RSIPF Chaplain travels to Australia to share insights on providing ministry to police

On 18 June 2023, Royal Solomon Islands Police Force (RSIPF) Chaplain Melden Hall travelled to Australia for the first visit of the RSIPF and Australian Federal Police (AFP) Chaplaincy Support Program. The ten-day trip to Brisbane, Gold Coast and Canberra provided Chaplain Melden with the opportunity to meet and work with AFP Chaplains, visit a number of AFP facilities across the East Coast of Australia, and to share his own experiences and knowledge with members across multiple AFP areas. The program was initiated by the RSIPF and AFP Policing Partnership Program (RAPPP) as a way for the RSIPF Chaplain to gain support and mentorship from the AFP Chaplaincy Advisory Network.

To begin his visit, Chaplain Melden spent two days touring police facilities in Brisbane and the Gold Coast, escorted by AFP Chaplain Phil Marshall. Chaplain Melden visited the Brisbane Sea Ports, the Brisbane Airport Uniform Police at Brisbane Airport, the Australian Centre to Counter Child Exploitation, Queensland Police Service (QPS) Headquarters and the QPS Memorial.

Following the Brisbane and Gold Coast tour, Chaplain Melden travelled to Canberra where he was met by AFP Chaplains Gayl Mills, Gaynor Elder and Richard Bevan. Chaplain Melden toured a range of AFP facilities including the Barton College where he visited recruits in training, ACT Police Stations, AFP Headquarters, Media Communications Centre and the Majura Canine Training Facility.

He also attended a service at the National Police Memorial and the opening of the new Australian Capital Territory Policing (ACTP) Traffic Centre. During his time in Canberra Chaplain Melden also had the opportunity to meet with members from the AFP Welfare Network.

Chaplain Melden said that the program was an incredible opportunity to get to meet and work alongside Police Chaplains, and to see the different facilities that the AFP has to offer.

“Australian policing is very different to the RSIPF, this program has been a great way for me to get an insight into how the AFP do things, and for me to share some of my own experiences with the AFP Chaplains. We have learned a lot from each other in such a short time, and I look forward to being able to use this experience to help continue to provide chaplaincy services and pastoral care programs for the RSIPF,” Chaplain Melden said.

AFP Chaplain Gaynor Elder said “It was a privilege to be able to host Melden on the recent chaplaincy support program to Australia. We were able to showcase some of ACT region and National facilities and events including the opening of the new ACT Road Policing Centre and a National Police Memorial service with recruits”.
It was a fantastic opportunity to learn from each other and while there are things we do differently given our contexts, it was encouraging to notice how Chaplaincy is the same whether in the RSIPF or the AFP – it’s about being a caring ministry of presence for all of our members and walking alongside them in the good and tough times. We look forward to an ongoing relationship with Melden in which we can support and encourage one another.”
The engagement of the RSIPF Chaplain is a RAPPP initiative under the health and wellbeing program which supports the physical, mental and spiritual wellbeing of RSIPF members. Chaplain Melden has been providing support to officers of the RSIPF and their families since January 2022.