U.S. membership has increased in the Roman Catholic Church – the nation’s largest Christian body – but the No. 2 Southern Baptist Convention, along with most traditional Protestant denominations, reported continuing decline, according to new figures released by the National Council of Churches. Both the Southern Baptists and Catholics reported membership losses in 2009’s Yearbook of American and Canadian Churches; ...

Australian Academic Press, 2009 Reviewed by Rev Brian Lee, a Uniting Church minister who worked in India for many years and has learned much about living in a multifaith society. He has also been involved in multifaith discussion and action in Australia. In Us and Them Dr Ata gathers together and comments on a number of academic papers dealing with ...

WHAT’S THE similarity between marriage and mowing the lawn? There are catches in both, but sometimes both are done out of love and some days they’re chores. Twenty-seven years ago a youth worker told a young man considering marriage not to always expect to feel “in love”. “There will be days when you wake up and you won’t feel all ...

FOR THE first time in the history of the National Christian Youth Convention (NCYC) the event will begin in December, meaning ncyc11 attendees will welcome 2011 with a special New Year’s Eve celebration. Confirmed speakers for the conference include Gillian Best, speaker and Youth Ministry coordinator for the Irish Methodist Church and Australian Christian comedian and magician, Christopher Wayne. NCYC ...

FOR MANY people, the start of a new year provides time to reflect on life, get priorities in order, and begin life’s journey afresh. The annual Assembly-run Lent Event will kick-start 2010 in the right direction starting 17 February. With 199 Uniting Church congregations from Queensland signed up to take action against poverty it looks like being another strong year ...

Once again many church members have been announced on the Australia Day Honours List. Three Uniting Church members received the Order of Australia (AM) including Professor David Black from Western Australia, Philip Bruem from New South Wales and former New South Wales and ACT Synod moderator James Mein. 10 Uniting Church members received the Medal (OAM) of the Order of ...

Billie Brooke, Alaina Yeates and Aleisha Brownie are no different than any other 13-year-olds that desperately want something. But these girls are more than willing to go out and get it themselves if they have to. The girls have started a campaign to get them to the Uniting Church ‘Summer Madness’ camp at Alexandra Headlands in January. Rather than asking ...

Reviewed by Phil Smith TrueFaced Resources Scottsdale Arizona    ISBN 978-0-9770908-1  Available through book stores, The Navigators and www.TrueFaced.com  “God hath given you one face, and you make yourselves another.” Shakespeare got a grip on a very significant issue in the 21st Century church a long time before Bill Thrall, Bruce McNicol and John Lynch found their way onto the ...

AROUND 270 people from Australia, the Pacific, South East Asia and Africa gathered in Canberra for the fourth annual Voices for Justice Conference in Canberra in September. Unlike most Christian conferences the aim of this conference was not to talk to ourselves but to talk to our Australia’s leaders. After a weekend of worship, training and workshops, participants were unleashed ...

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 ...