Parliamentary prayer group
Encyclopedia
The Parliamentary Christian Fellowship, also known as the Parliamentary prayer group, is a gathering of Christian
politicians in the Australian parliament, who hold prayer sessions on Monday nights in Parliament House, Canberra
.
. Kevin Rudd is considered the mainstay of the group,
and is the only member of the Labor Party
to regularly attend. Rudd has formed a good relationship with conservative independent Bob Katter
as a result of their mutual attendance at the group.
"They're not confessional, as such," according to Bruce Baird
, "but they are quite personal encounters that go to the implication of what it means to be a Christian with a heavy public burden."
Members who have attended include:
Christian
A Christian is a person who adheres to Christianity, an Abrahamic, monotheistic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus of Nazareth as recorded in the Canonical gospels and the letters of the New Testament...
politicians in the Australian parliament, who hold prayer sessions on Monday nights in Parliament House, Canberra
Parliament House, Canberra
Parliament House is the meeting facility of the Parliament of Australia located in Canberra, the capital of Australia. The building was designed by Mitchell/Giurgola Architects and opened on 1988 by Elizabeth II, Queen of Australia...
.
Overview
The Parliamentary Christian Fellowship is mainly attended by socially conservative Members of ParliamentMember of Parliament
A Member of Parliament is a representative of the voters to a :parliament. In many countries with bicameral parliaments, the term applies specifically to members of the lower house, as upper houses often have a different title, such as senate, and thus also have different titles for its members,...
. Kevin Rudd is considered the mainstay of the group,
and is the only member of the Labor Party
Australian Labor Party
The Australian Labor Party is an Australian political party. It has been the governing party of the Commonwealth of Australia since the 2007 federal election. Julia Gillard is the party's federal parliamentary leader and Prime Minister of Australia...
to regularly attend. Rudd has formed a good relationship with conservative independent Bob Katter
Bob Katter
Robert Carl "Bob" Katter is an Australian federal politician, a member of the Australian House of Representatives since March 1993 for the Division of Kennedy, and the leader of Katter's Australian Party...
as a result of their mutual attendance at the group.
"They're not confessional, as such," according to Bruce Baird
Bruce Baird
Bruce George Baird, AM , is a former Australian politician.-Early life:Baird was born in Sydney, and was educated at the University of Sydney and the University of Melbourne, holding a master's degree in business administration from the latter...
, "but they are quite personal encounters that go to the implication of what it means to be a Christian with a heavy public burden."
Members who have attended include:
- Kevin RuddKevin RuddKevin Michael Rudd is an Australian politician who was the 26th Prime Minister of Australia from 2007 to 2010. He has been Minister for Foreign Affairs since 2010...
- Bronwyn BishopBronwyn BishopBronwyn Kathleen Bishop , an Australian politician, is a Member of the Australian House of Representatives for the Liberal Party representing the Division of Mackellar, New South Wales since 1994...
- Bob KatterBob KatterRobert Carl "Bob" Katter is an Australian federal politician, a member of the Australian House of Representatives since March 1993 for the Division of Kennedy, and the leader of Katter's Australian Party...
- Bob BaldwinBob BaldwinRobert Charles "Bob" Baldwin , Australian politician, has been a Liberal member of the Australian House of Representatives from March 1996 to October 1998 and again since November 2001, representing theDivision of Paterson in New South Wales...
- Sussan LeySussan LeySussan Penelope Ley , Australian politician, has been a Liberal Party of Australia member of the Australian House of Representatives since November 2001, representing the Division of Farrer, New South Wales....