A new form of fly in/fly out ministry…
The Rev’d Peter Palmer an his wife Joy, The Bush Church Aid Society and the Dioceses of Willochra and Adelaide as well as some of the decision makers in the mining industry are exploring a new and exciting ministry possibility for the mining communities in the far north of the State.
In the past, mining towns were often newly built “suburbs in the bush” complete with all the infrastructure needed to attract the mining workforce and their families to isolated locations. Increasingly though, mining communities are constructed on a Fly In/Fly Out basis. Quick and relatively cheap air transport has made it possible for miners to work in the bush, while their families live in regional cities or in the major metropolitan areas.
Miners commute, they Fly In/Fly Out on a regular schedule. There are many advantages to this arrangement, but it also raises new problems for families who have a parent around and then gone, upsetting the regular running of family relationships. For the men and women involved, there are particular strains on personal relationships. The money is good, although shifts are often long and the living conditions in the camps are usually very good. But living in two worlds brings high levels of stress and sometimes anxiety.
During his time at Coober Pedy, Peter has developed an excellent relationship with the Prominent Hill mining community, both workforce and management. Building on this firm foundation Peter is working with the other partners in this venture to establish an Adelaide based Fly In/Fly Out (FiFo) ministry. He will visit the mines regularly as part of the changeover of workers, flying to and from the mines as the workers shift. He will also spend time in Adelaide offering ministry to the families of FiFo workers and trying to connect them with local churches.
BCA will help seed fund this project. The Prominent Hill mine has budgetted to share some of the costs, and it is hoped that in time the whole cost of this useful and much needed ministry might be met from the mining industry. The people of Coober Pedt are sad to see another minister move on, but they are excited that they have played an important role in developing new ways to minister in the bush.
By staff of The Willochran – the newsletter of the Anglican Diocese of Willochra, Australia