The Reverend Dr Mary Lewis has been commissioned as Priest-in-Charge and Bush Church Aid Society Field Worker of the Parish of Kangaroo Island. Her husband, Dr Owen Lewis, was also commissioned as a BCA Field Worker at the service.
The commissioning was conducted by Assistant Bishop Tim Harris and the Rev’d Dr John Warner Regional Director of BCA SANT.
The service at St Alban’s, Kingscote was well-attended by parishioners who have been waiting for a new priest for some years.
The Owens were warmly welcomed to the island by Mayor Michael Pengilly who happily recounted the ministry of Bill and Chris Goodes with their young children as first occupants of the then new rectory opposite St Albans church. Before that, priests had been accommodated at the nearby shearers’ quarters. One of those young children, now the Venerable Sam Goodes pictured below, was master of ceremonies at the service.
The Owens were also welcomed by representatives from the Roman Catholic, Lutheran, Uniting and Seventh Day Adventist Churches.
The appointments were made possible through the support of the Bush Church Aid Society which has pledged to support the ministry on KI for the next four years, with Synod pledging to underwrite half of a stipend for the priest.
Archbishop Geoff Smith has agreed that donations to the Appeal will be treated as deductible mission giving for assessment purposes.
Parishes and individuals are asked to give prayerful consideration to this cause in their annual mission giving planning.
Donations may be made to the Anglican Parish of Kangaroo Island Support Fund account at Anglican Funds Management, BSB 705-077, Account 00041356
