ASC Appointed, new Chairs and Advocates
The 17th Assembly elects a new Assembly Standing Committee, New Circle Advocates and Committee Chairs
July 16, 2024
On the final day of the 17th Assembly, a new Assembly Standing Commitee was announced as well as Advocates for the Assembly Circles of Interest and Chairs for various Assembly Committees. Ballot convenor Scott Ballment presented the results of the elections.
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.
Assembly Standing Committee
Members of the Assembly Standing Committee were also elected to serve for the next three years.
The successful candidates were:
Jordan Sumner, Rachel Kronberger, Sandy Boyce, Alison Overeem, David Fortheringham, Jong Soo Park, Richard La’Brooy, Roberta Stanley, Joanna Palmer, Felicity Amery, Emily Evans, Alimoni Taumoepeau, Kepueli Vaka, Alison Xamon, Emelia Haskey, Justin Greenway, Rachel Hanson, John Berger
Assembly Circles of Interest
Six Advocates were appointed to the Assembly Circles of Interest.
Being A Multicultural Church Circle Advocate – Rev Dr Paul Goh
Discipling the Next Generation Circle Advocate – Ms Virginia Lavaki
Growing in Faith Circle Advocate – Rev Hee Won Chang
Transforming Worship Circle Advocate – Matthew Julius
Working for Justice Circle Advocate – Rev Alexandra Sangster
Walking Together as First and Second Peoples Circle Advocate – Alison Overeem
The role of Advocate for the Seeking Common Ground Circle is vacant.
Chairpersons
The following people were also appointed as Chairpersons of Assembly Agency Boards and National Committees.
UnitingCare Australia Chairperson – Heather Watson
UnitingWorld Chairperson – Rev Dr Steve Bevis
Frontier Services Chairperson – Rev Heather den Houting
Standards for Ministries Working Group Chairperson – Rev Dr Rob McFarlane
Defence Force Chaplaincy Chairperson – Rev Charles Vesely
Read more 17th Assembly news
Listening to the household of God
Listening to the Household of God Uniting Church President Rev Charissa Suli has written this reflection from Fiji on the Pacific Church’s witness – and the call to listen, be changed and walk together Written by Rev Charissa Suli, President of the Uniting Church in Australia Last week, I had the privilege of gathering…
Liturgical Renewal Project gets underway
By Matthew Julius, Growing in Faith Circle Panel Member The National Assembly of the Uniting Church in Australia (UCA) is starting a new project of “Liturgical Renewal.” The word ‘liturgy’ refers to Christian worship, and is part of the “core business” of the Assembly (alongside doctrine and governance). This…
Easter Madness 2026: A place to belong
Easter Madness 2026: A place to belong At Easter Madness 2026, young people from across Queensland gathered to explore belonging through worship, community, and transformative encounters with God Earlier this month, around 170 young people gathered for four vibrant days at Easter Madness 2026, a Uniting Church youth event held on Queensland’s Sunshine Coast.…
ANZAC Day 2026
As Australia pauses to mark ANZAC Day this Saturday, Army Chaplain and Uniting Church Minister Rev Matthew Stuart invites us into a space of remembrance shaped by honesty, lament and hope. In a video message recorded for ANZAC Day (see below), Rev Stuart names the reality many feel but…
Frontier Services announces its new National Director
Frontier Services announces its new National Director Dave Parker’s extensive executive experience and heart for the gospel make him an outstanding fit for the strategy and future of Frontier Services The Board of Frontier Services has announced the appointment of Mr Dave Parker as its new National Director, marking an important moment of renewal…
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…