The Glen Waverley Uniting Church PSALTERLink to CouncilAgenda20180502 > CouncilMinutes20180502
Letter from Graeme Frecker
Councillors, May I refer you to a significant article published in March Crosslight (p3) by David Southwell. I have attached a copy of his article to this message together with some comments on its various elements. Please consider them carefully and prayerfully. Southwell brings to notice regulations drafted by the Commonwealth that are intended to limit the influence of non Australians in Australian political affairs. Southwell has reviewed the regs. as they may affect the churches. I have scanned the drafts regs. online, and I found no reason to doubt his assessment. Apparently a principal purpose of the regs is to limit foreign influence in religious bodies, perhaps reflecting circumstances where there are known associations with proscribed bodies. It seems that the regs. could be used to control public statements made by organisations and individuals that challenge mainstream Australian attitudes. In particular the Commonwealth intends to 'target' non-Australian contributors who donate to the work of Australian organisations on the grounds of undue and inappropriate influence on 'Australian' attitudes. Two matters concern me: The regs treat all corporations including religious bodies as bodies to be controlled by the state. What corporations say or do is to be constrained to what the national government regards as acceptable. This is a clarion call to Christians to declare that the church is a gathering of people worldwide not subject to the politically correct views of the state, but is driven by the Holy Spirit to express the way of Jesus. A second issue is the very practical impact that the regs. would have on the management of funds received and used by our congregation. I am especially concerned by the draft requirement that anybody who donates funds for mission and ministry must first declare that they are Australian citizens. These issues are so significant to GWUC that I suggest the Council should seek a discussion with David Southwell, and with Julian Hill MHR. Julian is known to us; he has visited GWUC to speak to a meeting of Men's Fellowship, and to have conversation with Neil Peters. GraemeFrecker
The article is available at https://crosslight.org.au/2018/02/20/donation-laws-threaten-reach-inside-church-walls/
Graeme's commentary is attached