Canberra Baptist Church, Australia: Apology to the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander People

APOLOGY

TO THE ABORIGINAL AND TORRES STRAIT ISLANDER PEOPLE
OFFERED BY THE
CANBERRA BAPTIST CHURCH

ON SUNDAY DECEMBER 14, 1997

The church in general has found itself confronted with the challenge of reconciling Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal Australians . The 'contextual' reasons include the information that has emerged in the 'Stolen Children' report Bringing Them Home: National Inquiry into the Separation of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Children from Their Families.

Canberra Baptist Church, along with many other churches, is supporting and promoting the discussion of the national reconciliation process as part of its Christian witness and ministry. As a part of this process the church offered the following apology to the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people during the Human Rights Day service on November 14th 1997, attended by representatives of the local Aboriginal community.

	*Apology to the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander People* Text of the apology offered on behalf of the Canberra Baptist Church (PDF format)
	*A Response to the Apology Offered by the People of the Canberra Baptist Church* Text of the response by Agnes Shea, an elder of the Ngunawal people (PDF format)
	*God became human - let us do likewise* A sermon preached on the occasion of the apology
	Baptist - Aboriginal Reconciliation Resource Page Providing and facilitating a national forum for the discussion of Baptists and Reconciliation in the Australian context