Pioneering in Australia

A smile and a flow of new life

Verdia and Harvey Williams are retired from pastoral ministry and live in Stockton, California.

My husband and I arrived in Sydney in February 1998. Our mission was to work among the Aboriginal peoples of Australia.

We hardly knew anything about them, except seeing a few television shots of people, painted with zebra-like stripes, wild in actions and appearance. Our local library was of little help: we found much about Australia, its discoverer Captain Cook, its colonial dominion under Great Britain, but little or nothing about the Aboriginals. Under a cloud of ignorance, we took up our responsibility.

We planned to conduct Amazing Facts seminars—a 27-lesson series on essential Adventist beliefs. Working with us was the only official Adventist pastor of Aboriginal descent in all of Australia—George Quinlin. We con ducted two seminars in Sydney: one in Redfern, a drug-infested, downtown slum area; the other in a nearby town, Dee Why, at the Tongan Adventist Church. In Redfern, the attendance was poor. We were told, "If you want to be heard and accepted, dress casually. No necktie or suits." We tried. My husband gave up his suits. I gave up my high heels. The attendance, however, did not improve.

Curiosity reigned in Redfern: many came just to look at the Black American preacher and his wife. Because of our age (78 and 68), we were looked upon as "elders," a title of authority used in their culture. The Aboriginals addressed us as "auntie" and "uncle." They used this endearing and respectful term instead of Brother and Sister, or Mister and Missus. They referred to themselves as "black-fella." The Europeans were "white-fellas." We were received as "black-fella"—a term of solidarity.

We soon learned, however, of their resistance. Not to us, but to the book from which we taught—the Bible. This they viewed as the "white-fella's" book! They were puzzled and inquired as to why we were teaching from a book which our oppressors, as well as their own, professed to believe and live by. We took time to examine with them the contents of the Bible, identifying nations, cultures, and individual characters whom God used, blessed, and further, recognized and honored by re cording their history in His Book.

We found an ideal setting for such a study on a Sabbath afternoon of the annual Aboriginal Camp Meeting at Mirriwinni Gardens Academy, where people from various areas had gathered. This resulted in establishing the truth that God loves all people equally and is no respecter of persons. People appreciated this message, and during our six-month stay no one confronted us again on the universal love and grace of God the Bible teaches.

Why resistance?

After spending three months in Sydney, we traveled north along the Pacific Rim to Kempsey. Here we better understood their resistance to the "everlasting gospel." Church attendance in Australia is generally poor; only three percent of the population attends church regularly. The percentage is even smaller for the Aboriginal population. Though many Aboriginals will identify themselves as Seventh-day Adventists, they are not at all familiar with Adventist teachings; they have never visited an Adventist Church or been baptized. But if their parents or their grandparents were born or reared on an Adventist Mission Reserve, they staked their claim to be Adventists.

Regretfully, over the years, Aboriginals have suffered much at the hands of those responsible for the reserves. The only Christianity they had seen was the one reflected by their inquisitors. They've come to the point today where they ask, "Is there anything, anyone, we can trust?" Resistance to Adventists as opposed to other churches was due to our insistence on true repentance and a new lifestyle, based upon the Bible and the Bible only, and brought about by the inner-working power of the Holy Spirit.

An understanding of history en ables one to see why Aboriginals have been slow to embrace Christianity. The Aboriginals of Australia are, by nature, kind, gentle, and extremely shy. Even Captain Cook, during his first visit, was unable to arouse their interest with his many trinkets, mirrors, and colored beads. They are a caring people with an ardent fidelity to family. To lose a child was like being unable to breathe. To lose their land was like being unable to bear or produce children.

They have rescued shipwrecked victims, welcomed visitors, treated and cared for them, made them feel part of the family camp, and even encouraged them to set up their own family and dwell in their land. But the feelings of the visitors toward them were not and, still today, are not the same. The Aboriginals were subjected to a long history of deprivation, violence, abuse, and injustice. Their land was invaded and confiscated; their water holes were seized, while other sources nearby were deliberately poisoned. Attempts were made to destroy their family structure. Their children were denied proper education. Even citizenship was denied until 1967. Medical care is poor, and average life span today is a brief and troubled 45 years.

In addition to these, the Aboriginals suffered from their own personal and cultural problems. Addiction to tobacco, alcohol, and drugs rules their personal lives and their homes. Marriage of girls below the age of 12 is common, producing its own social problems.

So when, into this community, the gospel comes with its radical demand for change in lifestyle and beliefs—especially when that gospel is proclaimed by people who can be easily identified with the Aboriginals' social, economic, and political oppressors and exploit ers—there is a hesitation to respond to the gospel. Those who are sincere about their eternal salvation could see the need to turn to God. Others preferred a religion where they could "eat their cake and have it too." One couple in particular had been coming every evening to our seminar. They dedicated their child and later requested baptism. We visited their home and expressed our joy at their decision. However, we told them that they could not be baptized until they were legally married. They came back to the seminar once more. Again we visited their home to encourage their return. They felt we were trying to "tell them what to do," and they would have no part of it. They never returned.

Rodney (not his real name), on the other hand, was different. During the second week of the seminar, as he was passing by our meeting place, he heard singing and wandered into a back pew. High on marijuana, it took him a while to realize he was in a church. Feeling uncomfortable, he rose to leave. Our colleagues encouraged him to stay. This was "just the place" he needed to be. He went back to his seat. The next evening Rodney returned and sat in the front row. He never missed another meeting. He later testified that after the first night he had not touched marijuana again. With courage and prayer, he was able to solve other personal and social problems he had, and soon he was baptized.

From the first night there was a change in Rodney's life. And his testimony to "come and see" brought out his mother, sister, and two older children. They heard, believed, surrendered, and were baptized even before Rodney's life permitted him to be baptized. God used his witness to open the door of others in the neighborhood.

Lay involvement

Lay members took active part in the seminars, visiting homes and inviting the people to attend the meetings in Kempsey. They distributed handbills announcing the time, place, and topics for discussion. They brought in friends and family members. One of the lay members was Garth, a local elder and a talented guitarist. He regularly worked with children and youth and had quite a repertoire of "action" songs. Each evening he had the adults singing with gusto.

Then there were students from the Mirriwinni Gardens Aboriginal Academy who came by the busload because the teachers wanted to be involved. We also visited the academy at least once each week. Many of these students were later baptized.

Then there was Auntie Judy. We first met her at our seminar in Redfern. There she told us about her Monday night Bible study group with 25 to 30 young people in attendance. She invited us to come to Port McQuarie, about 20 miles north of Kempsey, where she was holding her weekly Bible study in a high school gym. We visited the group and invited them to join us in the seminar to be held at Kempsey. Auntie Judy packed her car every night, sometimes an additional car or van, and brought all those who wanted to come. Among those baptized at the end of the meetings were Judy's husband, two sons, a daughter-in-law, and other family members. Auntie Judy's maiden name is Quinlin, and there were at least ten who were baptized with that name. Without such lay involvement, the seminar could not have been successful.

We held baptismal services each Sabbath during the last four weeks. Each Sabbath saw the church filled to capacity—often beyond. A total of 34 were baptized in Kempsey.

New life seemed to flow into the Aboriginal community. Pastor Illimo Tulevu, from Fiji, the shepherd of this little flock, exclaimed, "This church has never been filled like this before!"

God made it possible. He loves the Aboriginals of Australia as much as He loves anyone else, and He is just as determined that they and others every where are among the firmament of the chosen ones.


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Verdia and Harvey Williams are retired from pastoral ministry and live in Stockton, California.

October 1999

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