Oasis in drought despairing bush

As the suffering in rural communities increases with the worsening drought, Anglican congregations are struggling to continue their outreach with church members not immune from the despair.

Bishop of the Diocese of Canberra and Goulburn George Browning says the drought is causing high stress levels among farming families in and outside the church.

“Currently, one farmer commits suicide every four days. Wives who are often the bookkeepers have to give their husbands the bad news that he can’t buy more feed.
Men who are seventh-generation farmers feel like failures because they are the first who haven’t been able to provide for their families,” Bishop Browning says.

Bishop Browning held two meetings with clergy last month to discuss how the church can effectively minister to and assist those in parishes and farming communities affected by the drought.

“If the church cannot communicate with its community in a situation of drought then its relevance and opportunity for future ministry will be greatly reduced,” Bishop Browning warns.

Rector of Young Ministry District in the Diocese of Canberra and Goulburn Archdeacon David Hill says younger people are leaving the land for the city while older farmers are forced to remain farming long after retirement age.

“They find the hard physical work of farming very demanding but are completely dependent on it for their living. Money put aside for superannuation has been used up over the past four years,” he says.

The Parish of Young is assisting farms by providing 15,000 litre water tanks at the cost of between $160 and $280 per tank. Anglicare Canberra and Goulburn assists in covering the costs but Archdeacon Hill fears the program may not last much longer due to limited financial resources.

Clergy have discussed the benefits of partnering rural parishes with Sydney or other coastal parishes.

The Bishop of Armidale, Peter Brain, says despite the pressure that the drought has put on parish income in his Diocese, Christians are staying faithful.

“I have observed extraordinary faith on the part of Christians in congregations who are obviously doing it tough. They’re surviving emotionally because of their confidence in the Lord.”

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