Ahead of International Women’s Day, Rev Janet Stains looks at the pursuit of gender equality. The 2020 theme for International Women’s Day #EachforEqual moves beyond individual action and calls on everyone to work together to achieve gender equality. The pursuit for gender equality has tended to centre around the key question: Should gender equality be achieved by treating women the same ...

Over the course of 2019 we have been unpacking a simple mission framework in this column. The framework is represented by four words: Know, Notice, Discern, Act. In this edition we consider the final component: Act. At the end of the day, mission involves action. Whether it’s proclamation, serving, hospitality, talking, listening, advocating, encouraging, celebrating, lamenting, building, giving, teaching, sharing ...

Queensland Synod General Secretary Rev Heather den Houting reflects on the importance of the whole-of-church discernment process, Project Plenty. Project Plenty has commenced in earnest as the first consultation sessions are held in presbyteries and church entities across Queensland. These sessions will help us discern how we, as one church, can contribute most effectively to God’s mission in Queensland and ...

Does the “way” of Christ and his teachings constitute the authoritative Word of God or are other parts of the Bible (such as the Old Testament) also included as the authoritative Word of God? Journey sat down with three theologians from Trinity College Queensland and Uniting College to explore the issue. Dr John Frederick When difficult theological issues arise we ...

We have all read some passages in the Bible that make us uncomfortable. Do you treat the Bible as an all-or-nothing proposition in the way you live your life? If not, why is that? How did you come to that decision? Do you have an informed theology? Rev Prof Andrew Dutney explored questions like these in a presentation he delivered ...

No time to have a broken rudder I certainly agree with you that “Christian men” (and I would add women as well) in Australia need to think deeply about many matters of faith today. It is very important to know where you stand personally in matters of your vital faith and “be ready to give a reasoned account of the ...

It’s one of our eternal questions with no easy answers: what happens to us after we die? Although the statistics suggest many Australians believe in the afterlife, what exact form that takes is still up for debate, whether you’re a Christian or not. Rev Dr David Mackay-Rankin explores the afterlife, the Christian theology underpinning it and its depiction in popular ...

The Inspired Disciples festival brings together speakers, forums and training events to inspire Uniting Church members across Queensland to answer the call to discipleship. Journey reports. The image of Jesus calling to the fishermen Simon and Andrew by the Sea of Galilee is imprinted on the heart of every generation of Christians. As Uniting Church members, it’s in our DNA—embedded ...

A reflection by Rev. Prof Andrew Dutney, Professor of Theology, Flinders University and Past President, Uniting Church in Australia The headline conceals what actually happened in Melbourne this week. Without setting out to do so, the Uniting Church recovered its stated vocation of making visible unity in diversity. Of course, the 15th Assembly of the Uniting Church in Australia did ...

Debating the resurrection I was dismayed to read Dr John Frederick’s feature in the previous Journey (Autumn 2018 edition), especially if this is an example of the approach taken in the biblical education of candidates for the Ministry of the Word. A literalist approach is taken to the Easter story and this is overlaid with a materialistic interpretation. There are ...