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Brisbane Synod Session 2: One Church, One Mission

The great Walter Brueggemann who died last month, wrote that, “Sunday morning is the practice of a counter life through counter speech. The church on Sunday morning or wherever it engages in its odd speech, may be the last place left in our society for imaginative speech that permits people to enter into new worlds of faith and to participate in joyous, obedient life.” We are creating worlds with our words and the world we create matters. (+Jeremy Greaves)

By Deborah Bird / 28 June 2025

Presidential Address

Archbishop Jeremy Greaves opened the second session of Synod 2025 with an evocative address, inviting the Diocese to rediscover the awe and expectancy of worship, recommit to its shared mission, and reimagine its life together in the face of contemporary challenges.

Key Points:

  • Rediscovering Awe in Worship: Worship should be entered with reverence and expectancy; without this, we risk becoming irrelevant.
  • Reaffirming Mission and Values: The Church’s mission is Christ’s mission, grounded in five core values and five diocesan priorities.
  • From Scarcity to Abundance: The Diocese must move from deficit-thinking to gratitude and trust in God’s abundance.
  • Attractional and Missional: Rejects either/or thinking—calls for both beautiful worship and bold engagement with the world.
  • Baptismal Faithfulness: Our identity and calling as God’s people begins in baptism and shapes how we live and witness.
  • Structural Reforms for Mission: Reimagining diocesan commissions and governance to better align with mission and sustainability.
  • Trauma-Informed Church: Acknowledging global and local suffering, the Church is called to be a place of healing and peace.
  • Learning from the Past: Inspired by the boldness of Synod 1925, we are called to act creatively and courageously today.
  • One Church, One Mission: Warns against fragmentation; calls for cohesive mission across parishes, schools, and services.
  • Hope and Imagination: Ends with a vision of grace and possibility—trusting God’s abundance and leaning into the “perhaps.”

In closing, the Archbishop called the Church to resist fear and division, to stay rooted in faithfulness, and to embrace the bold, creative, and hopeful life to which God is calling us. In the face of scarcity and uncertainty, we are invited to trust the God of abundance and live out our mission with joy, imagination, and courage.

Motions Taken Formally

  • Motion 11 – Online Gambling Advertising
    Synod called on the Federal Government to enact a comprehensive ban on online gambling advertising, in line with findings of the Murphy Inquiry and widespread public support.

    The Very Rev’d Dr Peter Catt to move; Dr Stephen Harrison seconding:
    That this Synod:

    1. Notes that:
    a. in June 2023 The House of Representatives Standing Committee on Social Policy and Legal Affairs tabled the report, You win some, you lose more, from the inquiry into Online Gambling and its Impacts on those Experiencing Gambling Harm, chaired by Ms Peta Murphy MP;
    b. at the time of the report’s release Ms Murphy said,‘Gambling advertising and simulated gambling through video games, is grooming children and young people to gamble and encourages riskier behaviour. The torrent of advertising is inescapable. It is manipulating an impressionable and vulnerable audience
    to gamble online. ‘A phased, comprehensive ban on online gambling advertising is recommended within three years.’
    c. 76% of the general population supports the implementation of a full ban on advertisements for online betting. https://www.agr.org.au/agr-media-releases/three-in-four-australians-support-a-total-ban-on-gambling-advertising

    2. Calls on the Federal Government to immediately introduce legislation to the Parliament that will produce a comprehensive ban on online gambling advertising.

    Explanatory notes:
    Comprehensive data on gambling harm and the findings of The Murphy Inquiry can be found here: https://www.agr.org.au/

  • Motion 21 – Supporting Queenslanders Experiencing Homelessness
    Synod opposed any reintroduction of “vagrancy” laws in Queensland, affirming homelessness as a complex social issue—not a crime—and calling for just and compassionate policy.

    Dr Stephen Harrison to move; The Rev’d Sam Sigamani seconding
    That this Synod:
    1. Notes with concern recent discussion in the Queensland Parliament regarding the potential reintroduction of so-called “vagrancy” laws.
    2. Affirms that such laws risk criminalising and punishing people experiencing poverty, homelessness, and disadvantage, including children and young adults;
    3. Acknowledges Anglicare’s research and advocacy in this space, which emphasises that homelessness is not a crime, but a complex social issue driven by systemic disadvantage.
    4. Reaffirms the Church’s commitment to justice, compassion, and the dignity of all people; and
    5. Opposes the reintroduction of so-called “vagrancy” laws and related legislation that criminalises or otherwise punishes people experiencing homelessness in Queensland at state and local government levels.

Reports Presented

Diocesan Council Report
Highlighted governance oversight and affirmed commitment to financial sustainability, missional alignment, and collaborative leadership across the Diocese.

Community Services Commission Report
Key themes included:

  • Ongoing support for aged care and counselling services.
  • Critical concern for women in homelessness, youth support, and substance misuse.
  • 2025–26 priorities: rental affordability, youth justice reform, and cost-of-living pressures.

Ministry Education Commission (MEC)
Noted staffing appointments, rising costs of education, success of Baroona Farm as a site of sustainability and strong community participation in the Solstice Service.

Parishes and Other Mission Agencies Commission (PMC)
PMC remains in recess, having been stripped of much of its former structure. Nonetheless, key ministries continue with Ethnic Congregations, Ministry Development and Clergy Well-being. While Anglican Focus falls under the PMC funding, it is supervised by the bishop’s office.

Anglican Schools Commission Report
Explored potential new school sites to meet regional demand, support holistic Anglican education, and increase engagement with families and communities.

OTHER MOTIONS PASSED

  • Motion 7 – 40th Anniversary of Cursillo That this Synod acknowledges the 40-year anniversary of Cursillo in the Diocese of Brisbane and endorses Cursillo as an ongoing diocesan ministry.
  • Motion 9 – HOPE25 That this Synod celebrates diocesan and national participation in HOPE25, and recommits to proclaiming hope in all ministries.
  • Motion 2 – Auditor’s Report and Statement of Accounts The Auditor’s Report for 2024 was formally adopted.
  • Motion 3 – 2026 Budget The Synod approved the proposed 2026 Budget, noting it assumes 5% of operating costs from parish contributions, with a refresh likely as economic conditions change.
  • Motion 12 – Climate Action: Call to Government That Synod celebrate interfaith climate activism, commit to environmental stewardship (particularly of the St Francis College site in development), and urge governments to act on climate in line with the Faith Leaders’ Statement.
  • Motion 4 – Anglican Board of Mission 175th Anniversary That Synod rejoice in ABM’s 175 years of global mission, acknowledge diocesan involvement, and encourage continued financial and prayer support, especially for Indigenous and international partnerships.

Motion 10 – Parish Growth through Orthodoxy attracted significant concern in response to framing remarks that implied an agenda for ideological purity rather than theological comprehensiveness. The motion was not voted on and synod moved to the next order of business.

Synod resumes tomorrow with lay conference opening session three.

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