13th Assembly

THE Uniting Church's current Ministerial Education Committee is to be replaced by an Education for Ministry Working Group, with the new body to provide advice on the standards of formation, education and training for the Ministry of the Word, Ministry of Deacon, Ministry of Pastor and Ministry of Lay Preacher. The statement presented to the 13th Assembly, One Body, Many ...

ON the second last day of business at the 13th Assembly, members were treated to the eye-opening wit and humour of economist and Executive Director of The Australia Institute, Dr Richard Denniss. Speaking at a preview of the new UnitingJustice Australia website, the co-author of Affluenza asked why, in a country as rich as Australia, we can afford to tackle ...

CALL me a Church Nerd if you will, but the 13th Assembly, and my first, was really cool. Perhaps it was the ridiculous amount of food consumed. Perhaps it was the amazing co- Gen Ys I met and befriended. Perhaps it was our Stetson-wearing-President and cheesy-tie-wearing General Secretary chairing the meeting with such grace and humour. But after a week ...

ALMOST 400 people sang, prayed and observed a minute's silence on the steps of the South Australian Parliament to express concern at the federal Stronger Futures laws. At lunchtime on day five of the 13th Assembly, members moved en masse from their meeting to the steps of Parliament. Passers-by stopped and stared and cars beeped their horns at the silent ...

A NUMBER of proposals to the 13th Assembly related to the Uniting Church's relationship with its Indigenous members. One proposal called on church councils, boards and agencies to uphold the views of the Uniting Aboriginal Islander Christian Congress (UAICC) as they make decisions about proposed changes to the constitution by the Australian Government which will go to a referendum. This ...

THE 13th Assembly was presented with three proposals discussing marriage on Thursday 19 July. A respectful and articulate discussion followed as Assembly members engaged with the proposers: Rev Avril Hannah- Jones and Jenny Hayes, Port- Phillip West Presbytery (proposal 31/amended to 64); Rev Lu Senituli and Rev Gwen Fisher, South Moreton Presbytery (proposal 43); and Rev Carol Bennett and Rev ...

I'VE been introducing the Uniting Church to people for most of my adult life – its history, vision, values and structures. I even wrote a booklet called "Introducing the Uniting Church in Australia". I go to Uniting Church agencies to brief boards. I go to Uniting Church schools to do professional development with teachers. I go to Uniting Church councils ...

ON Saturday 21 July, the results of the previous day's ballot were announced with 18 members chosen to sit on the Assembly Standing Committee (ASC) for the next three years. Members were drawn from every Synod, representing both the lay and ordained communities and also the youth of the church, with three people under the age of 25 chosen. Ex-officio ...

ON Thursday 19 July members of the 13th Assembly meeting in Adelaide, endorsed Stuart McMillan, the Northern Synod Moderator, as President-elect of the Uniting Church in Australia. Mr McMillan will be President-elect for the next three years before he takes up the presidency in 2015 at the 14th Assembly in Perth, succeeding current President, Rev Prof Andrew Dutney, who took ...

The following is an excerpt of the address Rev Alistair Macrae, Uniting Church President from 2009 to July 2012, delivered to the 13th Assembly on Monday 16 July 2012. ALONG with the worldwide Christian Church we are in a time of fundamental transition, with all its challenges and opportunities. We should continue to ask what Christians have asked in every ...