First National Korean Women’s Conference celebrates leadership and calling
The inaugural Korean Women's Conference brought together lay and ordained women leaders from around the country
June 4, 2025
by Rev Myung Hwa Park, Chair of the Korean National Conference
This year marks the 40th anniversary of the Uniting Church’s declaration as a multicultural church, an ongoing journey of embracing diversity as a gift and strength.
Among the many culturally and linguistically diverse communities within the UCA is the Korean community, with over 8,000 members and more than 70 ordained ministers serving both Korean-speaking and English-speaking congregations across the country.
In a significant and historic moment, the first National Korean Women’s Conference was held at United Theological College. Fifteen ordained ministers and eleven lay leaders from the Synods of NSW/ACT, Victoria/Tasmania, and Queensland gathered with the support of Rev Dr Peter Walker and Rev Dr Seforosa Carroll.
At the Conference, the 26 participants reflected deeply on their journeys as Korean women in ministry within the UCA. The conference was a time of affirmation, renewal, and mutual encouragement, celebrating their identity, leadership, and calling as women, as mothers, and as Korean leaders in the Multicultural Uniting Church.
The participants expressed a strong desire to continue this journey together, with plans for future Korean women’s gatherings already underway. There is also hope that other CALD women in the Uniting Church will be inspired to convene their own gatherings, leading toward a broader intercultural or national women’s conference in the years ahead.
This inaugural Korean Women’s Conference was a small but significant step, a powerful act of recognition and affirmation. It reflects the richness of our church’s multicultural identity and the deep wisdom that emerges when diverse voices are heard, valued, and celebrated.
"This inaugural Korean Women’s Conference was a small but significant step, a powerful act of recognition and affirmation."
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Greeting brought to the gathering by Uniting Church President Rev Charissa Suli, speaking from Perth
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