By Micheal Zewdie

The 48th Northern Synod brought members of the Uniting Church together in Darwin for four days of worship, conversation, discernment and celebration, with the invitation “Kulini… are you listening?” providing a thread through the gathering.

Held from 1–4 October, the Synod began at Nungalinya College before moving to Casuarina Uniting Church for the remainder of the meeting. Across the four days, members were invited not simply to hear reports and conduct the formal business of Synod, but to listen deeply to one another, to the life of the Church across the North, and to where God may be calling the Church next.

Beginning with Covenant and conversation

The gathering opened at Nungalinya College with a program centred on the inaugural Rev Dr Michelle Cook Lecture.

Throughout the afternoon, workshops explored Covenant through the experiences and perspectives of people from across the Northern Synod. Conversations ranged from Covenant within Galiwin’ku and Central Australia to the story of Mowanjum, the relationship between Nungalinya College and the UCA Covenant, Yolŋu language and number, and the legacy of Charles Harris. 

The workshops flowed into the inaugural lecture in the evening, led by Rev Ken Sumner and Dr Rosemarie Dewerse, providing an opportunity to reflect more deeply on the relationships, histories and responsibilities that continue to shape the Uniting Church. 

The formal business of the 48th Synod then began with an Opening Service of Worship, grounding the days ahead in prayer and community.

Hearing the life of the Church

Day two at Casuarina Uniting Church began with worship and Bible study before Synod turned its attention to the life and work of the Church across the region.

Members heard reports from Moderator Rev Felicity Amery, General Secretary Rev Janet Staines, the Moderator Search Committee, the Ministerial Committee and the Northern Regional Council of Congress and Pilgrim presbyteries. 

The afternoon brought voices from several organisations connected with the Church's ministry and community life, including Nungalinya Theological College, Somerville Community Services, Australian Regional and Remote Community Services (ARRCS) and Aboriginal Resource and Development Services (ARDS). 

But the day did not end simply with reports.

Members gathered around tables for the first Kulini – “Are you listening?” session: an opportunity to talk together about what they had heard during the day and to listen to the experiences, questions and insights around the room. 

It shifted the emphasis from simply receiving information to reflecting together on what that information might mean for the Church.

Listening and discerning together

That spirit continued into Day three.

Following worship and Bible study, Assembly General Secretary Andrew Johnson presented the work of the national Assembly. With President Rev Charissa Suli unable to attend the Synod, Andrew also shared her message with those gathered.

The day included important Synod business around finance, property, leadership and representation, as members participated in the processes of discernment and decision-making that support the Church's ministry. 

The afternoon continued with presentations including the work of Frontier Services, as well as the United Aboriginal and Islander Christian Congress, alongside ballots and other matters relating to the leadership and governance of the Synod. 

Kulini then continued the conversation begun the previous day.

Once again, members gathered for table discussions and feedback, but this time the conversation moved one step further. Having asked What have we heard?, Synod was invited to consider:

What do we want to do with what we have heard? 

It was an important progression in the gathering — from listening, to reflection, and then toward action.

The evening offered a different kind of gathering, as members came together for Dinner on the Lawn and a Celebration of Ministries, recognising the people and communities through whom the life of the Church is expressed across the Synod. 

Worship, installation and sending out

The final day brought Synod members together with the congregation of Casuarina Uniting Church for worship and Holy Communion.

At the heart of the service was the installation of Rev Dr Andrew Williams as Moderator, marking a significant moment in the leadership of the Northern Synod and the beginning of a new chapter in its shared life.

Andrew brings to the role a depth of experience in ministry, church leadership and ecumenical engagement. An ordained minister and experienced church administrator, he has served as General Secretary of the Uniting Church in Australia, Synod of Western Australia since 2022, and previously held the role of General Secretary in the Synod of NSW and ACT.

His wider church experience includes eight years with the Council for World Mission in personnel and training, work as a worship consultant with the World Council of Churches, and international ecumenical service, including as an observer during Zimbabwe’s 2018 elections. He also holds a Doctor of Theology from the University of Birmingham in the United Kingdom.

We warmly welcome Andrew to this new role and give thanks for the experience, wisdom and commitment he brings as he begins serving the Northern Synod as Moderator.

The service concluded with acknowledgements, thanks and a sending out.

After four days together, this was a fitting way to close the Synod. Those gathered were sent back into congregations, communities and ministries carrying with them the conversations, relationships and questions of the meeting.

Carrying Kulini beyond Synod

Across the four days, Kulini – “Are you listening?” became more than the theme of a session.

It shaped the rhythm of the gathering.

There was listening through the conversations about Covenant that opened Synod; listening to the stories of ministries and organisations working across the Northern Synod; listening through reports and formal discernment; and, importantly, listening to one another around the tables.

The invitation at the heart of the gathering was not simply to hear, but to consider what comes next.

As members return to their communities, Kulini remains an invitation to continue listening deeply — to one another, to First Peoples, to communities across the vast geography of the Northern Synod, and to the movement of God among them.

The 48th Northern Synod may have concluded, but the conversations it opened continue.