Australian Christians Party Champions Christ and Christian Heritage in First Major Address
Australian Christians (AC) have made history.
Maryka Groenewald, AC’s first candidate to be elected to any Australian parliament, delivered her maiden speech last Thursday.
Her speech marks a watershed moment for the Jesus People party, which was first conceived of in 1992 by disability advocates Brian and Marge Lawrie.
Officially registered in 2011 as a political entity with the AEC, Groenewald’s election in 2025 to the Western Australian legislative council plants AC firmly into Australia’s political milieu.
Success Despite Opposition
Success has been a long time coming, and that success hasn’t arrived without opposition.
The AEC received three objections to Australian Christians’ registration within the “speak now or forever have your peace” timeframe given to protest AEC registration decisions.
Only one of those objections was formal, the AEC said.
The protest letter argued that the name “Australian Christians was too generic and “could be easily confused with other parties, such as the [now sadly defunct] Christian Democrats (CDP).”
Signalling to the author’s apparent agenda, the protest letter added,
“Were Australian Christians proposing a name like the ‘Christian Socialist Party’, there would be no objection because that would be a sufficient distinction.”
AEC responded by registering AC.
They rule the quibble over the name as nonsense, asserting,
“The proposed name is clearly, visually and aurally distinguishable from the name or abbreviation of any other registered party.”
“The name ‘Australian Christians’ is therefore permitted under s.129 of the Electoral Act.”
Maryka Groenewald on Church and State
Maryka Groenewald’s maiden speech is the culmination of AC’s determination.
Thanking family, friends, and colleagues, Groenewald marked the pioneer moment by paying tribute to her family’s pioneering immigration story.
Her family’s exodus from South Africa coincided with a special mention of those still suffering through the country’s politically driven, race-based violence.
Groenewald then exclaimed that “the story of Jesus, his resurrection and the transforming truth of the gospel remains the biggest game changer in her life.”
Heading off potential complaints about Church and State, Groenewald laid out her boundaries, stating,
“I am not here to push my faith on anyone.”
“And contrary to what people think it means, separation of church and state was always about preventing an exertion of the power of the state over the church, and vice versa.”
Defining the relationship between Church and State was never “actually about limiting Christian expression in the public space,” she clarified.
Australian Christians’ Concerns
With Soli Deo Gloria in mind, Australian Christians’s goal is to defend Christian rights through preserving Christo-centric classical liberal freedoms and responsibilities.
Their seven current primary concerns, as asserted by Groenewald, include:
- “Moves to strip Christian schools of their freedom to employ staff who want to live out their faith.”
- Preserving parental choice in education.
- Protecting Christian teachers from being forced to comply with ideologies that are unsupported by and incompatible with Christian convictions.
- Stopping aggressive activist LGBTQ+ legislation from making prayer a thought crime.
- Ending the LGBTrans war on children, and the war on the unborn in the womb.
- Recognising the value of chaplains and the contributions of chaplaincy.
- Reasserting God over government, in an era where government asserts itself as God.
Groenewald then added that the skills she brings to parliament are informed by both faith and action.
Such as successful ministry work with Aboriginal kids, prisons, and the fight to end human trafficking.
Rediscover Australia’s Christian Heritage
Emphasising Australia’s Christian heritage, Groenewald’s maiden speech concluded with an appeal to rediscover that foundation. She explained,
“Australia’s foundations are solid, even if we have forgotten them.
“Our legal system, our freedoms, our sense of fairness—they did not just fall from the sky,”
“They were built on a Christian heritage that honours dignity, mercy, compassion and personal responsibility.”
This is the Christian worldview, it “affirms that every life is valuable, that truth matters and that justice must be tempered with grace.”
These are not outdated values, she said.
“They are the reason we have enjoyed peace, freedom, and stability. Take them away, and everything begins to wobble.
“I hope to give voice to these values again.”
Leaning on Proverbs 3:5–7, Groenewald’s speech ends with the bold declaration,
“My steps are ordered, my path is straight. I look forward to walking it with the amazing people of WA and each of you over the next four years.”
And everybody said, Amen!
___
Originally published at Caldron Pool. Image via Caldron Pool.
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Wonderful article Rod about a wonderful woman.
Maryka is destined to mark an indelible mark in WA if her maiden speech is anything to go by.
What a wonderful and remarkable young woman ! Imagine if all our politicians were like Maryka ! We could make Australia what we all truly wish it to be. More power to her.
Thank you Maryka for your commitment and passion. May you be a shining light and inspiration during your time in parliament and make a difference in the lives of the people you serve.
An amazing maiden speech and a great tribute article Rod.
Maryka’s testimony is wonderful. Even if you don’t live in WA, get onto her newsletter site and pray and praise God for this brave lady!
We were interested in the set of Christian values that you profess including faith, hope, love, humility, forgiveness, patience, kindness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control, and your concern that they should be exhibited by all peoples everywhere. However, we believe that you have been deluded by your attempt to inculcate these into the Australian population through political means.
Our God has given us freewill which means that we are responsible for first seeking the Kingdom of God individually and discerning His message and expectations for each one of us. We cannot force salvation on others, and we cannot and should not force the Christian values outlined above on people. However, our individual and our Christian community (Church) behaviour exhibiting these values should entice others to seek the salvation that is offered with the joy that we receive in the Holy Spirit.
In your mission statement you say, “bringing all legislation into conformity with the will of God as revealed in the Holy Bible”. As soon as we Christians attempt to pass laws and enforce them we deny Gods will and we become the oppressors. You yourselves argue against such oppression in your condemnation of enforced vaccinations.
May we draw you attention to 1 Corinthians 5:9-13 (New International Version)
9 I wrote to you in my letter not to associate with sexually immoral people— 10 not at all meaning the people of this world who are immoral, or the greedy and swindlers, or idolaters. In that case you would have to leave this world. 11 But now I am writing to you that you must not associate with anyone who claims to be a brother or sister but is sexually immoral or greedy, an idolater or slanderer, a drunkard or swindler. Do not even eat with such people.
12 What business is it of mine to judge those outside the church? Are you not to judge those inside? 13 God will judge those outside. “Expel the wicked person from among you.”
It is not our place to judge others outside the faith community (Church), but we have every right to rebuke those within our Church who do not live up to the values that we profess.
Matthew 18:15 – “If your brother or sister sins, go and point out their fault, just between the two of you. If they listen to you, you have won them over.”
Luke 17:3 – “If your brother sins, rebuke him; and if he repents, forgive him
Galatians 6:1 – “Brothers and sisters, if someone is caught in a sin, you who live by the Spirit should restore that person gently. But watch yourselves, or you also may be tempted.”
Proverbs 27:5 – “Better is open rebuke than hidden love.”
James 5:19-20 – “My brothers and sisters, if one of you should wander from the truth and someone should bring that person back, remember this: Whoever turns a sinner from the error of their way will save them from death and cover over a multitude of sins.”
Leviticus 19:17 – “Do not hate a fellow Israelite in your heart. Rebuke your neighbour frankly so you will not share in their guilt.”
Some of the recommendations that you suggest are not supported by scripture including re-introducing prayers into schools (Matt 6:5-6). Numerous attempts have been made in the past to control human behaviour and to enforce Christian principles on populations and these have only led to repression and revolution followed by violence. Prohibition of any kind never works long term. Look at history. We Christians must not attempt to control the behaviour of others.
With respect to the environment, certainly we all need to treat it with respect and be good stewards, but we have not. Australia has a horrific reputation in the environmental sphere. What is needed now is repair and we need to mitigate so much of the damage that has been done by human hubris and greed in mining, farming and housing. We cannot just put off what needs to be done (Net Zero) but take firm and precise action based on the best scientific advice and reject the climate chaos deniers. We have caused this problem; we need to pay for its correction!
It has been suggested that you are affiliated with the ACR which is a diverse movement of individuals, groups and churches that share traditional, fundamentalist approaches to the Bible and church teachings. We applaud your remarks against antisemitism, but we are concerned that you may have bought into the lie of saving Western Civilisation and its associated Islamophobia. There is no hate in Christ Jesus. In your manifesto you commit to ‘Defend freedom of religion, expression, worship, assembly and thought.’ We question whether this commitment is to all people and all religions including Islam, Buddhism, Hinduism as well as the “Dreaming” of the First Nations and other Australian religious practices (Full article: Decolonising Studies of Religion in So-Called Australia: Truth-Telling, Collective Reflections and Future Trajectories).
You suggest holding the government accountable for acting on recommendations to protect and support Aboriginal people, including children, adolescents and elders ensuring their safety, wellbeing, and opportunities are prioritised. Unfortunately, by campaigning for the No vote in the 2023 Australian Indigenous Voice referendum, you have created a barrier to communication with the people most likely to know what is best for Aboriginals.
The problem with the Christian right which has advanced socially conservative positions on issues such as creationism (biological evolution is a fact) in public education (based on only the Bible and dismissing other educational methodologies and faiths), school prayer (mentioned previously), temperance (unsupported by scripture John 2:1-11), nationalism (which in turn often leads to elitism and war), Sunday Sabbatarianism, opposition to LGBTQ rights (there is evidence to suggest through genetics these persons are wired differently), abortion (the Churches have an extremely poor record in assisting women who have been raped or the children who are the result), euthanasia and drug usage is that it attempts to force people to comply with their ideas. Christianity is not to be forced on individuals or groups, and when it is, it not only goes against Gods will that humans have freedom of choice but immediately creates resentment. Certainly, we can live an exemplary life by choice, and it is that which is salt and light to the nations (Matthew 5:13-16).
As Christians we have a responsibility to live lives that reflect the righteousness of God (Matthew 6:33) based on love (Matthew 22:37-40; 1 Corinthians 13:1-8,13) and treating others as we would have them treat us (Matthew 7:12). Forcing people to attain the Kingdom of God via laws and proscriptions is not what our King asks of us.
Certainly, as a lobby group we see no reason why you cannot emphasis the Christian values you profess: faith, hope, love, humility, forgiveness, patience, kindness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control, the value of human life, the sanctity of marriage etc. remembering that the greatest of these is love. However, to try to impose any of these values or your manifesto on others, especially people of other faiths, will only backfire and cause disdain for your endeavours.
We commend to you the Serenity Prayer. God, give us grace to accept with serenity the things that we cannot change, courage to change the things which should be changed and the wisdom to distinguish the one from the other.
Living one day at a time, enjoying one moment at a time, accepting hardship as a pathway to inner peace, taking, as Jesus did, this world as it is, not as we would have it, trusting that You will make all things right, if we surrender to Your will, so that we may be reasonably happy in this life, and supremely happy with You forever in the next!
We write this in a spirit of correction, love and peace in our Lord.