National News

Rev John Cox, inaugural Director of the Uniting Church in Australia’s National Safe Church Unit, talks to Journey about his new role. John previously served as Executive Officer of the National Royal Commission Response and Engagement Task Group, the group that guided the Uniting Church’s national response to the Royal Commission into Institutional Responses to Child Sexual Abuse. What is ...

Dr Kerrie Handasyde, adjunct lecturer at Pilgrim Theological College, talks to ABC presenter Dr Meredith Lake about her award-winning history of the Bible in Australia and the upcoming Uniting Church National History Conference. Meredith Lake knows how to tell a story with soul. She’s the presenter of Soul Search on Radio National, the award-winning author of The Bible in Australia: ...

The Christmas Bowl is an annual tradition for many Australian congregations and individuals, sharing the Christmas message through supporting people in need across the world. Jess Xavier from Act for Peace reminds us of this enduring legacy of hope. It was 1949. Millions of refugees were starving in war-ravaged Europe. And as Frank Byatt, a young minister in Victoria looked ...

Rev Bruce Prewer, Uniting Church minister and nationally acclaimed wordsmith passed away in Sunbury on 11 September at the age of 87 years. Bruce’s passion for writing contemporary, ecumenical liturgy grounded in the Australian context influenced generations of Christians from the 1970s to the present day. For the young Uniting Church, his distinctive voice helped articulate what it meant to ...

Uniting Church members from around Australia will come together in prayerful community at Box Hill Town Hall in July for the 15th Assembly meeting. Matt Pulford reports on the issues in focus for the church. On 8 July, members of the 15th Assembly will install Dr Deidre Palmer as president, the second woman in the history of the church to ...

The 14th President of the Uniting Church in Australia Stuart McMillan has urged church members to address the “unfinished business” of sovereignty and treaty for First Peoples in his final national message. Matt Pulford reports. “I started my presidency with the Yolŋu words Bala limurr roŋyirr ŋorraŋgitjlil—‘Let us return to the white ashes of the fire’,” said Stuart. “It was ...

The 2018 Uniting Aboriginal and Islander Christian Congress (UAICC) National Conference saw participants from across Australia gather to reflect on the theme of healing and celebrate the Congress’ vision for the future. Journey reports. Aboriginal and Islander members in the Uniting Church boosted resources for youth work, mission and evangelism at their triennial national conference held in Geelong over six ...

Uniting Church members are being called on to do their part to make our church, agencies and schools the safest they can be for children and all people in our care. Journey reports. The Royal Commission on Child Sexual Abuse handed down its 17 volume report on 15 December 2017, bringing the landmark inquiry to a close after almost five ...

In April, elite athletes from around the world will descend upon the Gold Coast for the 2018 Commonwealth Games. James O’Callaghan looks at some of the activities Beyond Gold Gold Coast (GC) has planned to ensure the legacy of the games lasts beyond the closing ceremony. A partnership between local churches and mission agencies, Beyond Gold GC aims to maximise ...

The music flowed at Indooroopilly Uniting Church over the Australia Day long weekend with the 2018 Songwrite conference hitting all the right notes for creativity, collaboration and encouragement. David Busch reports.  Sponsored by the National Assembly’s Working Group on Worship, the Songwrite conference is now in its third iteration and this year saw 25 composers from four states attend. Indooroopilly ...