Rural Chaplains meet in Cobar

Monday and Tuesday of this week saw the Rural Chaplains Network meet in Cobar.
It was good to catch up with the chaplains who have been a part of the network for some time.
We had representatives from the Salvation Army, Presbyterian Inland Mission, the Baptist Church in Cobar, Uniting Church and a representative from Chaplaincy Australia came for the first time.

Pastor Ian Charles of the Cobar Baptist church provided a great program of local people presenting local issues. Of particular interest was the Buckwaroon Land Care Group who shared their struggles with land management in the light of native vegetation legislation, the drought and the stuggle of maintaining a strong family unit.

The presentation by the Buckwaroon Land Care group prompted much discussion on how the church should respond to the justice issues of the communities we minister with.

Unfortunately, the representative from the Cobar mine was unable to attend and provide a perspective on the issues faced by those in the mining industry that has a great impact on many of our rural communities.

Kel Hodge