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Salt + Light in South Australia

“A great informative day-we will-God willing-be at the next conference”  

“Speakers were very good. Particularly impressed by the presentations of Chelsea Pietsch and Corey Bernardi…”  

“Thank you very much for today. It was a great encouragement as a sister in the Lord…”  

This was just some of the feedback we received after Salt + Light 2019, the second SA ACL state conference.

With over 170 attendees, the sold-out conference started with all joining in a worshipful rendition of “When I Survey the Wondrous Cross” and then moved to the singing of Salt + Light (a song written especially for the conference). Pastor Chris Jolliffe took us to the feet of Jesus in a wonderful exposition from the Sermon on the Mount of the life that is salt and light-the life lived in Christ.   

I provided a summary of the year in SA, setting out the guiding scriptures: 

Philippians 1:27 – striving together for the faith of the Gospel; 

Isaiah 61:1-4 – the Spirit of the Lord is upon me… they shall build the old wastes. 

I emphasised that ACL is a grassroots movement, that the they who will build the old wastes is you – the supporters and volunteers who are part of the movement.   

We plan to have five working groups this year: 

  1. Life: including abortion law reform and euthanasia; 
  1. Human Dignity: prostitution law reform and public decency – Wicked Campers etc; 
  1. Parental Rights: targeting programs like Safe Schools; 
  1. Education: Religious Education in State Schools; and 
  1. Religious Freedom. 

Many people indicated a desire to be part of these working groups which will be an exciting new step for ACL. If you were not able to attend the conference but would also like to be involved in any of these areas, please let me know.  

Martyn Iles outlined the vision behind the rebranding of ACL and our new maxim of “Truth Made Public”, expositing Romans 13… which teaches us that rulers are ordained of God to reward righteousness and punish evil; with this knowledge who better to be involved in the public square than Christians? It is the role of believers to hold rulers to their responsibility to uphold righteousness. Sadly, in our world truth has fallen in the public square (Is 59:14) and it is ACL’s calling to uphold it for the glory of God. That is the task Martyn and the Board have committed ACL, and we are so excited for you to be a part of this vision.  

After morning tea Senator Corey Bernardi outlined a practical outworking of being Salt + Light by voting in the Senate election for those who will uphold truth. To hear more about the importance of your Senate vote, ACL will be running a Boothby and Senate Forum on 24 April, at Southland Church Pasadena at 7.30 pm. More details to come.  

Wendy Francis spoke movingly on prostitution law reform using the stories of Tamar, Rahab and the woman taken in adultery in John 8.  

Keynote speaker Greg Sheridan, Foreign Affairs Editor for the Australian, capped off the morning with the laughter-filled but insightful unpacking of his book God is Good for You. Greg reminded us that it is very hard these days to find anything about Christian thinking in a mainstream bookstore. Look for his book. 

After lunch we heard from some of our very own South Australians all integrally involved in making truth public in our state; Rev Fr. Silouan Fotineas, our SA prayer co-ordinators Neil and Libby Mills, Tukini Tavui a leader in the Islander and Indigenous communities and Mary Iengo, a young ACL supporter who told us “I am totally committed to the work of ACL” and challenged us “What will you do?” I pray and believe that she represents the future of this work. 

Chelsea Pietsch gently but forcefully unpacked the problems with Tammy Franks’ Abortion deregulation Bill finishing with a powerful video of a young differently abled man saying, “I have a right to live”.  There were many tears in the house as a courageous young woman concluded the presentations by sharing her intrepid story of action by faith to help the preborn babies in our great state.  

The conference closed with an informative Q&A and prayer led by Pastor Barry Manuel.  

It was a wonderful day full of conversations and the forming of new friendships with so many supporters. We have already begun planning our conference for 2020. We look forward to seeing you there.

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