PRINCIPAL'S MESSAGE
Biblical Truth
In my message for the April newsletter, I kicked off our series unpacking our Pillars of Purpose, which are a distillation of our mission statement at St Andrews Christian College. In our April edition, we commenced by looking at the first pillar – Well Skilled. In this edition, we will spend time focussing on our second pillar – Biblical Truth.
The foundations of this school were built upon its identity being an overtly Christian school, in which students are provided with an education that is based on biblical truth and is unapologetically Christ-centred. There are many schools that, despite similar intentions in their formative years, sadly drift away from their Christian roots, gospel focus and outward expression of faith. We can be proud as a College knowing that 40 years in, God is still well and truly at the centre of all that we do and we have no intention of changing that in the next 40 years. However, the political landscape we currently face is increasingly challenging our ability to maintain a truly Christian distinctive, particularly in the area of our ability to employ Christian staff whom share our Christian beliefs and the tenets of our faith.
In November 2022, the Australian Law Reform Commission (ALRC) were appointed to consult, consider and provide recommendations to the Federal Government on potential reforms to the anti-discrimination laws. In reading and unpacking the consultation paper, it becomes evident that proposals to change the Commonwealth anti-discrimination laws would pose a serious threat to Christian schools, particularly in the area of maintaining the right to employ Christian staff. If proposed changes were to be adopted into legislation, this would potentially compromise our school living and outworking our pillar of Biblical Truth, and compromise Christian schools providing what many Christian parents desire for their families; a distinctly Christian school with Christian staff.
In a recent submission to the ALRC, The Presbyterian Church of Australia have expressed significant concern about the ramifications of changes to anti-discrimination laws and how they apply to faith-based educational institutions.
The pillar of biblical truth cannot exist in our school, nor any other Christian school if we do not have the ability to employ Christian staff whom share and live the biblical tenets of our faith. Paul’s letter in Ephesians calls the people to unite through the gospel, and encourages us to speak His truth for the sake of growing and maturing together in Christ (Ephesians 4:15). Our ability to ensure that biblical truth remains a pillar of our purpose, and more broadly speaking allow us to remain an authentic and distinctly Christian school relies on our ability to employ Christian staff who live in accordance with the Christian faith. In order to have this, we rely upon the religious freedoms we have contained within current anti-discrimination legislation. At St Andrews Christian College, we stand united in knowing the biblical truth that there is “one God and Father of all, who is over all and through all and in all” (Ephesians 4:6). It is during a time such as this that we are called to uphold and support our need for biblical truth to remain a genuine foundation of our school and Christian schooling as a whole. I encourage all families to support the advocacy efforts by Christian Schools Australia and Australian Association of Christian Schools by sharing your voice as parents of children who attend Christian schools. To further understand how you can share your voice and support the continuation of our ability to be authentic Christian schools, I encourage parents to read my following information piece and follow the instructions outlined.
God bless,
Nick Haines
Principal