UCA Anniversary message
Uniting Church President Rev Sharon Hollis shares this message marking 46 years of the Uniting Church in Australia
June 15, 2023
President Rev Sharon Hollis has shared this video message to mark the anniversary of the Uniting Church in Australia next week on 22 June.
“At this moment, we must listen anew to the invitation to find ourselves in God's story and speak in fresh ways about who we are and where we are going. "
Subscribe to our newsletter
If you want to get the latest news from the Uniting Church in Australia then subscribe to our weekly newsletter delivered to your inbox.
This year, the anniversary also marks the conclusion of Uniting in Prayer - a time of prayer nationally across the Church as part of the Act2 project, as we consider the future shape of the Uniting Church.
Recalling the courageous journey we embarked on 46 years ago, the President invites us to listen anew to the invitation to find ourselves in God's story, asking...
What is God's new thing for us today?
Are we willing to courageously answer Christ's call in this time and place?
The President considers the particular call this year to support an Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Voice to Parliament. She reflects on the call to be shaped by God's inclusive life and to receive with joy the gifts of the LGBTIQA+ community. She invites us to seek to be allies of those on the margins and to stand against racism and exclusion.
In our own life as a Church, the President asks if we can commit anew to sharing with others what it means to have new life in Christ, and to forge a future of faithful innovation, discipleship and community.
The beginning of the video features Rev Dr Davis McCaughey, inaugural President of the Uniting Church, preaching at the Uniting Church service of inauguration at Sydney Town Hall on 22 June 1977.
The video message is available now to download and play in your worship service or to share with your community.
More news
Celebrations and stories of healing in Alice Springs
Stories of Healing: Alice Springs marks 100 years of Adelaide House and 70 years of the John Flynn Memorial ChurchIn the red centre of Australia, members of the Uniting Church community gathered on 12–13 September to honour two milestones of faith, care and resilience: the centenary of Adelaide House and 70 years of the John…
Bearing witness to Palestinian Christian voices
Bearing witness to Palestinian Christian voicesAs World Week for Peace in Palestine and Israel takes place this week, the Uniting Church is invited to listen, pray and stand in solidarity with communities longing for peace and justice. In July this year, the Uniting Church hosted two Palestinian Christians as part of the “Bearing Witness: Palestinian…
President’s Prayer for the UN International Day of Peace
President’s Prayer for the United Nations International Day of Peace The United Nations International Day of Peace, commemorated on 21 September, brings people around the world together to reflect on the urgent work of building and sustaining peace. The 2026 theme, “Invest in Peace – For Everyone, Everywhere, Every Day” highlights that peace is…
Come, Taste and See: Feast of Faith 2026
Come, Taste and See: Feast of Faith 2026 Young adults and emerging leaders gathered for this year’s Feast of Faith, discovering God’s goodness through worship, fellowship, storytelling and shared cultural experiencesEarlier this month, second-generation young adults and emerging leaders from intercultural communities across the Uniting Church gathered in Merricks, Victoria for Feast of Faith 2026.…
Lay Preachers gather to share in weaving Christ’s love
Lay Preachers gather to share in weaving Christ’s loveMore than 40 Lay Preachers, worship leaders and church members from across Australia gathered in Naarm/Melbourne from 4–6 September for the National Lay Preachers’ Conference. Hosted by the Lay Preachers’ Association of Victoria and Tasmania with Pilgrim Theological College, the triennial conference was…
Pilgrims of Peace, Trust and Hope
Pilgrims of Peace, Trust and Hope Last week, President-elect Rev Dr Paul Goh gathered with the global ecumenical community to discuss the Church’s role in speaking for peace, justice and hope amid the wounds of divisionSubscribe to our newsletterIf you want to get the latest news from the Uniting Church in Australia then subscribe to…
Listening at the lingual frontier
Listening at the lingual frontier Subscribe to our newsletter If you want to get the latest news from the Uniting Church in Australia then subscribe to our weekly newsletter delivered to your inbox. What does it mean to listen when the person we are seeking to relate to speaks a different first language,…
Caring for Creation at St Stephen’s Toowoomba
Faith in action: St Stephen’s journey of caring for creation At St Stephen’s Uniting Church, caring for creation is woven into worship and practical decisions that strengthen both environmental and financial sustainabilityBy Emily Murray, Environmental Sustainability Specialist, Queensland SynodAt St Stephen’s Uniting Church in Toowoomba, care for creation is not a standalone project but an expression of…