of Anglicare, Diocese of Sydney for chaplains?

To which the President replied -

With the goodwill of Bishop Forsyth, a statement in relation to the Anglicare’s chaplains will be handed to the questioner and posted on the notice board tomorrow.

Statement concerning Anglicare Chaplaincy
The Anglicare Council has confirmed that Chaplaincy will continue to be an important part of its ministry. Anglicare will maintain at least one full-time chaplain (or equivalent) at each of the 10 major Sydney/Illawarra general hospitals, 4 mental health facilities and 6 correctional centres. In addition it will maintain part-time positions at 2 additional correctional centres and 1 juvenile justice centre.

In his address to Synod on 12 October 2005, the CEO Mr Peter Kell stated that Anglicare was committed to the financial support of the more than 22 full-time equivalent positions in 2006. He affirmed that the Council had endorsed the concept that Anglicare will vigorously continue chaplaincy ministry in the Diocese of Sydney in prisons, hospitals and mental health facilities.

However, the Council has indicated that at this time, insufficient funds can be provided to maintain the ministry at its current 2005 level, even allowing for the substantial subsidies provided by the State government, amounting in 2005 to $1.2 million out of a total budget of $2.7 million. This has resulted in a decision that from the beginning of 2006 there will be a reduction in the number of chaplaincy positions from a FTE level of 25.2 (representing 31 chaplains) to a FTE level of 22.2 (or 28 chaplains), Mr Kell noted that for Anglicare to continue its present level of funding of chaplaincy would mean eating into the other work that Anglicare does.

Chaplains will continue to provide an opportunity for the church to effectively penetrate structures in society that are otherwise largely outside the reach of the local church, bringing the church into contact with large numbers of people who may have no other opportunity to hear the gospel. Chaplains will seek and take the abundant opportunities to share the gospel, to teach and preach the Word of God, to pray, to encourage and to demonstrate the love of Christ through compassionate and practical care. Where possible they are encouraged to form and minister to congregations meeting within the institutions that may comprise patients, residents, inmates and detainees and staff.

A Task Group of five chaplains has been formed to review and further develop training resources for chaplains and volunteers in conjunction with existing ministry training providers. A further Task Group has been formed to develop strategies by which chaplains are able to establish more effective partnerships with parish churches. This will include ways to facilitate referrals from parishes to chaplains and from chaplains to parishes, ways in which chaplains are able to participate and contribute to the mission work of the parishes and also ways in which parishes can support and contribute to the ministry of the chaplains, including prayer, the recruitment, training and support of volunteers, and also financial support.