the real australian - The Bush Church Aid Society

Christian Care and Advocacy in Action
BCA Disaster Relief Research and Resource Development
Rowena Miers, a social work student at
Charles Sturt University, is currently doing
a placement with BCA and exploring
how we might better support churches
in disaster affected communities. Here
Rowena explains
how her project
fits together with
the aims of BCA.
“And what does
the Lord require of
you? To act justly
and to love mercy
and to walk humbly
with your God.”
Micah 6:8
The provision
of care for the
Rowena Miers
needs of others has
always been central to God’s purposes for
his people. In the Old Testament, Micah 6:8
outlines that God’s people are to: “act justly,
to love mercy and to walk humbly with
God.” In times of sudden and unexpected
hardship, the needs and vulnerabilities
of people, can be such that they find
themselves powerless to act on their own
behalf in order to see their needs met.
‘Advocacy’ is the activity of recommending
action on another’s behalf in order to see
change for their welfare and betterment.
One of the key purposes of BCA is to
“provide services of Christian care and
advocacy.” In the life of BCA, Christian
advocacy involves the provision of support
to people in need, and recommending
action to meet these needs when people
are themselves unable to act on their own
behalf. The experiences of individuals in the
midst of natural disasters, where people
are thrust into
situations outside
of their control,
presents occasions
where Christian
care and advocacy
are crucial.
In response to
the needs of people
in times of such
dire need, BCA is
seeking to research
the needs of those
communities
in-the-midst of and recovering from natural
disasters. It is hoped that through this work,
a resource can be developed to aid BCA
partner churches and Field Staff in their
role of caring for and advocating for the
needs of their communities in the event of
a natural disaster.
Christian care and advocacy is an
opportunity to live out the reality of our
Christian faith; faith that has its basis in
the work of Jesus dying on the cross for our
sins, where Jesus acted on our behalf when
we were helpless to act for ourselves. •
12 SPRING 2013