Discipleship in Central Australia: The ‘I Know Jesus’ Gap

“Yeah, I Know Jesus”: Discipleship in Central Australia and the Long Work of Following Christ

Walk through the streets of Alice Springs and you may hear something that surprises you. Ask people about Jesus, even people who are struggling, and many will say, “Yeah, I know Jesus.”

For missionary-minded Christians, that’s good news. The gospel has already reached these communities. But it also raises a harder question: what happens next? Knowing the name of Jesus is where the Christian life starts, not where it ends.

In a recent commentary on The Daily Declaration, Robyn Murray describes what she calls a “discipleship gap” in Central Australia. She and her husband Mark moved to Alice Springs in 2020 to serve in a church and parachurch ministry, stayed almost three years, and have visited every year since. Her observations are drawn from that experience and from her new book, Finding Gold.

This post looks at what she describes, the wider context, the sensitive questions it raises about culture and faith, and how Christians elsewhere in Australia can respond with humility, respect and practical support. It’s written by outsiders, drawing on Murray’s account and public information, and it’s offered in the hope that Aboriginal Christian voices will be heard first.

What Robyn Murray Observed

According to Murray, several themes stood out:

• The gospel is familiar. In the communities she visited, people commonly already know the basics of the Christian message, so her focus shifted from first-time evangelism to discipleship, helping people grow in knowing Jesus and experiencing his power in daily life.
• Nominal faith is a real challenge. She notes that having a faith without much power in practice is not unique to remote Australia, and suggests it’s a normal Christian challenge everywhere.
• People respond and ask for prayer. During or after church meetings, many go forward to receive prayer, often for freedom from addictions such as alcohol, marijuana and gambling. She says Christ can set people free, sometimes immediately, but that continuing in freedom usually needs ongoing encouragement and a particular kind of support.
• Life in remote communities differs from life in cities. She describes families who lack things many urban Australians take for granted, such as food security, access to healthy food, education and personal safety.
• Family pressure is a major obstacle. Group identity is central, and families can place strong pressure on anyone who wants to live differently as a Christian. Being cut off from family can feel impossible to survive.
• Practical barriers exist. Bibles in local languages can be hard to keep, since belongings are shared, passed on, or hard to store in transient living situations. Low literacy, whether in English or in the local language, limits Bible reading.
• There are too few long-term missionaries. Discipleship, she says, works by invitation, once trust has been built through relationship.
• Blending of beliefs happens. She describes people asking for prayer for healing from Jesus while also visiting traditional healers who draw on ancestor spirits, which she believes Scripture warns against.

She also describes what she has seen in passionate Aboriginal Christians in Central Australia: a strong desire to share Jesus, a refusal to join in “payback” (traditional retribution) in favour of forgiveness and reconciliation, great faith for healing and provision, love for their families, and sensitivity to the Holy Spirit.

Her book, Finding Gold: Christian Mission to Australia’s First Peoples, was published in 2026. Murray says it’s cautious about Aboriginal spirituality and realistic about the causes and conditions of difficult lives in remote communities.

The Wider Picture

Some background helps place this in context.

The Northern Territory and faith. In the 2021 Census, around 26 per cent of the Northern Territory’s population identified as Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander. About 40.5 per cent of Territorians identified as Christian, 38.5 per cent reported no religion, and 8.7 per cent identified with a non-Christian religion. The census recorded around 7,900 people nationally as practising Australian Aboriginal traditional religions, with the highest number, around 3,400, in the Northern Territory. However, the census itself notes that Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander spirituality is a holistic view of life, tied to land, sea and sky, that doesn’t fit neatly into a single religion box. Census figures can’t tell us much about how people actually live out faith.

A long mission history. Churches have been present in Central Australia for well over a century. The Lutheran mission at Hermannsburg (Ntaria), west of Alice Springs, was established in 1877, and the artist Albert Namatjira, a Christian, grew up there. Missionaries such as Carl Strehlow worked to learn Aboriginal languages and translate the Scriptures. The denominational pattern of Aboriginal communities across the Territory still reflects the history of church missions.

A mixed legacy. That history includes genuine care and sacrifice, and it also includes real harm. In some places, missions protected people from violence and preserved languages. In others, they suppressed ceremonies, separated families, and were part of the system that led to the Stolen Generations, as documented in the 1997 Bringing Them Home report. Many Aboriginal people carry both gratitude and pain about the church’s role, and any honest conversation about discipleship has to begin there.

Diversity. There is no single “Aboriginal culture” or “Aboriginal community.” Before colonisation, Australia was home to hundreds of distinct language groups with their own laws and customs, and that diversity continues. Differences between remote and urban communities, and between nations, are significant, as Murray herself notes.

Why Discipleship Is Harder Than Evangelism

Jesus’ final instruction to his followers wasn’t just to announce the good news but to “make disciples” of all nations, baptising them and teaching them to obey everything he commanded (Matthew 28:19–20). Discipleship means learning, growth and obedience over time.

The New Testament pictures it as relational and communal. The early church devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching, fellowship, the breaking of bread and prayer (Acts 2:42–47). Paul told Timothy to entrust what he had heard to faithful people who would teach others (2 Timothy 2:2). Jesus called his disciples to remain in him, like branches in a vine (John 15:5).

That’s why the “I know Jesus” answer is both encouraging and incomplete. James warns that it isn’t enough merely to believe certain things about God (James 2:19). What matters is whether faith is alive, growing and bearing fruit.

The challenge isn’t unique to remote Australia. Churches in every part of the country, and the world, struggle with the gap between nominal faith and mature discipleship. What’s different in Central Australia is the set of obstacles that Murray describes.

Culture, Spirituality and the Question of Syncretism

One of the most delicate parts of Murray’s piece is her comment on what she calls “two-way” faith, mixing Christian belief with elements of traditional spiritual practice. This is a topic where outsiders need to tread carefully.

What the Bible says. Deuteronomy 18:10–12 forbids consulting mediums or seeking the dead, and the New Testament is clear that Jesus alone is the way to the Father (John 14:6). Many Christians, including Murray, therefore believe that turning to ancestor spirits is incompatible with trusting Christ.

What Christian mission history shows. The early church wrestled with how far Gentile converts should adopt Jewish customs (Acts 15), and Paul described becoming “all things to all people” to win some (1 Corinthians 9:19–23). Missiologists use the term contextualisation for expressing the gospel faithfully in a particular culture, and syncretism for blending that compromises the gospel. Where to draw the line is not always obvious, and it’s a line that the people within a culture are better placed to draw than outsiders.

Aboriginal Christian voices differ. Some Aboriginal Christian leaders strongly emphasise leaving behind practices connected to spirits and ceremony. Others argue for a closer integration, seeing aspects of traditional law, story, kinship and connection to land as gifts from God that the gospel fulfils rather than replaces. Still others have criticised past missionary approaches that treated all Aboriginal culture as pagan. These are discussions among Aboriginal Christians, and outsiders should listen carefully before offering opinions.

The risk of a colonial reflex. There’s a danger in assuming that Western Christian culture is the standard, and Aboriginal practices are the problem. It’s important to distinguish the gospel from the cultural wrapping in which it was first delivered. At the same time, the church has always had to judge between cultural practices that can honour Christ and those that can’t.

Practical Barriers, and Ways Forward

Several of the obstacles Murray lists have practical responses that churches and Christian organisations are already exploring.

Scripture in the right form. In an oral-preference setting, where reading isn’t the main way people learn, Scripture can be shared through audio recordings, storytelling, and Bible-story approaches that teach the biblical narrative in the order it appears. Audio Bibles in local languages, often solar-powered and shared among families, are one example. Organisations such as Bible Society Australia and Wycliffe’s Australian partners have long supported translation work. Murray also notes that literacy is a challenge. It’s worth adding that low literacy outcomes in remote communities reflect many factors, including English being a second or third language, limited schooling, and the legacy of policy, and they say nothing about intelligence or ability.

Discipleship in community. Because group identity is so strong, individual discipleship can be difficult. Murray’s hope is for whole families to follow Jesus together and for Aboriginal Christians to lead gatherings among their own people. The New Testament has examples of households coming to faith together (for example, Acts 16:31–34). It also recognises the real cost of following Jesus, even to family relationships (Luke 14:26), while commanding believers to honour their parents (Ephesians 6:2). Wise discipleship holds both.

Long-term relationships. Murray stresses that discipleship happens by invitation after trust has been built. That takes time, often years. Short visits can encourage and support, but they can’t replace long-term presence and local leadership.

Whole-person care. For people dealing with addiction, trauma and poverty, discipleship can’t be separated from practical help: safe housing, health care, education, employment and support for recovery. Church ministry works best alongside, not instead of, these services, and it doesn’t relieve governments of their responsibilities.

Our Take

Here’s where we’d like to add some commentary.

1. “Knowing Jesus” is the beginning of a journey.

Murray’s central point is one every church needs to hear. Faith that stops at familiarity with the name isn’t the full picture of what Jesus calls us to. That’s true in Alice Springs, Sydney and Lagos alike.

2. Discipleship is slow, relational and local.

There are no shortcuts. It takes years of presence, trust, teaching and shared life. That’s a challenge for a church culture used to events, campaigns and quick results.

3. Aboriginal Christian leadership should lead.

The most hopeful note in the commentary is the call for Aboriginal Christians to lead meetings and gatherings among their own people. Outsiders can support, resource and pray, but long-term, healthy faith in any community will need to be rooted and led from within.

4. Be honest about history, and humble about culture.

Respect for Aboriginal people begins with acknowledging both the good and the harm in the church’s past. And on culture, we should be wary of confident outside judgements about what is and isn’t acceptable, while still holding fast to the lordship of Christ.

5. Hope without naivety.

The commentary ends with a call not to lose heart. That’s right. It’s also important not to romanticise or oversimplify. The problems in some remote communities, including addiction, violence and poor health, are serious and complex, and faith is one part of a larger picture of healing, justice and opportunity.

6. Pray and participate.

Murray’s aim in writing is to move the wider church to prayer and participation. Both words matter. Prayer without involvement can become distant, and involvement without prayer can lose its way.

The Other Side of the Conversation

In fairness, here are some perspectives that may differ from the commentary:

• Some Aboriginal Christian leaders and scholars argue that the label “syncretism” is often applied by outsiders and can reflect a colonial attitude. They advocate for a faith that is authentically Aboriginal and authentically Christian, with local leaders deciding how to relate to traditional culture.
• Others within the Aboriginal church share concerns similar to Murray’s about practices involving spirits, and hold that clear boundaries protect people spiritually.
• Some critics note that reports from visitors, even long-term ones, are partial, and that the voices of Aboriginal people themselves should come first. Murray herself writes from the perspective of a non-Aboriginal missionary.
• Others argue that structural issues such as housing, funding, services, employment, policing and education are the main drivers of disadvantage, and that focusing on spiritual solutions risks overlooking them. Murray cites an Aboriginal elder, Anderson George, who suggests that some policies aimed at “closing the gap” outside a Christian context can end up disempowering people. National reviews have repeatedly shown slow progress on many Closing the Gap targets, and there’s wide disagreement about the best way forward.
• Some people point out that a single narrative about “Aboriginal communities” can hide the great diversity of languages, nations and experiences, including many Aboriginal people whose Christian faith goes back several generations.

Each of these deserves a hearing, and they’re not necessarily in conflict. The common thread is the importance of listening.

What You Can Do

• Pray for Aboriginal Christian leaders in Central Australia, for families seeking freedom from addiction, and for the safety of children.
• Read and listen. Look for books, podcasts and talks by Aboriginal Christians, as well as works like Murray’s.
• Support Bible translation and audio Scripture in Aboriginal languages through established organisations.
• Partner for the long term. If your church is considering involvement, ask Aboriginal Christian leaders what they actually need and commit to years rather than weeks.
• Support practical care through reputable organisations working on health, addiction recovery, education and safety.
• Learn the history of missions in your region, including the failures.
• Advocate with respect. Where you can, support policies and programs that are led by Aboriginal communities and backed by evidence.

If You or Someone You Know Needs Support

If you’re struggling with alcohol, drugs or gambling, help is available. In Australia, the Alcohol and Drug Foundation’s helpline is 1300 85 85 84, and Gambling Help is available on 1800 858 858. 13YARN (13 92 76) offers 24/7 crisis support from Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people, and Lifeline is available on 13 11 14. In an emergency, call 000.

Questions to Reflect On

• Have I ever mistaken knowing about Jesus for following him? What would growth look like for me?
• Who is discipling me, and who am I discipling?
• What do I know about the history of Aboriginal people and the church in my own region?
• How could my church listen to Aboriginal Christian voices before acting?
• What would long-term commitment look like for us, rather than a short-term project?

A Short Prayer

Lord Jesus, you call us not just to believe in you but to follow you. We thank you for every Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander believer who has stayed faithful, and for the families praying for freedom. Raise up leaders from within communities, strengthen those who face pressure, and bring healing where there is hurt. Forgive the church where we have caused harm, and teach us to listen, to serve and to stay. Bring your life to the darkest places of this nation, and let your Spirit make us a people who truly know you. Amen.