The National Assembly’s Director of Advocacy and Justice, Hannah Jackson, was commissioned during worship at her home congregation, Ipswich Uniting Church in Queensland on Sunday.
Led by Assembly General Secretary Andrew Johnson, the service featured a sermon from Uniting Church in Australia President Rev Charissa Suli, drawing on the theme “Built Together” as part of the congregation’s current sermon series.
For Hannah, the service marked both a beginning and a homecoming.
“It’s not lost on me, the privilege of being able to do this here today, in the midst of you all, my church family and my home congregation,” she said.
As she begins her new role, Hannah brings a deep commitment to the Church’s witness for justice and advocacy, grounded in the belief that working for a more just and compassionate society is an essential expression of Christian discipleship.
In her sermon, Rev Charissa Suli reflected on the Church’s calling to embody Christ’s reconciling love in a divided world.
“The peace Christ creates does not ask us to ignore injustice,” she said. “It calls us to confront what continues to divide and diminish human life.”
The commissioning service highlighted the important role advocacy and justice play in the life and mission of the Church. It also offered an opportunity for the wider Assembly and local congregation to pray for Hannah as she takes up this national leadership role.
The Assembly expresses its gratitude to Rev David Fender and the community of Ipswich Uniting Church for their warm hospitality and faithful support of the occasion.
As Hannah Jackson begins this new chapter of ministry, members across the Church are invited to uphold her in prayer as she leads the Assembly’s advocacy and justice work in the years ahead.
