Meet the 17th Assembly teachers and preachers
Meet the people who will offer biblical and theological reflection at the 17th Assembly
July 3, 2024
A daily feature of each morning at the 17th Assembly will be worship and teaching from a diverse range of Uniting Church scholars and theologians. Meet the preachers and teachers of the 17th Assembly below!
Subscribe to our newsletter
If you want to get the latest news from the Uniting Church in Australia then subscribe to our weekly newsletter delivered to your inbox.
Rev Ken Sumner
Rev Ken Sumner is a Kukabrak/Ngarrindjeri korni (man) from the Moorundi (River Murray), Mungkanbuli (Lakes), Kurangk (Coorong) & Yarluwar (Southern Ocean) in South Australia.
Ken is a Minister of the Word and is currently employed as the State Development Officer for the Uniting Aboriginal & Islander Christian Congress in South Australia (UAICC-SA). He has served the UAICC & UCA in the South Australian Synod, Vic/Tas Synod & Northern Synod. He has served as Chairperson of the National UAICC. He says that, “he continues to learn”.
Ken will reflect on Psalm 139: 13-15 and on the theme of identity and naturalisation. "Love who you are, as First Peoples or Second Peoples. Give your gifts and meet your responsibilities as people being woven together in the depths of this earth, connected as community in this sacred place by Creator. Because, if we can live in this way, this is good news."
Joy Han
Joy lives on the lands of the Wurundjeri people. She offers critical and interdisciplinary approaches to understanding identity and culture in our settler-colonial context. Joy is co-host to the new 'Making Me Visible' podcast with Rev Cyrus Kung.
Joy is looking forward to offering her reflections on Acts 10 and hopefully challenging some of the usual ideas about who welcomes whom into the community.
Rev Dr Bec Lindsay
Bec Lindsay lives with her family on Gadigal and Bidjigal land in Sydney’s south-east. She is a Minister of the Word and currently teaches Hebrew Bible/Old Testament at United Theological College in Synod of NSW/ACT.
John 4 tells the well-known story of Jesus’ encounter with a woman of Samaria. Bec will be exploring how un-weaving common interpretations of this passage might provide threads and methods for us to reweave in patterns of love.
Rev Dr Jason Kioa
Rev Dr Jason Kioa was ordained at VicTas Synod in 1990 as Minister of the Word. Current Ministry Team Leader at Mascot Wesley Uniting Church since 2019. Chair of Sydney Presbytery Pastoral Relations Committee. Have been a member of 5 Assembly Meetings and 5 Assembly Standing Committees. Former Chair of Tongan National Conference for 16 years. Former Moderator of VicTas Synod 2006-2009.
Jason will be speaking on Colossians 3:12-17 and on the theme, "God's Clothing Factory is one size fits all!"