The Rev Peterson Nganjimirra (left) at the dedication of ‘Citizenship Bible’, with ‘Flying Bibleman’ Phil Zamagias. Photo: Bible Society in Australia, Northern Territory (AUS06DJ-18.JPG)

AUSTRALIA — ‘Flying Bibleman’ Phil Zamagias, Director of the Bible Society in Australia’s Northern Territory and Outback Ministry, has witnessed positive change in many indigenous communities after they receive God’s Word in their own language (see previous article). In some cases, though, communities are initially hostile to the Christian message and can take a long time to change. Mr Zamagias illustrates this challenge with the story of the Rev Peterson Nganjimirra, an indigenous pastor who died recently.

“Peterson lived in Arnhem Land. He told me that, as a young man, he used to drink heavily. His prospects didn’t look good. But, through the patient witness of missionaries who opened the Scriptures to him, he became a Christian and went on to become an ordained minister in the Anglican Church. He became an example for family life in his community. He had just one wife, whom he loved and cared for, and he raised his two children to know and love the Lord.

Great pressure

“This was a community in which women were treated very badly, so he had to make a stand and set an example for others to follow. But he really stood out when it came to deciding what to do when others put him under pressure to conform to tribal beliefs. He had a daughter. It’s customary in indigenous culture that daughters are promised at a very early age to older men. Peterson and his wife refused to do this with their daughter. They wanted to raise her in a Christian way and allow her to marry a Christian man of her own choosing. The elders didn’t like this, so Peterson was put under great pressure. When she was about 13 the family left the community and moved to Darwin so that she could continue her education. Now she can do something different with her life and has opportunities that she would not otherwise have had.

“For Christians in indigenous communities, there’s also the question of what to do when major ceremonies where there is an element of traditional religion are taking place. Do you participate or do you say, ‘No, I serve Jesus now’? Peterson once refused to take part in a ceremony. The elders were so unhappy with him that they came and challenged him in the middle of a Christian meeting. They said, ‘We can’t continue our ceremonial activities because of the spirit that you people have brought here’. Then they beat him up. But he saw that as a sign of victory.

Rely on Jesus

“I lived in that town both before and after this event. As a result of his actions, something changed in the community. From then on, people were more free to worship God than they had ever been before, all because of Peterson’s conviction that he would rely on Jesus rather than going along with the old ways.”

For a previous story about the Rev Peterson Nganjimirra, see World Report 337/4 (Bible Translator Ordained to Serve Aboriginal Community). (WR 407/2 - 12.06) [1 photo]