Dear colleagues, Like many of you, I have greatly enjoyed the reminiscences of the early stories of the Ecumenical Institute, shared lately. It sparked off in me a bit of memory in how the Movement began here. Others will have their “take “ on how it ran, so this is my own bird’s eye view! Please add what I have missed, Aussie folks 😊🌻 Australian Frontier was a group established about 1962/3. The Director was a Minister of the Congregational Church, the Rev Peter Matthews. Peter had connections with the South African scene. Australian Frontier was based in Canberra. From 1965-7 they ran Courses across Australia and in January 1967 Jim Bishop and Jonathan and Janeen Barker attended the third and last of these National Courses with other clergy and laity. The Barkers were on their Honeymoon! One wonders how JWM heard about the Australian Frontier, as there was no internet or much connection in communication back then. Joe and Joe Slicker and Aimee and Frank were present at this January event, held in Wesley College within the University of Sydney. Invitations were extended by a small group of clergy and laity for Joe to return early in November ‘67. Joe, Joe Slicker and the Hilliards (or was it the Busses)? all returned and taught Courses, beginning in Perth ( the Barkers and others who had attended the event in Sydney were in Parishes there), and all across Australia, in the capital cities, eventually arriving in late November in Sydney. A decision was made to launch EI in Australia. There was a large Conference in Orford south of Sydney,in early December 1967, and in January 1968 the first National Conference was held at ‘Nunyara’ in Adelaide. Sarah snd Fred Buss and their small children as well as Don Clark remained after the Conference and we began the first Religious House in our Manse in Paddington where Jim was the Presbyterian Minister. The Buss family lived in a House in Redfern and Don lived locally in Paddington. We met every weekday for Daily Office in Redfern in a local Church and taught ourselves RS1. We ran Courses across the nation, for clergy and laity. Other Religious Houses followed, until there was a House in every capital city. Many American colleagues Iived in the Houses over the following years. Jim left the Parish after 11 years and the Bishop family moved to Chicago for the following 8 years. The Ogilvy and Bishop family attended S’68 in Chicago. ‘ Voom, Voom, Astronaunt are you having fun’? I recall very clearly a very friendly and welcoming face of dear Joe Crocker, as he registered us for the Summer programme. An unforgettable journey. I marvel at the Holy Spirit ‘moving across the face of the waters’, from here to the US, and how Joe was such a part of connecting us all together. I was a member of the Panchayat in 1977 and when Joe died I was sent back to Chicago from India to attend his Funeral. As I returned to Maliwada, it was my job to take around the village the Order of Service for Joe’s Funeral. You remember the stark Congolese Cross on the cover. The young blue shirts said to me “ don’t hide your Cross from me, you be a good Christian and I’ll be a good Hindu.” People said of Joe “ the sun has left us” and “ a light has gone out”. These statements have always remained with me. My life was transformed again and again by the local Church consults, the Town meetings, the village development consultants, the Human Development Training Schools and more. Just my memories. I met so many wonderful colleagues along the crimson line. Grace and peace are yours, Isobel Bishop Isobel Bishop Mob. 0412 129 425