I would like to firstly take this opportunity to thank the organisers of the 2026 ORAC gathering. ORAC is the Oceania Regional Advisory Committee Conference. It brings together Anglican development agencies and church partners from across Oceania and the wider Anglican Communion.

Without their invitation, and the support and encouragement of ABM, the experience I had would not have been possible. The 2026 gathering was the first time that First Nations Peoples were invited to represent Australia. Those representatives were myself and Larissa Minniecon, the Truth Telling and Reconciliation Missioner for ABM. 

There were many highlights from the gathering that I could talk about but there were two that stood out to me. One of which I can say was not the weather as it rained the entire time, but it did not distract from the beauty of the location, the friendliness of the staff and locals, and the great connections that were built. 

As the Chair of NATSIAC (The National Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Council) it can sometimes feel as though we are on our own, and that the struggles we face both in the church and in our communities at large are unique to us. So, with that in mind it was quite refreshing to connect with our indigenous neighbours and most importantly our brothers and sisters in Christ and to realise that we are not alone. That – for better or worse – we are facing similar challenges.

Throughout the week each day was broken up into different activities and session topics, focusing on the challenges within the Oceania region. As we sat in a circle together and shared our stories, everyone in attendance was given time and space to speak and be heard. The uplifting result was not only the identification of the challenges which we all appeared to share aspects of, but hearing how others were not only addressing said challenges but using them as an opportunity to advance ministry and outreach in their own cultural and community contexts. I must say I left the sessions and times of sharing with a renewed energy for what could be possible back home. 

Equally encouraging was the opportunity to meet with and build connections with many amazing individuals and organisations within the Anglican Communion, whose life giving – and some cases lifesaving work – goes largely unnoticed, not just in the Oceania region, but globally. Sometimes our local context and concerns blind us to the broader view of what it means to be an Anglican or to be a part of the Anglican Communion. For most of us our daily lives are spent interacting with our Diocese and the associated community service organisations. We are well aware of the challenges faced within our own geographical locations and what the community service organisations within our own regions are doing to address them. For a lot of us we even know them by name or at least know who to call when a need arises. Sometimes however, we forget about the bigger issues, the global issues and the dedicated individuals trying to tackle those issues.

International gatherings such as ORAC give us the chance to have our eyes opened, and to learn that as members of the Anglican Communion and the family of Christ we are a part of sometimes much larger than ourselves and our own geographical locations. I got to witness firsthand that Christ is still active, and using His people to care for, support and empower the building up of his Kingdom here on earth. It was great to meet just a small number of those individuals, to hear their stories and to witness God working in and through their lives to serve others and the planet 

I have had the blessing of attending a number of different conferences since joining NATSIAC, but I must say they the 2026 ORAC gathering was an amazing experience, where great relationships and connection were made. Two months on and attendees from the gathering are still in contact sharing stories and support for one another. The ORAC gathering did not feel like a conference or another gathering of like-minded Anglicans, it felt like the coming together of the family of Christ, old friends reconnecting. Id mission is the process of finding out what God is doing and joining in, then ORAC presents a wonderful opportunity to discover God’s active love for God’s people and God’s planet.

Blessings, 
Rev Cameron Burr 
NATSIAC Chair