THE POLITICAL orthodoxy that any of the policy solutions offered by the two major parties will “stop the boats” demonstrates some clear misunderstandings of international law. It is not illegal to enter a country for the purposes of seeking asylum. The major difference between Australia and most other countries is that we are surrounded by water, hence the need for ...

LEARNING ABOUT medical missionaries when in high school was the beginning of a life-long interest and career in medicine for Albert St Uniting Church member and UnitingCare Queensland board member Dr Ian Airey, a specialist anaesthetist and specialist in intensive care. Dr Airey said it has been a satisfying and humbling privilege to walk with families through confronting medical trials. ...

The Uniting Church in Australia believes that there is little reason to be anxious about boat arrivals and more reason to be anxious about the continuing use of traumatised people to score political points in an election year. Rev Alistair Macrae, President of the Uniting Church in Australia, said, “We are very pleased to hear the Prime Minister speak the ...

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 ...

The United Methodist Church, one of the largest Protestant denominations in the United States, gathers for its once-every-four-years churchwide meeting this week. It is expected to debate a number of controversial issues, including divestment in the Middle East, and ministerial ordination and sexuality. The meeting is likely to debate the issue of transgender, following a 2005 denominational court decision that ...

A DECISION of the Council of Synod will see the annual Lent Appeal fundraising venture expanded to provide a range of resources including educational and community building resources for children, youth and adults. In the Uniting Church, Lent has traditionally been marked by prayer, fasting, and almsgiving. While some churches still observe a rigid schedule of fasting on certain days ...

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 ...

WHAT DO you say when your three year old son cries on the phone and says, “Daddy come home”? There was not much Captain (Rev) Alamoti Lavaki could say. His son was in Brisbane and he was serving with the ANZAC Battle Group in Timor Leste. It was one of those moments only soldiers understand. The Uniting Church chaplain had ...

The new President of the Uniting Church has challenged local congregations across the country to get on with mission — finding new ways to connect with the 80 per cent of Australians who no longer have regular contact with the church. The Rev. Gregor Henderson was installed as the 11th President of the Uniting Church in Australia during the opening ...

PLANS FOR a church-based community centre for veterans, their spouses and families is just one of the new vision for mission initiatives of the Queensland Synod. The Uniting Church Veterans Family Centre will provide a range of professional services, community activities and personal support for veterans and their families, in the first church-based project of its kind in Australia. Borneo ...