Torres Strait Islander Bishop

Movers Wood, C.

This General Synod recognises and gives thanks to God for the life and work of the Right Reverend Morrison Ted Mosby, Bishop to the Torres Strait Island people of the Anglican Church of Australia; the first Torres Strait Islander to be a member of this Church’s House of Bishops, who died suddenly at home on the 17 March 2000.
This General Synod places on record the following references to his life and work. He had a dream of unity for the people of the Torres Strait and recently challenged church leaders to form a Council of Torres Strait churches beginning with the Ministers Fraternal on Thursday Island. Part of this dream was to see the Feast of the Coming of the Light, not as something looking backward to 1871, but as something new for the new millenium. His vision was that the Word of the Gospel that came into the Torres Strait in 1871 should now go out from the Torres Strait to the whole of Australia (he liked to call the Australian mainland the biggest island in the Torres Strait), and even beyond Australia. He wanted the people of the Torres Strait to recognise how much they had to give to people outside the Torres Strait and no longer be people in a mission mode receiving from the outside.
He was a strong supporter of translation of the bible and other materials into creole. Since he became Bishop, whenever he was in Cairns he stayed at the Summer Institute of Linguistics to encourage their people and others associated with creole translation.
Bishop Ted’s sudden and untimely death has left his family, the people of the Torres Strait and the Anglican Church around Australia in a state of shock. However, there are already people expressing a strong sense of personal commitm ent to see that his vision for the people of the Torres.
He was laid to rest on Wednesday 22 March 2000 at his birthplace, Yorke Island, by his family and visitors from around the country.
Bishop C Wood moved, The Revd j Minchin seconding
Carried 26/07/01

Resolution year: 2001
Resolution number: 57/01