"A most meddlesome God”: A Christian future for the church

Ernest Burgmann (1885-1967) served for 26 years as Bishop of Goulburn (Canberra and Goulburn from 1950) from 1934 until his retirement in 1960. He died on 14 March 1967, aged 82. Burgmann was a church leader, social critic, prophetic voice, theological educator, and the first Australian-born person elected to the Anglican episcopate in this country. Burgmann's vision was for an indigenised Anglican Christianity that could contribute to the development of a robust national life. His vision and hope is not far from any of us. What I mean is that etched into the entrance to the chapel at the Australian Centre for Christianity and Culture are some words of Burgmann: "I want the great things of abiding value ... thoroughly baptised into the Australian scene, blown through by Australian winds, bathed in Australian sunshine, and even coated now and then with Australian dust". On the other side of the entrance to the Chapel are the words: "what does the Lord require of you but to do justice, love mercy, and to walk humbly with your God" (Micah 6:8). In short, this is a vision for a local, enculturated, prophetic, compassionate Christianity for Australia.