THE CHURCH has reduced itself to being a mere service-provider and a dispenser of sentimentality and meaningless assurance. That was the astonishing claim of Dietrich Bonhoeffer in his 1937 book, simply titled Discipleship. While he laboured with a sense of urgency that seemed almost to demand that he write it, Discipleship was not produced in response to the rise of ...

The Moderator of the Uniting Church Queensland Synod Rev Dr David Pitman spoke at a dinner in Mackay this week to celebrate the 30th anniversary of the Uniting Church in Australia. This is the text of his address. This is a very significant year for a number of reasons. 300 years ago, Charles Wesley, brother of John and hymn writer ...

I migrated to Australia from South Africa and took up a placement as Minister of the Word at Indooroopilly in January 2003. Now in my fifth year, I have come to appreciate many things about the Uniting Church in Australia. I appreciate the hospitality that welcomes the stranger – we were warmly accepted and embraced as a new family to ...

ULTIMATELY, IT matters little whether the Uniting Church in Australia is in fact the first ‘home-grown’, truly indigenous expression of Australian Christianity. The only question that should concern us now is, have we been faithful to what has been entrusted to us? Thirty years ago, the Uniting Church had the chance to liberate itself from the tyranny of ecclesiastical inertia, ...

Rev Bruce Johnson currently minister of Broadwater Road Uniting Church in Mansfield, Brisbane has been elected by the 26th Queensland Synod of the Uniting Church to be its next Moderator. Synod members were highly amused that Mr Johnson was visiting the bathroom when his appointment was announced and greeting his belated entry to the auditorium with a standing ovation. Mr ...

In his opening address to the 26th Synod meeting of the Queensland Synod the Moderator Rev Dr David Pitman highlighted missional leadership, the future of congregations and the Australian political climate as key issues for the church. Dr Pitman spoke about the Synod’s theme of daring to discover, dream, design and deliver. He said the church needed to continue to ...

Rev Dr Tony Floyd has been appointed as the new Uniting Church National Director of Multicultural and Cross-cultural Ministry . Dr Floyd, who himself emigrated from England, has worked in ministry based with congregations in Victoria, Tasmania, and Chicago. He succeeds Rev Helen Richmond in this position. Multi/cross-cultural connection both with migrant and Indigenous Australians has been a feature of Dr Floyd’s ...

Upper Room Books RRP$22.25 from MediaCom The Uniting Church Basis of Union affirms that we belong to the people of God on the way to the promised end. While a pastor of the United Church of Christ USA, John Indermark’s God-given gifts of insight and communication will prove to be invaluable to us as we journey on the way. In ...

JOURNEY ASKED Broadwater Road minister Rev Bruce Johnson how the Uniting Church determines what is the will of God. It was no surprise that Mr Johnson began with a quote from the Basis of Union to explain that when we want to explore how the Uniting Church seeks to govern its life, we have to begin with our understanding of ...

The Uniting Church Assembly Acting General Secretary Rev Glenda Blakefield has released a statement in response to requests from some members, congregations and presbyteries seeking Assembly comment about the proposed “Assembly of Confessing Congregations”. Assembly officers have welcomed the fact that the Steering Committee of the proposed Assembly of Confessing Congregations (ACC) has stated its desire to remain within the ...