5 minutes with Sophie

Tell us a little about yourself.

I have the great joy of being an Assistant Bishop in the Anglican Diocese of Adelaide. I love my vocation, the great range of people, and the new contexts in which I minister. Things change from week to week and month to month, and I enjoy a wide range of strategic and operational responsibilities. A key blessing this month has been the opportunity to work with clerics from the Muslim and Jewish communities to grow dialogue and understanding, toward social cohesion. I am blessed with a fabulous husband, Paul, and two magnificent school-aged boys. I have a big, brown loco Dog named Hugo. I recently found that Grok knows a bit more about me, which is slightly scary: https://grokipedia.com/page/sophie_relf_christopher

Do you have a favourite Bible passage? If so, what is it and why?

I have a bunch of favs, but they change all the time. Right now, I have a deep love for Luke chapter 1 verse 45: "And blessed is she who believed that there would be a fulfilment of what was spoken to her by the Lord". In this verse, Elizabeth recognised the faithfulness of her cousin Mary, and Mary shortly thereafter responded with the Magnificat. I believe there is something wonderful about women acknowledging their sisters' faithfulness in their work for God. How wonderful for Elizabeth to have exclaimed, “BLESSED IS SHE”! That is why we have used that verse as the upcoming conference title: https://adelaideguardian.com/events/blessed-is-she-australian-anglican-clergy-women-leaders-equipping-conference/ 

How do you keep your eyes fixed on Jesus?

Through prayer and through hard work. I find God is imminent in the small things, and I am blessed in that I am easily awe-struck. I do not find it hard to keep my eyes on Jesus and the ministry to which I am called. There is quite a lot of hard graft, but God does most of the work to keep me engaged.

What would you like the next generation of Christian women to know?

Most of the Christian women I meet, old and young, need to hear regularly from other women: they are awesome and loved daughters of God, they are uniquely called and gifted, that they are not second best, that they need to steward the gift of their lives in a way that honours their worth and glorifies God. Younger women, especially, need to be seen by more senior women—I am thinking here of women in their church/ parish/ school/ ministry setting. Let’s partner with God to raise up a generation of confident Christian women who can articulate a robust faith in the public square and in their Church.

What’s one thing that you love about your local church?

I am in a Diocesan role, so I had better not play favourites. I could say that something I love about St Peter’s Cathedral is the visceral sense of God’s Spirit I find there. They are very generous with their visiting hours, so you can often find time to sit and pray, no matter who you are, in peace and quiet as the world rushes around you. I have often rushed in to light to light a candle or send up a quick prayer.

What did you learn about God during a time in your life that you found hard?

I learnt that in the hardest times, God is around and involved. I learnt that God is big enough to ride out all our anger and disappointment and still be there with love on the other side. I guess I learnt in hard times that God is more robust and committed to us than I imagined.

What are you passionate about?

The mission of God in our context, justice for First Nations Australians, freedom for women to minister as deacons, priests and bishops, justice for economically disadvantaged people, an end to racism, Islamophobia, antisemitism, homophobia, and the right treatment of animals. Probably a lot of other things… I’d better check with Grok.

What do you enjoy doing when you rest?

Walking the dog, travelling with my husband and boys, hanging out with friends—especially brunch, worshipping, painting, drinking whisky (am I allowed to say that?), listening to music, driving fast cars, almost anything with my lads.