The Uniting Church at the World Communion of Reformed Churches

Rev Charissa Suli

President of the Uniting Church, voting delegate and head of the Uniting Church delegation

As President of the Uniting Church in Australia, I am honoured to attend the World Communion of Reformed Churches (WCRC) General Council as a voting delegate and head of delegation. This gathering offers a sacred opportunity to discern together how Christ calls the global Reformed family to live faithfully amid the challenges of our time. I look forward to contributing to theological and public conversations on climate justice, peacebuilding, and intercultural witness—amplifying First Peoples and Pacific voices and sharing the Uniting Church’s commitment to reconciliation, gender justice, and covenanting. 

I have been invited to serve on the Public Issues Committee, helping the Council shape prophetic responses to global crises through faith and action. I am also deeply honoured by the invitation from the National Council of Churches in Korea (NCCK) to offer the Opening Prayer at the Korea Peace Workshop, a space to stand in solidarity with our Korean siblings and pray for lasting peace and democracy on the peninsula. My hope is that through these shared moments of discernment and prayer, we will weave Christ’s love across cultures and boundaries, strengthening our common witness to God’s justice and grace in the world. 

Andrew Johnson

Assembly General Secretary, voting delegate

This will be my first global ecumenical gathering since commencing as General Secretary. I am looking forward to meeting people I’ve only met virtually - including some of our partner churches. I am also looking forward to learning from our global ecumenical partners. Many in the global north are facing similar challenges to us and I would like to deepen my understanding of how they are facing those challenges. We also have important theological work we are doing in our Church including in Continuing Witness and liturgy renewal. I want to listen to how others are doing this work in their own context. I am also looking forward to the discernment process around important decisions on issues of global justice.

Rev Dr Paul Goh

President-elect of the Assembly, voting delegate

I am honoured to be attending the 27th General Council of the World Communion of Reformed Churches in Chiang Mai as a voting delegate, and to serve as a Scribe in one of the discernment groups. I look forward to hearing what God is doing across our global Reformed family, particularly learning from churches in the global South who are witnessing to the gospel of hope amid contexts of division, suffering, and the minority status of Christianity in multicultural, multifaith, and secularising societies. My hope is that this gathering will inspire us in the Uniting Church to persevere in our witness to Christ with renewed courage and solidarity. 

Fanau'ifo'ou 'Akau'ola

Voting Delegate

I’m grateful and honoured to be attending the WCRC 2025 alongside the President and other members of the UCA. I am deeply hopeful that the WCRC 2025 gathering in Chiang Mai will be a time of genuine renewal, connection, and shared purpose. I look forward to meeting people from across the world who are united by faith, justice, and the desire to bring transformation within our communities and churches. My hope is that this gathering will not only strengthen our collective voice as a global communion but also inspire practical ways we can live out compassion, reconciliation, and unity in a world that is often divided. 

I’m especially looking forward to learning from diverse perspectives, hearing powerful stories of resilience and faith, and engaging in meaningful dialogue about how the Church can continue to be a force for peace and justice. I believe this time together will spark new ideas, deepen relationships, and renew our shared commitment to God’s mission in the world.