Saturday 18 May 2024

Representing the Archbishop of Brisbane, Bishop Bill Ray and National President of the Anglican Mothers’ Union of Australia (AMUA), Dr Robin Ray; Emeritus Archbishop Dr Philip Aspinall AC; World-Wide Mothers’ Union President, Mrs Sheran Harper; Anglican Mothers’ Union of Australia Diocese of Southern Queensland President, Mrs Jenny Bullock and the Diocesan Presidents of North and Central Queensland; AMUA Members; distinguished guests; ladies and gentlemen.

I begin by acknowledging the Original Custodians of the lands around Brisbane, the Turrbal and Jagera people, and pay my respects to Elders past, present and emerging, and to all First Nations people with us today.

As Governor of Queensland and Patron of the Anglican Mothers’ Union in this Diocese, I am delighted to have the opportunity to join you this morning in celebration and prayer, and I extend a warm Queensland welcome to Mrs Harper as the World-Wide President of the Mothers’ Union, I trust you are enjoying your visit.

The charitable work of The Mothers’ Union in 84 counties globally has never been more relevant than it is today. Increasingly, we see civil society threatened and cultures destroyed by conflict and, sadly, growing levels of intolerance and inequality.

It’s a grim picture and an enormous challenge, but one that the four million members of the Mothers’ Union around the world have embraced enthusiastically under Mrs Harper’s leadership over the last four-and-a-half years.

Those members proudly continue the legacy of the young pastor’s wife who took the first steps to establish the Union almost 150 years ago, and together, they demonstrate the extraordinary outcomes that can be achieved through faith and fellowship at a grass-roots level, working together towards the fundamental objective of creating strong, stable families in which children are nurtured and protected.

I regret that my other commitments mean I will not be able to stay with you for this afternoon’s program, but I very much look forward to joining Mrs Harper in cutting the cake to mark the special occasion of her visit to Australia and the Pacific.

I take this opportunity to thank the Mothers’ Union here in Australia and worldwide for the work that you do, and I congratulate everyone concerned on the success of today’s event. It is no small task to organise an international event of this kind, and it has been done with exemplary care and attention to detail.

I do hope you find today both productive and inspiring and wish you all well as you continue your efforts to realise the vision of building a world in which God’s love is shown through prayer, and loving, respectful, and flourishing relationships.

Thank you.