National History Society Conference meets
Big questions were at the heart of the Uniting Church National History Society's biennial conference held in Canberra earlier this month
October 15, 2025
by Margaret Reeson, member of the UC National History Society and former Moderator of Synod of NSW and ACT
The fifth biennial conference of the Uniting Church National History Society proved to be a time to consider contemporary issues as much as former glories or disasters. Speakers addressed the theme, ‘The Church as a prophetic voice in Australian society: past, present and future’.
Following the inspiring – and challenging – Welcome to Ngunnawal Country from Selina Walker and keynote address from Rev Alistair Macrae, we were provided a series of papers that spoke as much to the demands of the present as memories of the past. Someone commented, ‘We need to be taking these issues more seriously than ever’.
The conference met over the long weekend in October and were welcomed at Canberra City Uniting Church. Over 60 of us participated in person or online throughout the weekend, from every Synod across the country. We appreciated the presence of President Rev Charissa Suli, Society Patron, on Friday evening and the leadership of the History Society President, Dr Judith Raftery.
We acknowledged together how much more work still needs to be done but recognised the influence of those who have spoken out and acted with integrity and courage in the past. Some of the themes included relationships between First Peoples and others, collaborations in urban settings between church and wider society, changing awareness and inclusion of the voices of women and the LGBTIQA+ community, and efforts of the church to speak into key national issues like Federation and nuclear disarmament. There were many other major questions that were not included this time, but next time perhaps!
Some of us carried a seedhead or leaf from a eucalypt with us during the conference. These were a symbol of the way in which we have each had a part – in an initial vision, or a nurturing, or in participating in harvest – in what can be a slow and often difficult task of being prophetic voices to our Australian society.
Alistair Macrae's keynote address will shortly be available on this page.
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