A modest recipient, Southport Director for Crossroads Dr Barbara Elizabeth Craig, almost turned down her Medal of the Order of Australia (OAM) but agreed to accept it on behalf of everyone. Also Co-Director of the Gold Coast Breast Screening Services and Assistant Professor at Bond University, Dr Craig was awarded her Medal for service to medicine in the areas of ...

I was baptised into the Uniting Church as an infant and as I grew up I was blissfully unaware of its history. I grew up naive to the distinctions between denominations. I had a strong sense of all Christians being united through Christ. This was never the explicit teaching but was the vibe I received and because of this I ...

Pope Benedict XVI has approved the beatification of 188 Japanese martyrs who were persecuted under the Tokugawa Shogunate government in the 17th century, the (Roman) Catholic Bishops’ Conference of Japan says. They include lay people, both male and female, adults and children, as well as members of religious orders and priests, and are part of more than 320 official beatifications ...

Knox Moorooka have welcome their new Minister, Rev. Leva Kilat Pat, his wife Lepo and son Devan a week after our previous Minister Rev. Peter Cass concluded his Ministry. The Induction Service was led by Presbytery Minister Rev. Dr. Ray Reddicliffe and the happy and caring Knox Church meet with Rev Pat and his family, guests and members from Presbytery. ...

On Sunday 19 May, the Synod paused in proceedings to celebrate people in ministry, those who have retired, those who have passed away and those who have been ordained since the last Synod meeting. General Secretary Rev Jenny Timms and the Moderator Rev Dr David Pitman congratulated retiring ministers, 17 in all, and welcomed eight new ministers. Retiring ministers were ...

Members of the 26th Synod meeting at Alexandra Headland took a lunch break on Sunday to enter combat in the City vs. Country annual Charles Farnsworth Memorial Touch Football clash. The Farnsworth Trophy was named for a mythological student of Trinity Theological College and a grudge match was expected after a strongly contested draw at the 25th Queensland Synod at ...

The Synod celebration held on Saturday evening, 19 May, was an extravaganza complete with pyrotechnics showcasing talented young people from three Uniting Church schools (Calvary Christian College, Moreton Bay College, and Forest Lake College). To celebrate the 30th birthday of Uniting Church the stage was decorated with brightly coloured banners displaying the Synod theme: “Dare to discover, dream, design, and ...

Theological Education Task Group chairperson Rev Bruce Johnson addressed the Queensland Synod meeting on Friday 18 May proposing a theological education network with two areas of focus. “We envisage one integrated institution (provisionally called Network for Christian Formation, NCF), with two arms, Trinity Theological College offering training which may lead to Bachelor’s and Postgraduate qualifications within the Australian Qualifications Framework ...

Retired Minister Rev Barbara Bailey told a Convocation of Ministers from the Queensland Synod that having sat though innumerable meeting she believed the Uniting Church was over-governed and over-controlled. Mrs Bailey was one of a number of ministers who addressed a Convocation of Ministry called by the Moderator Rev Dr David Pitman prior to the 26th meeting of the Queensland ...

A year working as a Ministry Trainee in the Emerald/Fernlees Uniting Church Congregation has confirmed for Monique Mawbey that she has a call to the ordained ministry. “It has made me aware of ministries I wasn’t even sure existed and helped me discover where I think my true calling might be,” said Ms Mawbey who also said while the experience ...