Salvation Army
Multicultural and
Indigenous Australia Council
(SAMIAC)


The Salvation Army's Multicultural and Indigenous Australia Council (SAMIAC) was established at the beginning of 2004 by bringing together the Cross Cultural Ministries Consultancy and the Salvation Army Aboriginal Ministries Advisory Council (SAAMAC).

The agenda behind the amalgamation was not an attempt to assimilate or minimise either indigenous issues or new andemerging ethnic ministries, but rather an acknowledgement that the principles involved in creating culturally and contextually relevant ministry apply to all ministry. In bringing together people who are passionate about ministry to the ethnically marginalised we hope to remind The Salvation Army of its ministry obligations and be innovative in resourcing existing Salvation Army ministries. 

Without an intentional engagement with all Australians regardless of ethnicity and faith commitment,SAMIAC believes that it will be impossible for The Salvation Army to achieve it's stated intention of:

Transforming Lives
Caring for People
Making Disciples
Reforming Society








 

Our Mission:


To bring about conciliation between indigenous, minority, ethnic and non-indigenous peoples through the demonstrated love of Jesus Christ.

To sow the seeds of Christian faith in indigenous communities without losing relevance to the cultural and ceremonial significance of Aboriginality.

To present holistic and evangelical theology that is faithful to Scripture and relevant to varied situations in Indigenous and ethnic communities.

To empower Indigenous and Ethnic people to become independent and self-supporting through enterprise and self-worth.

Our Goals:


1. Raise awareness of:
Existing indigenous and new and emerging ethnic ministries at all levels of The Salvation Army through formulation of policy, agitation for change, communication and developing internal (Army) and external networks.
Social and community issues affecting indigenous and new and emerging ethnic peoples.
Particular issues affecting refugees and migrants: from identifying government policy through to the impact upon local communities and the attitudes of the wider Australian community.

2. Resource, support and inform existing Indigenous and Ethnic ministries of social centres and mono ethnic corps (through divisional and regional offices). This includes mentoring relationships and orientation for those currently engaged in ministry.

Investigate and develop models of multicultural church and to explore opportunities for establishing multicultural faith communities.

3. Support the inclusion of the following in the SATC and Education and Training department curriculum: Opportunities for the study of culture and ethnicity (indigenous and new and emerging communities). Study the influence of multiculturalism on our movement and ministries Study models of multicultural church and encourage opportunities of establishing multicultural faith communities.

4. Intentionally advance indigenous and ethnic ministries by identifying key personnel, facilitating training and resourcing ministries.