The episcopate of E.H. Burgmann to 1947

Abstract

Bishop and diocese are not separable from each other. Goulburn's first bishop, Mesac Thomas, set a standard of dynamic leadership am pastoral care that became a pattern for the future. The physical features and the manner of life of the people were limiting factors, determining much of what bishops and clergy could am could not do. By 1934, church life and organisation had been following the same fixed pattern for many years, but the region as a whole was beginning to change. Disastrous events in the closing years of Bishop Radford's episcopate had left the diocese in an unstable condition.The Synod of Goulburn in 1934 was looking for a new kind of bishop, or at least somebody who would have a new kind of approach to the problems facing the diocese. BE-nest Henry &lrgmann was not a self'-evident cooioe as Bishop of Goulburn; his personal background seemed wrong for the leader of a rural institution, and he was only nominated at the last minute. Nevertheless his election ooourred with surprising ease.The city of Goulburn was symbolic of the old order that was passing. The pattern of parish life in this district was firmly set; it had served its purpose well in earlier years, but was liOil' tending to brsek down. Goulburn itself no longer held the dominant position in c.buroh affairs, and some changes were brund to occur. But it was not clear what soould be done, am fresh leadership was needed to regroup the diocese and perhaps change the traditional position of Goulburn. &lrgmann soon made himself familiar with ocmi tions throughout the Diocese. He reckoned the greatest need was for more positive leadership and informed teaching in the parishes, am instituted a campaign to raise the standard< of the clergy. Ordinams were better-trained, and the whole body of' clergy was given opportunity for in-service training. Along with this went a long-range policy of getting church-people generally to consider the relationship of Christian faith to the woole of life, and to break down parochial barriers. The diocese was called upon to work as a team in such matters as providing a Children's Home. The outbreak of war in 1939 inhibited much of what was being done, but by this time the pessimistic outlook found a few years earlier, had quite disappeared.&lrgmann's own particular interests 183' in relating Christianity to the needs of the community, and its bearing on pressing social problems. While living at Morpeth he had ma:cy opportu:cities to express this concern. As Bishop of Goulburn, occasions far carrying on this wark were much fewer. His interest in such matters was a positive result of his Christian belief's, not simply humanistic. Therefore he tried to continue his attack on social problems, and found a wey to do so through the Legion of Christian Youth; He founded a diocesan youth organisation with the same object in mind. Again, the outbreak of war curtailed these activities, even more seriously than the general work of the diocese.The war, however, brought into fresh prominence a question that was bound to arise sooner or later, the question of Canberra, the relation bf the rest of' the diocese to parishioners there, the relation af the bishop to Canberm and the position of Goulburn. Burgmann decided he should live in Canberra, and so meet the difficulties that had oaused great trouble to his predecessor, Radford, when he had tried to make the A.C.T. a separate diocese with its own bishop ani a National Cathedral. Burgmsnn wanted a coadjutor-bishop to live in Goulburn. His ideas were accepted easily enough, but he came to grief over his choice for an assistant bishop. This caused a few years' delay in fulfilling his plans. Nevertheless, in 194-7 he moved to Canberra, although there was no second bishop until 1949.In the post-war years, the Diocese, now named Canberra and Goulburn, was able to settle down to a period of' fairly steady expansion.E.H. Burgmann hai given effective leadership, and had proposed. and carried out solutions to most of' the serious problems confronting the Diocese of Goulburn at a crucial time in its history. Show more