So I am sitting in my office at home doing sermon prep for Sunday and my phone rings. I answer and I hear – Hi Peter, this is Mike, Mike Baird. I am a little sceptical so I said – What the Premier of NSW? He says yes. Anyway – he tells me he received my email about his fasting for Ramadan and wanted to answer my concerns.
So we talked about his Christian Faith and he explained to me that his fasting for the last day of Ramadan was to acknowledge the faith of the Muslims that form part of his NSW constituency and in no way devalues his Christian Faith. I explained to him my concern that we as a Nation and indeed our political leaders seem to be pandering to Islam and not standing on the Judeo-Christian ethic of our forefathers. We discussed this at length and I have to say I was impressed with the answers that he gave. I also then expressed my concern about the Victorian ban on expressions of faith in their public schools and Mike very strongly said that that will not be happening here.
Toward the end of the conversation I invited him to attend Nowra City Church one Sunday morning in the next couple of months. He accepted the invitation and said his office would be contacting me to make it happen.
Well I have to say I am kind of surprised Mike Baird rang me. But I am pleased he did and I was encouraged by the explanation he gave in response to my email.
My blog of the email I sent the Premier
Categories: Australian, Political Commentary or Thoughts
peterpilt 
Well done Peter!
Very nice for Mike Baird to get back to you personally and he ‘please explained’ . I guess if we don’t ask we don’t ever know!!
WOW … I’m very impressed indeed !
Good one Peter. Just goes to show that if we just persist in what we believe, and do something about protecting our right to believe it, we just might have an opportunity to turn the tide against the watering down of our faith.
Peter you have done well, I do hope you can let him know that if he stand weak with Christian festivals and special days but stands strong on Muslim days then his message of being a follower of Christianity become a bit blurred. Most of us are seeing a blurred vision of his faith in God since becoming Premier. perhaps you have a chance to redirect his compass. God bless you Peter for your ministry to the Premier.
Top fella that Mike, very impressed.
See what happens when you speak out? Job well done!
Hi peter, what is a greater threat to our judeo-Christian heritage, pandering to the Muslim faith or Christian leaders covering the shameful acts of their fellow ministers. When we see Christian churches flying children to Brisbane to hire as rent kids for peadophiles to abuse, can we as Christians even comment on other faiths especially as Christian leaders are still reluctant to deal with abusive ministers past and present, I believe your own church executive was named in the Daniel Morcombe inquiry and I must say the answers given by representatives of your executive to the paper were alarming.
As a theology student and a minister you would know the scripture, If My people will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wick ways then I will hear from heaven and I will forgive their sin and will heal their land.
Are you equally interested in the affairs of ministers under your authority as you are of the Ministers of the NSW government as according to this scripture your ministers stand a better chance to heal our nation.
Our nation is waiting to see Christian leaders who are humble and not wicked. So is God.
Thanks for your comments Tony. I am deeply concerned about the behavior of some of my fellow ministers not just now but also in the past. I have been a public supporter of the Royal Commission into sexual abuse in the church. Re the Daniel Morcombe inquiry I think you are placing a lot of faith in the accurate reporting of the Courier Mail. I am certainly not defending nor protecting anyone involved in that incredibly sad story, just a comment.
Reality is any sexual misconduct by a minister must be fully investigated. The abuse of children at the hands of a minister is a tragedy beyond words.
Hi Peter
Thanks for posting my comment unedited. My wife and I have ministered to hundreds of men women, boys and girls over many decades ranging from very young children through to seventy year olds, we’ve helped a family who’s twelve year old was in nappies and couldn’t speak the trauma was so great.
Preditors are damaging but in almost all of the cases we have dealt with the damage was imbedded and magnified by those in authority who either handled the situation poorly or covered up the abuse to avoid a scandal. Many church leaders find child safe an unnecessary burden placed on them by insurance companies.
We need accountability in our establishments and serious jail time for officials who fail to protect victims of abuse regardless of whether it is sexual or not.
In 2015 there is no government or religious body that holds church ministers and leaders to a standard and sadly without it they are failing to keep people safe.
In response to your comment about the Courier mail, if not for such reporting we would not have a royal commission. Do you know if the matter reported was fully investigated or simply ignored as a matter of the past, they often are and therein lies the problem.
Thank You for your passion for victims, keep up the pressure and we will see true reform.
Tony