What a great way to start this new year!
We are greatly honoured to have Bishop Philip Huggins join the Board of Meditation Australia.
Bishop Philip Huggins is the President of the National Council of Churches in Australia. He was ordained in 1977, and has held clerical appointments in regional Victoria, metropolitan Melbourne, and appointments of Assistant Bishop in Perth and Bishop of Grafton, NSW. He is now Bishop of the Northern and Western Region of Melbourne and Geelong.
Chair of Board of Brotherhood of St Laurence, he is co-Chair of Christian World Service Commission (ACT for Peace), board member of St Laurence Community Services, on the Board of the Centre of Dialogue (La Trobe University), and the Australian Intercultural Society Advisory Board. He actively contributes to multi-faith and multi-cultural issues both locally and internationally. He is also Director of the Centre for Ecumenical Studies at the Australian Centre for Christianity and Culture (Charles Sturt University).
With his passionate commitment to the environmental issues and climate change, Philip participated in the UNCOP25 as a member of the World Council of Churches delegation, and since then has continued working for the success of COP26, including through the International Liaison Committee to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC).
But that is enough from us, in his own words:
My life of meditation began in the 1970’s when I was a Teacher of Transcendental Meditation. (I taught meditation in a tent at the Nimbin Aquarius Festival 😃).
After a profound experience of the Risen Jesus, my practice of mantric meditation continued with the Jesus Prayer, sometimes called the “Prayer of the Heart”. This continued with and after Ordination as a priest in the Anglican Church.
The practice of meditation – ‘Jesus have mercy’ – has sustained me through many years of quite demanding work- as a Bishop since 1995.
My focus for the coming years is the contribution of a contemplative heart to a more giving and forgiving culture ; the contribution of faith- based advocacy to preventing climate change.
With Meditation Australia I hope we can help more people into a sustained practice of meditation.
More personally, I am married to Elizabeth who is a psychologist and artist. We have three wonderful sons and daughters in law, with beautiful grandchildren.
Nowadays, I try to make all choices of commitments around what will most benefit our grandchildren and their generation. Joining Meditation Australia fits this criterion. I hope I can be helpful.
We know you will all join us in welcoming Bishop Huggins as a member of our Meditation Australia family.