Queensland Synod News

Melbourne personality, Fr Bob Maguire, has joined a group of church leaders who are calling on Australians to buy Easter eggs made with Fairtrade cocoa and shirts, including clerical "dog collar" shirts, made with Fairtrade cotton. By supporting Fairtrade certified cocoa and cotton, consumers can ensure small holder farmers are paid fairly, receive investment to improve the future for their ...

An international expert on church unity has urged the Roman Catholic Church to declare officially that its excommunication of Martin Luther no longer applies. Such a statement, "in these ecumenically less exciting times … would be a remarkable step and a sign of hope and encouragement", said the Rev. Günther Gassmann, a German Lutheran theologian, who was director of the ...

The ABC religion program, The Spirit of Things, has produced a two-part program on the recent Interfaith Summit attended by key UCA leaders. The Summit was called ‘One Humanity, Many Faiths’, and organised by Griffith University’s Multi-Faith Centre and the Pure Land Learning College. The first part of the program will be broadcast Sunday 22 March 2009, from 6.05-7.00pm on ...

Blue Care has been nominated as one of 150 iconic Queenslanders as part of Queensland’s 150th birthday celebrations. They are seeking your help in ensuring that they move into the next round and that this wonderful organisation is named as a Q150 Icon. For more information and to cast your vote click here – Blue Care is the 8th Category ...

This article was first published in Eureka Street. www.eurekastreet.com.au In February this year Alistair Macrae, President Elect of the Uniting Church in Australia (UCA), called for ‘real action’ to address the ecological crisis. He decried the ‘disjuncture between public policy and rhetoric’ that is so evident in the Federal Government’s response to climate change. He now faces the same disjuncture ...

The affiliation between Trinity Theological College and the Australian Catholic University was formalised in an official ceremony in February. Moderator of the Queensland Synod Rev Bruce Johnson said he felt a mixture of emotions on the day. “The excitement I feel today is tinged with a sadness for the closure of the Brisbane College of Theology,” he said. Mr Johnson ...

When Rosa Parks refused to give her seat to a white man on a bus in Alabama she was, by pointedly sitting down, standing up for human rights.  When British suffragettes campaigned for women to be given the vote they were campaigning for human rights.  When Germans hid Jews from the Nazis they risked their lives to protect human rights. ...

The online journey begins today organised by the UK-based international development agency Christian Aid. During Lent, Christians and others and being invited to take part in a virtual Israel-Palestine pilgrimage which transports travellers from their email inbox to the lands made familiar through both the Bible and contemporary – sometimes tragic -headlines. It has been backed by church leaders from ...

The UK Energy and Climate Change Minister, Ed Miliband MP, and senior Church of England’s Bishops are urging people to cut down on carbon rather than give up chocolate this Lent. Ed Miliband MP, The Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change, the Bishop of Liverpool and Vice President of Tearfund Rt Rev James Jones and the Bishop of ...

Fourteen Muslim and Christian delegates from Indonesia to participate in “Uniting through Faith” tour in Australia For the first time, the Uniting Church in Australia, Synod of Victoria and Tasmania will host a Uniting through Faith Interfaith Engagement Tour with Christian and Muslim people from Indonesia. To commence on February 26, the twenty-two day tour will allow for Indonesian and ...