The new headquarters for the Australian Centre for Christianity and Culture (ACC&C) will be opened a ceremony in Canberra, ACT, on Saturday 9 February 2008.
Part of the second stage of developments at the Centre, George Browning House will be the academic and administrative hub of the ACC&C, which is part of Charles Sturt University (CSU).
“The opening of this building is a milestone in the establishment of a national Christian centre in the heart of the nation’s capital,” said ACC&C Executive Director, Reverend Professor James Haire, AM.
“Ecumenism, inter-faith dialogue and the discussion between Christianity and social issues now have a permanent home in Canberra.”
The building, to be opened by the President of the National Council of Churches in Australia, the Rt. Reverend Bishop Richard Appleby, has been established in partnership with CSU.
The facility will also house CSU’s Public and Contextual Theology (PACT) Strategic Research Centre and offices for the Centre for Applied Philosophy and Public Ethics, of which CSU is a major partner. The building will also host the national Governance Network and the Centre for Ageing and Pastoral Studies of St Mark’s National Theological Centre, which is also a partner with CSU.
The building will be named in honour of the Rt. Reverend Dr George Browning, who recently retired as Bishop of the Anglican Diocese of Canberra and Goulburn. He has been a major promoter of ecumenism and public theology in Australia, and was instrumental in establishing the ACC&C. In 2007 he was awarded the Honorary Degree of Doctor of Letters by the University.
In conjunction with the opening, which starts at 10.30am on Saturday 9 February, the ACC&C Council of Eminent Australians will meet on Friday 8 February. The Council will provide a broad vision and planning for the next phase of the development of the Centre.
“We are most fortunate to have some of the finest minds in Australia to assist us in this task, which seeks to express the aspirations of Australian Christians,“ Professor Haire said.
Council members include:
- The Hon. Kevin Rudd MP, Prime Minister of Australia;
- The Rt. Hon. Sir Ninian Stephen, KG, PC, AK, GCMG, GCVO, KBE, Council President;
- Professor Lowitja O’Donoghue, AC, CBE;
- The Reverend Tim Costello, AO, World Vision;
- The Hon. Margaret Reid, AO, former President of the Australian Senate;
- Sir Gustav Nossal, AC, CBE;
- General Eva Burrows, AC, former International Head of the Salvation Army;
- The Most Reverend Dr Peter Carnley, AO, former Primate, Anglican Church of Australia;
- Archbishop Emeritus Francis Carroll, former Chair, Australian Catholic Bishops’ Conference;
- Pastor Brian Houston, Hillsong Church;
- Dr Dawn Casey, PSM, Director of the Powerhouse Museum, Sydney;
- Mr Everald Compton, AM, business leader; and,
- The Reverend Professor Thorwald Lorenzen, theologian.
The Patron of the ACC&C is His Excellency Major General Michael Jeffrey, AC, CVO, MC (Rtd), Governor-General of the Commonwealth of Australia.
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