Uniting and Lutheran Churches meet for Dialogue
February 13, 2026
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Statement following LCA-UCA Dialogue meeting on Wednesday 11 February 2026
The Uniting Church, as a part of its commitment to the unity of the church, has for most of the time since church union been in Dialogue with the Lutheran Church of Australia.
This Dialogue group has looked to advancing areas of cooperation in mission and ministry, and deepening fellowship between the two churches, to the point where there may be “pulpit and table fellowship”.
The Dialogue approaches its work drawing on the principles of “Receptive Ecumenism,” which urges partners to engage in both robust exchange and appreciative listening to perspectives other than their own.
Most recently, it has examined the Eucharist, highlighting areas of shared understanding as well as differences in emphasis. The Dialogue has developed an agreed statement on the Eucharist called At the Table that has been received and affirmed by both churches. This statement along with a study guide is now available for use across the two churches.
On Wednesday 11 February 2026, the President of the UCA Assembly, Rev Charissa Suli and the church-wide bishop, Bishop Paul Smith of the LCA, met in Melbourne with the Dialogue group to hear a report of the group’s work, to offer suggestions for other areas of co-operation and consideration, and to pray God’s blessing on this important ecumenical task.
Amongst her comments, Charissa Suli affirmed the importance of the Dialogue and said the churches should celebrate and acknowledge the fact that it had “stayed with complexity over time”. She also spoke about the need to consider who might form the next generation of members for the Dialogue.
Bishop Paul Smith challenged the Dialogue to consider how the churches might now understand “church membership”; how we might learn from each other about living with differences (e.g. the LCA’s recent decision allowing two opinions about gender and ordination); the importance of our intercultural context; and engaging with First Peoples.
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