National History Conference to tackle big questions of church and society

What does it mean for the Church to raise a prophetic voice in Australian society? How have Christians spoken into and shaped public life, and what are the lessons for the challenges we face today? These are the big questions at the heart of the Uniting Church National History Society Conference to be held from 3–5 October.

Over three days at Canberra City Uniting Church, the conference will bring together a wide range of scholars, ministers and community leaders to examine moments when the Church has stepped forward to speak to the nation.

The conference will open with a keynote address on the theme of the conference from Rev Dr Alistair Macrae, past President of the Uniting Church in Australia (2009-2012). For more than four decades in ministry, Alistair has been deeply committed to building bridges between prayer and activism, faith and justice and religion and politics.

“I am delighted to have an opportunity to highlight the work, participation and influence of people in the Uniting Church in particular, who have spoken up on public issues and justice concerns over the years," said Rev Dr Macrae. "The voices of people on behalf of the churches have been very under-reported.”

A range of presentations will revisit Assembly debates on peace and disarmament during the Cold War, the activism of congregations in the 1960s and 70s, and the role of faith communities in the more recent Sydney Alliance. They will remember the prophetic voices of leaders such as Rev Charles Harris, Rev Bernie Clarke and Rev Edgar Wells in the struggle for First Peoples’ justice, and the practical advocacy of the NSW Christian Youth Council in providing housing for Aboriginal families in the 1960s.

The Church’s ongoing witness to inclusion will also be explored, from its stand on LGBTIQA+ issues to the struggle of women for equal representation and the long campaign for political suffrage at the turn of the twentieth century.

A highlight of the program will be the Saturday panel discussion on Church and government relations, a uniquely Canberran contribution to the conference. The panel will feature Rev Gordon Ramsay, former ACT Government minister and Uniting Church leader; Lin Hatfield Dodds, most recently CEO of the Benevolent Society and formerly Deputy Secretary for Social Policy in the Department of Prime Minister and Cabinet; and Dr John Williams, scientist and advocate for sustainable land and water policy. Their conversation will open a window onto the opportunities and tensions when churches engage with the political sphere.

Other voices will broaden the horizon still further. Rev Professor Glen O’Brien will locate the Uniting Church within the global Methodist communion, while Dr Judith Raftery will draw on biblical perspectives to explore the opportunities and challenges of offering prophetic witness as both citizens and disciples. Historians such as Margaret Reeson, Clive Jackson and Dr Patricia Curthoys will recover stories of church influence in the movement towards Federation, women’s representation and Aboriginal rights.

Contemporary scholars will ask what lessons from the past best equip the Church for a faithful and courageous future.

The conference is both a look back and a call forward: a chance to hear the stories of those who have spoken up in the public square, to reflect on the courage and creativity of those who came before, and to be inspired afresh for the task of prophetic witness today.

Registration options

Registrations are still open for both in-person and online participation. Day only attendance options are available. It is only $80 to attend online for the full weekend!

To join this rich conversation, visit here.

Enquiries: Rev Ivan Roberts – mobile 0422 648 191