Uniting Church members honoured
Uniting Church members have been recognised in the 2024 King's Birthday Honours
June 12, 2024
The Uniting Church celebrates and congratulates all Uniting Church members recognised in the 2024 King's Birthday Honours List.
The list includes the late James Pfeiffer who was honoured for his service to education and the Uniting Church, and several other UCA members recognised for their gifts in a range of areas and their extraordinary service to the Church and community.
The Uniting Church celebrates and congratulates all Uniting Church members recognised in the 2024 King's Birthday Honours List.
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The late James Pfeiffer was recognised with an OAM for service to education, and to the Uniting Church in Australia. James made a significant contribution to the Uniting Church as the Chair of Wesley Mission from 2004-2010 and on several committees in the Synod of Victoria and Tasmania including the Disciplinary, Governance and Synod Standing Committees. He was an Elder at St Leonard's Uniting Church in Brighton Beach, Victoria.
James was a long-serving member on the Board of Haileybury College in Victoria – almost 30 years from 1982-2010. He was also on the Board of the Peter MacCallum Cancer Institute from 1988-1996.
Lance Boswell was recognised with an OAM for his service to the communities of Albury and Howlong in southern New South Wales. Lance is a beloved member of St David's Uniting Church in Albury, where he has served in multiple roles including former Vice-Chair of the Church Council, four years as Treasurer and seven years on the Church Council.
Lance’s recognition includes an impressive list of community involvements, including almost four decades with the Rotary Club of Albury West and Howlong Country Golf Club, 16 years as Treasurer for Albury West Primary School, founder of the Probus Club of Albury and 31 years as a volunteer with Meals on Wheels in Albury West. He was a chartered accountant for over three decades.
A keen cricketer and footballer himself, Lance expressed a commitment to community sport through various leadership roles in the Howlong Seniors and Juniors football clubs, Forest Hill Tennis Club and Howlong Cricket Club.
He won the Australian Sports Medal in 2000 and was the Club Legend of the Rotary Club of Albury West in 2005.
Carmyl Winkler received an OAM for service to the communities of Benalla and Tallangatta in Victoria. Carmyl has been a member and volunteer with the Methodist and then Uniting churches for an incredible 70 years. She has been a contributor to Uniting Church publications for 40 of those years, particularly Crosslight in the Synod of Victoria and Tasmania.
In Benalla she served as a volunteer with a weekly preschool reading program and with the Benalla Central Community Garden, a project of Benalla Uniting Church. Carmyl was an Indonesian teacher at Tallangatta Primary School for 25 years and has written several books about the Indonesian language. She also established a multicultural food program in the town.
Rhona Collinson OAM was recognised for service to the community of Caboolture, in the city of Moreton Bay in Queensland. Rhona has been a member of Upper Caboolture Uniting Church since 1974. She was the Chair of the Caboolture Regional Church Council from 2014-2022 and a member of the Pastoral Relations Committee of the Moreton Rivers Presbytery from 2017-2021.
Rhona is an inaugural and life member of the Caboolture Family History Research Group and has served as President, Vice-President and Treasurer over the past 43 years. She has been a staff member at Caboolture State High School since 1974 and its volunteer archivist since 2001.
Alan Field OAM was recognised for service to the community through music, and to education.
Alan was an inaugural member of Adare Uniting Church in Victor Harbor, and over the past almost 70 years has served as an elder, chair of the congregation, choir master and pianist and a member of various committees.
He has also served as the President of the South Australia Country Choral Association and the President of the South Coast Choral and Arts Society. He is a life member of the Victor Harbor City Band.
Alan was a secondary school teacher from 1956 to 1990 and served as the Principal of the Victor Harbor, Murray Bridge, Alice Springs and Glengowrie High Schools from 1968-1990.
Carolyn Kitto OAM was honoured for service to the community through social justice initiatives. Carolyn was a Mission Planning Consultant for the Uniting Church for 12 years from 1989 to 2001.
Since 2011 Carolyn has been the Co-Director of Be Slavery Free, an organisation which exists to prevent the harm done by human trafficking. She has worked in church engagement for World Vision Australia and church partnerships for the Anglican Board of Mission. She is Co-Director of Spirited Consulting which offers specialised engagement for ending modern slavery.
June Stevens OAM was recognised for service to the community through social welfare organisations. June was an inaugural Elder of Nowra Uniting Church (now Shoalhaven Central Uniting Church) and served in this position from 1977-2020. Over the past 47 years she has served as chair of the church council, a pastoral care trainer, op shop volunteer and a committee member of the Shoalhaven Neighbourhood Centre.
A former psychologist and family therapist, June has an impressive list of involvements with community welfare organisations including Southern Cross Community Housing (2002-2023) and Family Services Australia. She is a former Chair of the national Board of Lifeline Australia and was Director of Lifeline South Coast from 1985-1992.
June was the Shoalhaven Citizen of the Year In 2017.
The Assembly also congratulates Rabbi Jacqueline Ninio on her OAM for service to the Jewish community and to interfaith organisations. Rabbi Ninio is a Jewish member of the Uniting Church-Jewish national dialogue.
Other UCA recipients include:
- Nanette Sharp OAM, for service to the community of Southern Adelaide including to Eldercare Allambi (Aged Care).
- Phillip Styles OAM, for service to tourism in South Australia and to the community, including to the Westminster School in South Australia.
- Helen Pittman OAM, for service to the community through a range of organisations including volunteering with the Wollongong Uniting Church Op Shop and Tea Rooms.
Is this list missing someone? Let us know of other UCA recipients by emailing us here.
Images L-R: Lance Boswell, Carmyl Winkler, Rhona Collinson.