Pastoral Letter: Religious Discrimination BillTo UCA members, congregations and faith communities,Dear friends in Christ,This week will be a challenging week for some members of our Uniting Church community as the Australian Parliament considers the Religious Discrimination Bill.I am aware the current political debate will heighten the vulnerability of members of the LGBTIQA+ community, particularly LGBTIQA+ children […]
New partnership with United Methodist Church in the PhilippinesThe Uniting Church in Australia has signed a new partnership agreement with the United Methodist Church in the Philippines (UMCP) strengthening the ties between our churches.The agreement formally recognises the unity and oneness we share in Jesus Christ and commits both Churches to mutually support one another […]
UCA urges: don’t rush Religious Discrimination BillPresident of the Uniting Church in Australia Rev Sharon Hollis has urged Federal Parliamentarians not to rush the Religious Discrimination Bill 2021 through the Senate this week.This comes as two reports from Parliamentary Inquiries on the Religious Discrimination Bill 2021 were released last Friday, both of which supported the […]
A Prayer in the Spirit of the Lunar New YearWritten by Rev Ji ZhangAssembly Theologian In ResidenceLoving GodWe give thanks for the changing season,the spirit of Chinese New Year.We pray for resetting our bodily clockbrushing away the dust of the pastand welcoming a new future.O gracious God,send your spirit of renewal to all peoplein this […]
Call for submissions: IWD 2022Call for Submissions: Celebrating Uniting Church women on International Women’s Day 2022 Every day, in every place across the Uniting Church, women are leading, empowering and inspiring in our church communities and beyond. To mark International Women’s Day on 8 March this year, the Uniting Church Assembly is looking to tell […]
Newly released research Mapping Intercultural Neighbourhoods recommends ways forward for being a multicultural church in a local context. A full draft research report Mapping Intercultural Neighbourhoods in SA: CALD-Intercultural Ministry Survey 2021 has been released by the Mission Resourcing, Synod of South Australia. Seeing cultural diversity as an opportunity of renewal and source of strength, this […]
Churches mark a Day of MourningUniting Church members marked a Day of Mourning on Sunday 23 January 2022 holding worship services which invited people to reflect on the effects of invasion and colonisation on Australia’s First Peoples.More than 60 congregations and communities registered for the Day of Mourning. We share some reflections from UCA members on […]
Calls for more compassion and more places for Afghan refugeesThe Uniting Church has joined with other churches in expressing disappointment with the Federal Government’s latest announcement in response to the plight of refugees from Afghanistan.Immigration Minister Alex Hawke announced that over the next four years 10,000 humanitarian and 5,000 family visas will be set aside […]
(Cover image L-R: Sharon Hoogland OAM, Graham Doherty OAM, Dr Jill Tabart OAM, Hon Bronwyn Pike AM.)Written by Bethany Broadstock”The Uniting Church … acknowledges with thanksgiving that the one Spirit has endowed the members of Christ’s Church with a diversity of gifts, and that there is no gift without its corresponding service: all ministries have […]
UCA gives evidence at Religious Discrimination inquiryUniting Church in Australia President Rev Sharon Hollis has told a Joint Parliamentary inquiry examining the latest draft of the Australian Government’s Religious Discrimination Bill that the UCA does not support the bill in its current form.Although the Uniting Church supports the need for religious discrimination laws, the current […]