Today, 10 July, marks the 32nd anniversary of the Convenant between the Uniting Church in Australia and the Uniting Aboriginal and Islander Christian Congress.
With today’s anniversary and the approaching NAIDOC Week, the President of the Uniting Church in Australia, Rev Charissa Suli, gives thanks for the gift of Covenant and the importance of reconciliation.
A message from Rev Charissa Suli
As we mark NAIDOC Week across our nation’s history, I find myself giving thanks once again for the gift of Covenant.
The Covenant between the Uniting Church in Australia and the Uniting Aboriginal and Islander Christian Congress is one of the greatest gifts God has given our Church. It is far more than an agreement between councils. It is a living relationship that continues to shape who we are as the Body of Christ and calls us to deeper discipleship, humility and right relationship with one another.
During my master’s research, I spent considerable time reflecting on our Covenant with Congress. I came to understand more deeply that the Covenant is not simply something we affirm. It is a way of being Church. It shapes how we listen, lead, discern God’s future together, and understand what it means to belong to one another in Christ.
As someone shaped by my Pacific heritage and called to lead a multicultural Church, I have come to appreciate more deeply that Covenant has something to teach each of us. First Peoples are not merely part of our Church. Their wisdom, spirituality and leadership continue to shape who we are becoming together. As we walk together, we come to understand more fully what it means to be the Body of Christ.
Covenant reminds us that we cannot speak of being one Church while walking separate paths. God continually calls us back into relationship with one another because reconciliation is not merely our mission—it is God’s work, revealed in Jesus Christ and entrusted to the Church.
NAIDOC Week is an opportunity to give thanks for the enduring faith, wisdom and leadership of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples. It is also an invitation to renew our commitment to walking together in Covenant—with honesty, humility, courage and hope.
My prayer is that we will continue to learn from one another, deepen our relationships, and bear witness together to Christ’s reconciling love. May God keep weaving us together into the Church we are called to be.
“For Christ himself is our peace… and has broken down the dividing wall of hostility.”
Ephesians 2:14
A Prayer for NAIDOC Week
Creator God,
We give you thanks for the First Peoples of this land, who have cared for Country for countless generations, and whose cultures, languages and wisdom continue to enrich the life of our nation and of your Church.
We thank you for the faithful witness of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Christians, for their courage, resilience and enduring hope, and for how they continue to lead us to a deeper understanding of your love and justice.
As we mark NAIDOC Week, renew us in our Covenant together. Grant us hearts willing to listen, spirits open to learn, and the courage to walk alongside one another with humility and grace.
Strengthen the Elders who carry wisdom, the leaders who guide your people, the young people shaping the future, and the communities who continue to bear witness to your love in every part of this land.
Teach us to honour one another as members of one Body, to receive one another’s gifts with gratitude, and to seek your Kingdom together.
May your Holy Spirit continue to lead the Uniting Church as we walk together in faith, hope, and love. May our life together reflect Christ’s reconciling love, so that all people may know they are welcomed, valued, and that they belong.
We pray in the name of Jesus Christ, who calls us to walk together in peace.
Amen.
Rev Charissa Suli
President, Uniting Church in Australia