Jane Macqueen, Colin Thornby and Anne Turner

The Anam Cara Community is served by a group of servant leaders, who together form the Community Leadership Group, which meets every two months.

Leadership within the Anam Cara Community is modelled after the leadership and ministry of Jesus, who taught his disciples:

 ’So Jesus called them together and said, “You know that the rulers in this world lord it over their people, and officials flaunt their authority over those under them. But among you it will be different. Whoever wants to be a leader among you must be your servant, and whoever wants to be first among you must be the slave of everyone else.”’

 We understand this to be servant leadership. Robert Greenleaf describes servant leadership in this way:

 ’The servant-leader is servant first… It begins with the natural feeling that one wants to serve, to serve first. Then conscious choice brings one to aspire to lead. That person is sharply different from one who is leader first, perhaps because of the need to assuage an unusual power drive or to acquire material possessions…The leader-first and the servant-first are two extreme types. Between them there are shadings and blends that are part of the infinite variety of human nature.

 ’The difference manifests itself in the care taken by the servant-first to make sure that other people’s highest priority needs are being served. The best test, and difficult to administer, is: Do those served grow as persons? Do they, while being served, become healthier, wiser, freer, more autonomous, more likely themselves to become servants? And, what is the effect on the least privileged in society? Will they benefit or at least not be further deprived?’

 Servant leadership within the Community is mediated through human beings, gifted and called by God and commissioned by the Bishop and the Community to serve the Community.

The Community Soul Carer is the chief servant leader of the Community. The Community Soul Carer is appointed by the Bishop to guide, support, lead, teach and inspire the Community, and the individuals within it. We understand our Soul Carer to hold an important place within our Community, to have much responsibility and to be in need of our love, support and prayer.

Gatherers are nominated by the Community’s Leadership Group, and are responsible for supporting and leading individuals in designated geographical areas (Meeting Places).

The Community Soul Carer and Gatherers together with others nominated by the Community Soul Carer form the Community’s Leadership Group. This group is responsible to the Bishop for the good order, leadership, direction and care of the Community. The Community Soul Carer is the leader of the Leadership Group, but may delegate specific leadership tasks to any member of the Group. The Leadership Group will appoint individuals to specific responsibilities, including a treasurer, newsletter editor, web servant, secretary, and other offices as required.

Individuals who wish to become members of the Community are known as Associates. Associates commit to regular prayer, Bible reading, worship, and to walking in the steps of Jesus, as they are called. Associates may be from any Christian denomination. The Community’s Leadership structures exist to serve the Associates, and others who may choose to access resources provided by the Community.

The two leaders of the Community are the Soul Carers, Jane Macqueen and Colin Thornby. Gatherers have responsibility for events within their geographic area. Associates who do not live in one of the geographic areas served by a gatherer are cared for by the Virtual Meeting Place (more on that in future issues). In recognition of Anne Turner’s work and service in leading the Community during its establishment, she is recognised as the Elder of the Community.

  • Ms Jane Macqueen* – Community Soul Carer (leader), Gatherer, Eastern Region (jane.macqueen@anamcara-gippsland.org, 0411 316 346)
  • Dr Colin Thornby* – Community Soul Carer (leader), Web Servant and Newsletter Editor (colin.thornby@anamcara-gippsland.org, 0403 776 402)
  • Ms Kate Campbell – Gatherer, Community Resources (treasurer) (treasurer@anamcara-gippsland.org)
  • Mrs Jo Carter – Gatherer Southern Region
  • Ms Sue Hopkins – Community Secretary; Gatherer, Southern Region; Community Librarian (secretary@anamcara-gippsland.org)
  • The Rev’d Jeanette McHugh – Gatherer, Canberra Region (canberra@anamcara-community.org)
  • Ms Carolyn Raymond* – Gatherer, Western Region (Latrobe Valley) (latrobevalley@anamcara-gippsland.org)
  • The Rev’d Heather Toms* – Gatherer, Eastern Region (Sale) (sale@anamcara-gippsland.org)
  • The Rev’d Anne Turner* – Community Elder (anne.turner@anamcara-gippsland.org)
  • The Rev’d Brian Turner - Chair of the Servant Leaders’ Group (brian.turner@anamcara-gippsland.org)
  • The Rev’d Chris Venning – Gatherer, Eastern Region (Sale) (chris.venning@anamcara-gippsland.org)
  • Ms Marion White – Gatherer, Western Region (West Gippsland) (westgippsland@anamcara-gippsland.org)

*Denotes a person who undertakes the ministry of spiritual direction, or soul care.

The Servant Leaders meet together regularly, and produce a report of their meetings:

The next meeting will be held in March 2013.