National History Society Conference meets
Big questions were at the heart of the Uniting Church National History Society's biennial conference held in Canberra earlier this month
October 15, 2025
by Margaret Reeson, member of the UC National History Society and former Moderator of Synod of NSW and ACT
The fifth biennial conference of the Uniting Church National History Society proved to be a time to consider contemporary issues as much as former glories or disasters. Speakers addressed the theme, ‘The Church as a prophetic voice in Australian society: past, present and future’.
Following the inspiring – and challenging – Welcome to Ngunnawal Country from Selina Walker and keynote address from Rev Alistair Macrae, we were provided a series of papers that spoke as much to the demands of the present as memories of the past. Someone commented, ‘We need to be taking these issues more seriously than ever’.
The conference met over the long weekend in October and were welcomed at Canberra City Uniting Church. Over 60 of us participated in person or online throughout the weekend, from every Synod across the country. We appreciated the presence of President Rev Charissa Suli, Society Patron, on Friday evening and the leadership of the History Society President, Dr Judith Raftery.
We acknowledged together how much more work still needs to be done but recognised the influence of those who have spoken out and acted with integrity and courage in the past. Some of the themes included relationships between First Peoples and others, collaborations in urban settings between church and wider society, changing awareness and inclusion of the voices of women and the LGBTIQA+ community, and efforts of the church to speak into key national issues like Federation and nuclear disarmament. There were many other major questions that were not included this time, but next time perhaps!
Some of us carried a seedhead or leaf from a eucalypt with us during the conference. These were a symbol of the way in which we have each had a part – in an initial vision, or a nurturing, or in participating in harvest – in what can be a slow and often difficult task of being prophetic voices to our Australian society.
Alistair Macrae's keynote address will shortly be available on this page.
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.
More news from the Assembly
Remembering the Armenian Genocide
Marking the 111th anniversary of the Armenian Genocide mm Friday 24 April marks 111 years since the start of the Armenian Genocide into the Ottoman Empire, where authorities carried out the systematic destruction of Armenian Christians resulting in the devastating deaths of approximately 1.5 million lives between 1915 and 1923. This year is also…
Five young leaders attending AEYA-2026
Five young leaders attend AEYA-2026 Five young leaders of the UCA have travelled to Chiang Mai, in Thailand this week to participate in the Fifth Asian Ecumenical Youth Assembly. Five young leaders from the Uniting Church in Australia have travelled to Thailand this week to participate in the Fifth Asian Ecumenical Youth Assembly (AEYA-2026),…
Warning of an ‘apocalypse’ in international aid
Warning of an ‘apocalypse’ in international aid The disturbing and worsening problems of international aid were at the centre of a forum held in Canberra last monthThe global crisis in international aid has reached unprecedented levels, with Uniting Church Assembly General Secretary Andrew Johnson warning it now resembles an “apocalypse” rather than a temporary downturn.…
UnitingCare Australia advocacy makes an impact
UnitingCare Australia advocacy makes an impactSubscribe to our newsletterIf you want to get the latest news from the Uniting Church in Australia then subscribe to our weekly newsletter delivered to your inbox.UnitingCare Australia, a key agency of the Uniting Church in Australia, has welcomed the Federal Government’s announcement today of an additional $11.7 million investment in emergency relief and financial…
Faithful keeper of memory
Faithful keeper of memory Christine Gordon celebrates 25 years preserving the Uniting Church’s story, faithfully safeguarding its history and memory for future generationsThis Friday marks a remarkable milestone for Christine Gordon, who celebrates 25 years as Archivist for the Uniting Church in Australia Assembly, a role she has embraced with passion and unwavering commitment. “I…
Encountering the Living God as we journey toward Easter
Encountering the Living God as we journey toward Easter Assembly General Secretary Andrew Johnson reflects on encountering the Living God – and invites the Church to seek and trust that presence anew this Easter by Andrew Johnson, Assembly General Secretary On Monday evening in Holy Week, I sat in a Eucharistic service followed by the…
President’s Easter Message 2026
Peace BeWith You Easter messages from the President and Moderators of the Uniting Church in Australia In a world that can feel loud, anxious, and divided, Easter arrives with a quiet but powerful word: peace. This Easter, Rev Charissa Suli, President of the Uniting Church in Australia, offers a message drawn from the heart…
This is my Uniting Church: South Perth UC
This is my Uniting Church South Perth Uniting Church ‘This is my Uniting Church’ is a series that delves into the stories and faces of our local congregations and communities of faith: the beating heart of the Uniting Church! In this edition, we shine the spotlight on a Uniting Church located in Western Australia. It’s…