Pastoral Statement on the passing of Rev Dr Michelle Cook

A Pastoral Statement from Rev Charissa Suli, President of the Uniting Church in Australia

Dear members of the Uniting Church in Australia and friends in Christ,

With profound sadness and grief, the Uniting Church Assembly mourns the tragic passing of Uniting Church minister and Moderator-elect of the Northern Synod Rev Dr Michelle Cook.

Michelle died on Saturday evening at the Royal Darwin Hospital, following a tragic accident last Wednesday during which she sustained unrecoverable injuries. In these past days there has been an outpouring of shock, grief and support across our Church as people have paid tribute to a beloved minister, mentor, theologian and friend.

I mourn with you.

Michelle has been a nationally beloved and highly respected member of our Church and her loss is tremendous. As the many tributes to her attest, she made a profound impact through her missional vocation as a Deacon, her passionate but clear expression of the Gospel, her wise leadership and her friendship to so many.

The grief we now share is a testament to the deep bonds she formed with those around her and the high regard in which she was held. As we process this enormous loss, let us celebrate Michelle’s remarkable life and ministry.

Michelle embraced her ministry as a Deacon with the whole of her life. With open-hearted generosity she followed Christ’s call to serve those on the margins and minister at the edges of the church. She embodied sharp and practical missional insight and a passion for local discipleship. She reminded us that our mission is not just about faith but about action.

Her attentiveness to God’s call led her to roles in three different Synods, and at this painful time we think of those communities touched by her ministry and her friendship.

We think of Indooroopilly Uniting Church in Queensland, where Michelle grew up and was formed in faith, and which encouraged her call to ordained ministry. We think of other congregations which became a home for her along the way. We think of communities at Weipa, along the Frontier Services’ Cape York Patrol, and at Mapoon and Yalga Binbi. We think of the Presbytery of Tasmania. We think of teachers and students at Nungalinya College.

We think of our brothers and sisters in the Northern Synod who had chosen Michelle as their Moderator-elect in only April this year. We grieve with them at what cannot now come to be.

We continue to hold them all in prayer, and with them we give thanks for the many ways Michelle used her substantial gifts to build up and embolden the faith and mission of our Church and all God's people.

Alongside her own vocation, Michelle offered significant leadership to the national Uniting Church. She was a member of six Assemblies and served two terms on the Assembly Standing Committee. She was a member of the Working Group on Worship during the development of Uniting in Worship 2, and convened the Assembly’s Task Group assessing practical outcomes of our affirmation of First Peoples’ sovereignty. She was a panel member for the Assembly’s Walking Together as First and Second Peoples Circle.

She was a tireless friend and ally to the Uniting Aboriginal and Islander Christian Congress and to First Nations peoples, advocating for their voices to be heard and respected, and for the rightful place of Congress within our Church. She was a champion of the Uniting Church’s revised Preamble and Covenant.

A person of great integrity, she was not afraid to speak plainly of the truths we would need to face as we move towards justice and healing. She dreamed we would be a Church of 'deep listening'.

She was deeply committed to First Nations theological perspectives and insights and to shared learning. She enriched the ministries of many First Nations Christians as a passionate educator at Nungalinya College. She proclaimed the Gospel with passion and clarity, with words through which all could hear and come to know God's love for them.

The Covenant became the focus of Michelle’s research in recent years for which she was awarded a PhD in Practical Theology. Her choice to explore our multicultural and covenanting commitments through the interpretations of young adults expressed her compelling vision for a church which must go further into justice and where every voice matters. She worked quietly to make this a reality, raising other people’s voices wherever she could.

Michelle’s spiritual and personal influence reached far beyond her leadership roles. She was not just a colleague and leader but was a friend and mentor to many, a faithful disciple of Christ and child of God. Her faith and actions were a living testament to the power of Christ’s love, inspiring all of us to live more compassionately and justly.

In this moment of sorrow, let us find solace in the words of Christ, ‘Blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted.’ As we reflect on Michelle’s life and our hope of resurrection, let us be inspired by her dedication and faith, her encouragement and friendship. Her legacy will continue to influence us deeply.

The Assembly extends its deepest sympathy to Michelle’s family, James, Zane and Marda, to her parents, and all who loved her. We thank you for the way you supported Michelle in her servant leadership, enabling her to bless and nurture the Uniting Church community so richly. We can only imagine the sacrifices you made for us to see and experience the beauty and gifts and graces of her ministry.

I have arranged for an online condolence book to be established in Michelle’s honour. We encourage you to leave a message here as together we mourn her passing and celebrate her life and legacy. These messages will later be shared with Michelle’s family. Alternatively, you can send your tributes to the Assembly: comms@nat.uca.org.au and we will make sure it's included.

We give praise and thanks to God for Michelle’s deep faith, good humour, wise counsel, astute theological mind and willingness to go to the edges for God’s people. Her loss will be felt far and wide and she will be deeply missed.

May she rest in God’s eternal peace and love and rise anew in God’s life.

Rev Charissa Suli
President of the Uniting Church in Australia

Funeral Details

The Uniting Church Northern Synod has announced that Michelle’s Funeral and Service of Thanksgiving will be held on Thursday 14th November at 10:30am ACST at Nightcliff Uniting Church in Darwin. (9am AWST, 11am AEST, 11:30am ACDT, 12pm AEDT).

The service will be live-streamed via this link.

Several public viewings of Michelle's funeral have been planned around the country to allow people to gather to mourn and celebrate Michelle's life.

Synod of Victoria/Tasmania

Melbourne: 12pm local time, Wesley Place (Level 2, 130 Lonsdale St, Melbourne VIC)

Melbourne: 12pm local time, Centre for Theology and Ministry (29 College Crescent, Parkville VIC)

Launceston: from 11:45am local time, Pilgrim Uniting Church (34 Paterson St, Launceston TAS)

UAICC Tasmania: from 11am local time, Kingston Uniting Church (42 Jindabyne Rd, Kingston Beach TAS)

Synod of NSW/ACT

12pm local time, Chapel of St Andrew at the Centre for Ministry (16 Masons Dr, North Parramatta NSW)

Synod of South Australia

11:30am local time, Christ Church Wayville (26 King William Rd, Wayville SA)

Synod of Queensland

from 10:30am local time, Indooroopilly Uniting Church (74 Station Rd, Indooroopilly QLD)

Donate

Ex-President Rev Sharon Hollis has established a GoFundMe to assist with funeral costs and travel costs, particularly to enable those coming from remote communities to attend. Anything additional raised will be given to Michelle's family to help support them as they adjust to life without her. Donate here.