Mission conference to focus on 'Leadership Now'

For more than a decade, Catholic Religious Australia and Catholic Mission have worked together on a number of projects to offer formation opportunities for the community. This September will once again see this collaboration in action when the fifth Mission: one heart many voices conference takes place.

This year, the conference will be held online and the organisers have seen this as an opportunity to expand its reach and provide connection with so many more than the traditional face to face.

Among the keynote presenters is Senior Australian of the Year, Aboriginal elder from Nauiyu, renowned artist, activist, writer and public speaker Dr Miriam-Rose Ungunmerr Baumann AM. Miriam-Rose will help with the conference welcome and opening prayer followed by her address focusing on Dadirri, an inner deep listening and quiet still awareness. The conference will end with Sister Lyndall Brown RSJ focusing on communal discernment.

Focusing on Leadership Now, the conference is an opportunity to depth an understanding of the role of the Church today and its call to lead ‘into the world’.

Columban priest Trevor Trotter writes, “It is God’s dream that our world would be healed, that it would be full of peace and joy. Anyone who promotes love, peace and joy is sharing in the mission of Jesus.” Responding to this dream, Leadership Now explores approaches to engage, lead and co-create with those Pope Francis refers to as ‘people of good will’. Fr Trevor will lead one of the thirty specialised workshops on offer unpacking Pope Francis’ new book “Let us Dream”.

In light of all that is happening in the world today, the conference content will also focus on the concept of ‘liminal leadership’ (Bateson, 2017). This time of global and local challenge has opened up opportunities for critical collaboration that are new. International organisations and governments are recognising the importance of working together to seize the moment to re-create and re-build in ways that value all of humanity and creation. The Church and its agencies are being called to leadership in these spaces. Several specialised workshop will explore how this liminal space offers an opportunity for authentic transformation to take place, recognising this action as God’s presence (Rohr, 2020).

Registration is now open www.mohmv.com.au or for more information email mohmvconferenceteam@catholicmission.org.au.