President’s reflection: Arise and shine!

The 15th World Assembly of the World Federation of Methodist and Uniting Church Women (WFMUCW) brought together Methodist and Uniting Church women from across nine World Areas in Auckland, Aotearoa New Zealand, under the theme, “Arise and Shine – for the glory of the Lord is upon you” (Isaiah 60:1–5).

Held every five years, the Assembly gathered women from different nations, cultures, churches and generations to worship, listen, learn and reflect on their call to Christian discipleship.

The Uniting Church in Australia was represented by President Rev Charissa Suli, alongside UCA delegates Margaret Pedler and Heather Joy, who participated as part of the South Pacific Area Unit.

Reflecting on the Assembly, President Suli said she returned home carrying more than memories.

“I carry stories, questions, and the voices of women from across the world,” she said. “And I also carry a renewed sense of what it means for the Church to arise and shine in this generation.”

President Suli preached at the opening worship, reflecting on Isaiah 60:1–5 and Matthew 5:14–16 and emphasising that God’s light came first.

She said “Arise and Shine” was not another demand for women to work harder, carry more or fix everything. Rather, arising was a response to God’s grace and the light already given through Jesus Christ.

The Assembly highlighted the importance of relationships across cultures and generations. Drawing on Māori understandings of whakapapa and whanaungatanga, speakers reflected on how Christian communities were formed through connection and belonging.

President Suli was particularly encouraged by the intentional investment in younger women through mentoring, leadership development and the Helen Kim Memorial Scholarship program.

“This is more than succession planning; it is discipleship – one generation recognising God’s grace in another and saying: Your gifts are needed. Your voice matters. Take your place among us,” she said.

The Assembly also heard stories of women responding to violence, human trafficking, poverty and climate change, reinforcing a central conviction: faith had to become action.

This challenge extended to the Church’s own life. Sessions on safeguarding highlighted that creating safe churches required more than policies and procedures. It also required cultures where dignity was respected, vulnerability was taken seriously and power was exercised responsibly.

Another session explored the influence of online “manosphere” communities on young people and the need for the Church to offer an alternative vision of relationships shaped by the life and love of Jesus.

Throughout the Assembly, President Suli found herself returning to the imagery of threads, which resonated with her Presidential theme, “Threads of Love: Weaving Christ’s Love Across Cultures and Boundaries.”

“We do not simply meet one another – we become part of one another’s stories,” she said. “In Christ, we learn to receive one another as gifts. My light does not diminish when yours shines. We need one another’s light.”

As the Assembly concluded, participants were reminded that Christian leadership was not ultimately about status or influence, but participation in God’s mission.

President Suli returned to Australia with a challenge for the Church: to arise by refusing to look away from violence, injustice, unsafe cultures and the voices of younger generations.

“…Christian hope does not leave us staring into darkness,” she said. “Your light has come. Our hope is in Jesus Christ.”

“So, arise and shine, Church – not in our own strength, but in the grace of the One who has come among us and, in love, sends us into the world.”