““The World Council of Churches and its World Mission and Evangelism Commission are deeply grateful for Rev. Gondara’s life and witness,” said the commission’s director, the Rev. Peter Kurklee. “We know that his strong spirit continues to inspire his people.‘ We will continue to fight for justice for Indigenous peoples, and we congratulate him and them and pledge to work together in this ongoing effort.”
Lori Ransom, Indigenous Peoples Consultant for the World Council of Churches (WCC), said: “The WCC Ecumenical Indigenous Peoples Network offers its condolences to all who knew and loved Dr. Gondara. We thank him for his leadership in the pursuit of justice for Indigenous peoples in the Church and society.”
The national chairman of the Aboriginal and Islander Christian United Conference, the Reverend Mark Kickett, said Rev Gondara’s death marked the closing of a chapter in the life of one of the most outstanding figures of our modern age.
““Our prayer is that the God we love and serve will sustain you through this sad time and that you may know the peace of God that surpasses all understanding,” he said.
Uniting Church General Assembly President Sharon Hollis noted that Rev Gondara was the first and only Indigenous Speaker of the Uniting Church. He also served on the WCC Central Committee and was a pioneer of Indigenous theology both in Australia and globally.
“He showed us how Indigenous culture and spirituality can inform and enliven theology,” Hollis said. “My heart is deeply saddened by this profound loss.”
Hollis offered prayers for his family, the community and all who mourn his loss. “His life is‘“Her work continues to inspire us to learn from Indigenous peoples and work to recognize Indigenous sovereignty,” she said.
Fight for justice
Pastor Gondara is from North Australia.‘He was known as India’s most respected spiritual leader, a civil rights activist and a man of unwavering compassion for his people and their plight. He died in Arnhem Land aged 79.
For decades he shifted between two worlds: as law enforcement officer for the Duliri people of north-east Arnhem Land, and as Australia’s first Aboriginal Methodist pastor.
A prominent leader of the Yornite faction, he was known for his sharp negotiation skills, straightforward speaking and for pointing out failures in government policies and those of his own church.
Pastor Gondara‘His eldest daughter, Biricharawi Gondara, described her father as “a fighter who took his fight for justice to the world’s highest institutions, including the United Nations”.
“He has done so much for his people over the past 50 years to bring justice and freedom to Australia,” Biricharawi Gondara said.
“He was a great example to us, to his children and to so many of us.”
Reverend Gondara served as chairman of the Arnhem Land Progress Association for 30 years and through that role he tirelessly promoted and advocated for economic equality for his people.
As he prepares to retire in 2023, he called the role one of the greatest honors of his career.
Under his leadership the small organisation has grown to operate over 25 stores and developed major community service programs and enterprise ventures supporting the Yolnu people across Arnhem Land.
He grew up in a Methodist church in remote East Arnhem Land in the Northern Territory.
There he learned Western customs through the missionaries and the intricacies of sacred Yolnyu Lom (law) from his clan elders.
As he grew older, he became interested in theology, traveled to Papua New Guinea to undertake religious studies, and imbued himself with the teachings of the Unification Church.
Pastor Gondara has experienced multiple waves of Western intervention that have altered the structure of his homeland on Elcho Island.
He saw traditional Yoln businesses flourish during the missionary years, then decline as people struggled with welfare dependency, rising crime rates and disadvantage.
Ecumenical Indigenous Peoples Network
