Local Church News

IT HAS been thirteen years since the release of the document Being Church in Rural Queensland (BCIRQ). This document was signed by leaders of the Anglican, Catholic, Lutheran and Uniting Churches, a number of whom gathered at Highfields near Toowoomba in September. BCIRQ was designed to provide “a framework for action” and to inform lay people in rural areas of ...

Myrtle Kentish was a member of a pioneering family who settled the area beyond Tara/Dalby. Myrtle was born on 21 April 1912, and spent her youth in Ipswich and Brisbane . She married Clifford Browne, a Methodist minister, in 1936. Their ministry embraced Nanango, North Rockhampton , Gympie, Kedron, Townsville and Annerley circuits.  Myrtle served in many capacities: as a leader ...

On Saturday 12 and Sunday 13 September 30 members of the Beenleigh Region Uniting Church took part in the Queensland Cancer Council Relay for Life. The aim of the event was to raise money for cancer research by having teams of people walk for eighteen hours, in this case around the Canterbury College oval at Waterford, south of Brisbane, from ...

THE ECUMENICAL spirit of Unity College in Caloundra extended across the Pacific recently when the College welcomed students from Peteli Middle School in Tonga – a school of the Free Wesley Church of Tonga. Unity College is an ecumenical school serving the Catholic and Uniting communities of Caloundra on the Sunshine Coast. This visit was a dream come true for ...

IN AUGUST the Somerville House community held its annual Chapel Week, a five day program of activities commemorating the commissioning of the Chapel and celebrating the spiritual life of the girls’ school which is based in South Brisbane. This year the activities centred around the theme Friendship and included a birthday party for the Chapel, a praise celebration lead by ...

Miriam Schmierer celebrated her super-centenarian110th birthday with family and friends at Blue Care’s Masters Lodge on Thursday, 20 August. The great, great grandmother is believed to be the oldest resident in Queensland. Mrs Schmierer is remarkable, her state of health is enviable and she has been lucky to go through life with very little health problems. Mrs Schmierer has seen ...

Brookfield Uniting Church celebrates its 140th Anniversary this October with a lunch in the Brookfield Uniting Church Hall on Saturday 17 October and a celebratory service on Sunday 18 October. All welcome. For details contact George on 0407178919. Cleveland Uniting Church celebrates its 100th Anniversary on 31 October and 1 November. Formally a Methodist congregation, Cleveland Uniting Church will host ...

“FANTASTIC PRESENTERS – a day full of entertainment and learning” was one of the many enthusiastic evaluations from participants at the Communications Training Day held on 1 August at the University of Queensland (UQ) St Lucia Campus. The event was hosted by the Queensland chapter of the Australasian Religious Press Association (ARPA) and brought together more than 50 people from ...

UNITING CHURCH leaders made for a significant Christian presence in the events surrounding the 40th Pacific Islands Forum held in Cairns in August. Cairns Emmanuel Uniting Church minister Rev Dr Hedley Fihaki coordinated an Ecumenical Prayer Service for the Forum at which former Uniting Church President Rev Professor James Haire preached. Almost 400 people attended the service including Samoan Prime ...

Professor Rod Jensen, former chair of the Ministerial Education Board and lifelong active layman in the Methodist and Uniting Churches, passed away on Sunday 23 August. Prof Jensen was an inspiration to many people who have wanted the church to engage more intentionally with contemporary society, to make appropriate adaptations and changes that would address the obvious fall in worship ...