The Graetz family and Helen Daughtry arrived back in Adelaide from Chicago on Monday 4th January. In mid 1987, Mal and Jenny Graetz had contemplated joining Fusion Australia on return to Australia. 

Mal reflects:

The leadership at Jesus People USA in Chicago, after hearing about the situation in Jireh Community, encouraged us to return to Jireh and help bring ‘closure’ to a Christian ministry that had spanned 15 years. Jenny and I still felt a calling to Fusion but accepted the wisdom of the elders and close friends at JPUSA. We still had loans to repay on return to Adelaide and wanted to honour people’s generosity as soon as possible.

 

On departure from Jireh, one person wrote a ‘farewell’ letter dated 3/1/88 which was addressed to Trevor Harris:

“… X person is not a man of God and I very much fear is an imitation of Satan himself….”

“Malcolm Graetz has already succumbed and spent large sums of money journeying more firmly into Satan’s clutches.”

 

On return from Jesus People USA, Mal and the ‘remnant’ community were confronted with such pronunciations as: “You as a community have broken my heart by your increasing determination to lay down your lives ‘in community’ rather than ‘in my love’”.  (referring to Isaiah 1: 21-23)

It was obvious the gathering in late October 1987 hadn’t resolved the impasse of Jireh.

 

The leadership at Jireh which included Trevor Harris, Chris McNicol and Mal Graetz met on the 2 Feb. 1988 to try and resolve the situation with Peter King and his relationship with Jireh people and with local churches. A 7 page handwritten letter dated 7/2/88 exhorted Peter to clarify his position. His family had been meeting independently in a ‘home fellowship’ context for the last year. Peter was encouraged to place himself under another Church or Christian group for covering in his ongoing ministry with the wider christian church. Peter had opportunities to travel and speak at various groups including “Full Gospel Business Men’s International” (FGBMFI). The Jireh leadership felt it wasn’t appropriate any more to go under the Jireh Community banner unless there was a significant change in Peter’s current attitudes and views.

 

A document was circulated which asked questions about the foundation and growth of a Christian community and ministry:

- Does it promote the glory of God the Father, God the son and God the Holy spirit?

- Does it encourage the obeying of the two great commandments to love God with all your heart, mind and strength and your neighbour as yourself? 

- Does it promote the gospel of Jesus Christ, the nature of sin, the complete work of the cross, the forgiveness of sin and salvation by grace?

- Does it build up the body of Christ: the glory of the saints, the functions of the Body, the unity of the Spirit and the unity of faith? 

- Does it reflect the Kingdom of God in righteousness, joy and peace? 

- Does it conform with the principles and teaching of the Bible? 

- Does it relate to God’s order of authority? Is it accountable and responsible? Is it done decently and in order?

- Has it been committed to God in prayer, believed in faith and open to testing? 

- Does it relate to our nation and way of life in accord with Christian values? 

- Does it give prophetic witness to God’s plan of redemption, sanctification, judgement and restoration?

 

The page of notes on “Intentional Community”, a talk given by Geoff Bingham on 15/10/86 was recirculated.

​

The BUSHFIRE ’88 Bicentennial “Bushfire” Tour came to Pt. Pirie from 1-7th Feb. Mal & Jenny Graetz and family attended the “Bushfire Show” which was held in a marquee.  It was an opportunity to connect again with South Australian artists over a community meal.

Fusion Australia were organisers of the BUSH FIRE ‘88 Family Tour.

The 50 adults and children travelled in motorhomes nationwide. There was quite a contingent from South Australia which included:

The Bouchers - Rod & Vivi, Dani, Becca, Sunshine, Butterfly, Eden, Angelle, Harmony

The Boyces - Geoff & Sandy, Andrew, Nicholas, Alison

The Holmes - Gerry & Jo, Ami, Xavier, Joseph (born on tour)

The Pikes - Greg & Kathy, Nat, Ryan

Steve Daughtry, Sue Oliver

 

In a promotional newsletter dated November 1987, the Bushfire ’88 Tour was described as a Bicentennial Community Arts project, helped along by a grant from the Australian Bicentennial Authority. 

Rod Boucher put it this way:

As a family we tour twenty one major country centres across Australia from Dec. 1987 to Dec. 1988. We camp for a fortnight on the edge of town under the ‘Big Gum Trees’, going into the centre and out into the district singing, dancing, painting, playing, clowning, acting and sharing ours and the local story, live and on the media.

We invite the townspeople and supporters back for morning teas, arvo workshops, family meals and an intimate theatre/carnival/audience participation/community theatre Show at our ‘Open Tent’.

We experience what we can be as Australians - learning from the past, struggling through the present and dreaming into the future. We leave the locals with a record of our visit in print, sound and pictures of the wonderful time we spent together and the talents and hopes they have discovered in themselves.

We come, we see, we are encouraged.

 

In May, Mal Graetz has a sinus operation at the Memorial Hospital, North Adelaide after suffering from sinusitis which was accentuated by working in dusty conditions while in Chicago. Mal won a 12 month contract as a gardener at Norwood Kindergarten at 33 Gray Street effective from May 1988.

 

A Jireh financial statement/balance was printed and dated 30/5/1988. There was $609.00 in the General Account - $239.50 was a part of the “Poor Fund”. The balance in the Bezalel Workshop account was $36.53.

 

Mal & Jenny Graetz joined Christians from Adelaide to make the trip on a 12 seater mini bus to attend the National Canberra  Gathering in May 1988. The opening of the new Parliament House was scheduled for Australia’s Bicentennial year. Word had got out that ‘Opening Prayers’ for Federal Parliament might be scrapped under the then current leadership of Bob Hawke, who was Prime Minister from 1983-1991.

Christians rallied from across Australia to attend the Prayer Gathering. “We opened New Parliament House with PRAYER” was printed on badges for participants to wear. (see badge photo)

Over 45,000 people converged on Canberra on Saturday 7th May to take part in this special moment in Australia’s history. The sub theme for the Gathering was “And they were all gathered together in one place with one accord”.

Mal Graetz commented: 

I had never participated in such a large crowd before. Great excitement  permeated the group as Christians from all walks of life came together to commit the new Parliament House buildings and its elected members to God. Large groups marched from three assembly points to encircle the new Parliament House for a time of celebration, prayer and reflection. Everyone was linked together by a FM radio broadcast. 

There was a symbolic act of reconciliation between Aboriginal Christian leaders and mainline Church leaders before the crowd moved to the land bridge between the Old and New Parliament Houses. There was an afternoon programme from 2pm which included a YWAM “King’s Kids”, a welcome by Senator Michael Tate, a greeting from Neville Bonner (the first Aboriginal Parliamentarian), songs and other presentations. The ‘Bikes for Bibles’ cyclists departed through a human tunnel formed by the “10,000 Praying Men’s Fellowship”. 

During the afternoon, some of us got to see the Queen who was being driven past the event. There was an evening programme which involved the lighting of the large three wick candles. People gathered around the 4 candles for night long prayer vigils where Christian leaders and communicators led and helped focus prayer for the nation. There was a final gathering at 7am on Sunday morning at main stage involving worship, celebration and commitment before participants headed to their home towns and cities.

 

The New Parliament House was officially opened by Queen Elizabeth II on the 9th of May 1988, the anniversary of the opening of both the first Federal Parliament in Melbourne on 9 May 1901 and a Provisional Parliament House in Canberra on 9 May 1927.

 

In a letter to Jim Burrow on the 25/6/1988, Mal Graetz wrote: 

Peter King and his family have withdrawn from the ‘leftovers’ of Jireh since February 1988. Jireh didn’t meet for most of last year while we were overseas and there was no functioning eldership. A month ago the remnants of Jireh (the Harris’s, Graetz’s, McNicol’s Jnr., Helen Gainer and Anne Daughtry) agreed to become a house group of St. Bart’s Church. Trevor is now on the ‘Pastoral Care Group’ and will continue to lead this house group. He has asked me to assist in leading. This group also felt that it wanted to pursue some form of ‘community life’ which the Rev. Jonathan Hogarth [the new rector] welcomes. Michael and Robyn Guinness and David Ellyatt have joined our group in the last month.

 

After Mal and Jenny Graetz returned from the USA, they requested that the ‘remnants’ of Jireh Community  try and resolve the ‘house’ situations at 68 Fisher Street and 55 Sydenham Road. They indicated that they wanted their names taken off the title of 68 Fisher Street. At Trevor’s request, Mal went through all the books and produced a written summary of transactions at the purchase of these houses and the current investment tally. He also did a summary of investments in several of the other houses that we were purchased and renovated over the years.

 

Following is a shortened summary:

68 Fisher St., Norwood cottage

Purchase date: 14/7/1980

Purchase price: $22,500

Title owners: 3/4 Peter & Elizabeth King, 1/4 Malcolm & Jennifer Graetz

The Kings and Graetz’s contributed the bulk of the finances for the purchase and renovations. Jim Burrow and Harris’s also assisted with the initial purchase.

There were voluntary labour contributions from T. Harris, D. Fellowes, C & L Roll, S. Franklin and M. Graetz. David Burrows was paid wages for his labour.

 

55 Sydenham Road, Norwood house

Purchase date: 25/5/1981

Purchase price: $53,000

Title owners: 1/3 P. & E. King, 1/3 M. & J. Graetz,  1/3 T. & M. Harris

13 Families and individuals from Jireh, St. Bart’s, families and friends contributed to the initial purchase. The final distribution of financial investment was with 4 families and one single person from Jireh. There were three other smaller gifts.

 

​45 Gray Street, Norwood house

Purchase date: 8/2/1982

Purchase price: $40,000

Title owners: Des & Cherie Fellowes

The settlement contribution and renovation costs came from five families and an individual.

The 45 Gray St. house was sold to Peter & Marilyn Brown on the 2/11/1984

Purchase price: $50,000

 

62 Fisher Street, Norwood house

Purchase date: 26/9/1983

Purchase price: $47,000

Title owners: Des & Cherie Fellowes

12 families and individuals contributed to the initial purchase settlement. 11 people contributed to the renovations totalling around $20,000. 11 people gifted around $30,000 to the overall purchase and renovations. Around 10 people contributed voluntary labour and many others were involved in working bees. Mal Graetz was paid a salary to work on the renovations from October 1983 to December 1984.

 

A decision was made by Peter King, Trevor Harris and Mal Graetz to leave the question of ownership of the 55 Sydenham Road house until Jim Burrows returned from his work in Fiji, possibly at the end of 1988.

 

Jim Burrow in a letter to Mal and Jenny Graetz dated 1/7/1988 made some comments about Jireh: 

I see the disintegration of the community as the outcome of several long-standing problems. The community I feel, never really was willing to submit to another ‘ecclesiastical’ authority. They never was a wholehearted endeavour to serve St. Barts (I don’t include you in this criticism). Being separated from other Christians in this way is bound to create tensions, fragmentations etc. Secondly the leadership of Jireh was too ‘autocratic’. There is no justification for this within the Bible nor in any understanding of Christian leadership. Sadly I feel Jireh became isolated ‘doctrinally’. By this I mean that what Jireh ‘believed’ was right and other Christians therefore were not quite correct. Now sometimes I felt that what was called Christian spirituality was in fact superstition and an unwillingness to learn from others both Christian and secular alike.

 

In a reply letter to Jim Burrows on the 24/8/1988, Mal Graetz commented: 

I would question your use of the word ‘superstition’. I believe a functioning group/church needs to teach in an authoritative way, although avoiding certain dogma on issues that are not so essential to the faith. I admit that I shy from certain ‘super-spiritual prayer groups’ which [in my experience] have mainly come from certain women folk. Maybe it’s the men’s (husbands) fault for not having a real covering over their wives. We also admit that the lack of unity and leadership over the last few years ‘caught up’ with us. I believe the dispersal of Jireh was not just related to an issue but many issues and complex situations which easily plague young fellowships - especially ‘deliberate’ communities.

 

Steve Daughtry married Vanessa Lawrence on the 16th July in Townsville, Queensland. Both were part of the BUSHFIRE ’88 team travelling around Australia.

 

Mal Graetz was involved with the monthly Daytrip programmes and high school seminars run by Fusion based at Elizabeth.

 

In early August, Mal & Jenny Graetz applied to participate in the Fusion Australia six month “Youth and Community Work” training course. This came after Mal had been unsuccessful in getting a postal delivery job. Mal states in a letter dated 24/8/1988 to Jim Burrow who was then working in Fiji: 

…this ‘rejection’ [as a postal delivery person] has helped Jenny and myself to focus more clearly on what we believe God is calling us to do. It all came to a ‘head’ two weeks ago when I felt strongly we needed to make a decision about our future (or at least for next year). As a result I have applied to do the Fusion 6 month training course in Sale, Victoria next year (Jan.-June 1989). Since that application, God has provided us with a substantial financial amount to do the course and enough also to help others in need. All we could say was ‘Hallelujah!’

 

The Graetz’s had a bank cheque delivered to their home mailbox in an envelope postmarked NSW with no return sender’s address. They were able to pay off the outstanding loans from their USA trip in 1987 and purchase a tent for future camping expeditions.

 

The “Black Stump” Music and Arts Festival was held from Friday 30th September to Monday 3rd October 1988 at the Cataract Scout Park on the Appin to Wollongong Road, 80km South West of Sydney. The Graetz and Lathlean families and Helen Daughtry travelled from Adelaide to be at the 4 day camping event. They met up with the Holmes, Whittred and Thompson families who had been travelling with the Bushfire’88 Tour.

 

During November, Jireh people were involved preparing for the combined churches Norwood Christmas Pageant. 

 

Anne Lathlean from St. Bart’s Church wrote and produced a Christmas performance which was presented at 10 local Junior and Primary Schools. Liz King, Maureen Harris, Kayt May, Jenny and Mal Graetz, Jim Dunk, Anne Lathlean and several others from St. Barts were involved in the cast and support team. (see photos)

 

In December, a farewell meal and celebration in the community shed was held for the Wainigolo family who were returning to Fiji.