Tag Archives: Stuart McMillan

The 14th President of the Uniting Church in Australia Stuart McMillan has urged church members to address the “unfinished business” of sovereignty and treaty for First Peoples in his final national message. Matt Pulford reports. “I started my presidency with the Yolŋu words Bala limurr roŋyirr ŋorraŋgitjlil—‘Let us return to the white ashes of the fire’,” said Stuart. “It was ...

The expression “Space for Grace” may have pricked your ears recently in the context of our church’s continuing discernment about marriage. Uniting Church president Stuart McMillan reflects on what it actually means as the nation participates in a postal survey on legalising same-sex marriage.  Space for Grace is a process that we’re using to build community for Spirit-led decision-making within ...

Over one hundred young adults from across Australia attended the 2016 National Young Adult  Leaders’ Conference (NYALC) where the church’s multicultural identity was on full display. Journey reports. While there’s often talk of ageing within the Uniting Church, NYALC demonstrated that a new generation of culturally-diverse young people is coming through to enrich the identity (and grow the congregations) of ...

The Uniting Church in Australia may be a leading light when it comes to gender equality in leadership but we still have some way to go. Ashley Thompson talks to five key church leaders at UnitingWomen 2016 about how we can fully annihilate the glass ceiling. Shift your thinking  Colleen Geyer is the newly appointed general secretary of the Assembly, ...

Churches across the country grabbed headlines around the world last month by offering sanctuary to 267 asylum seekers threatened with deportation to Nauru. What does it mean, and why did they do it? Rohan Salmond reports. Baby Asha had no idea the problem she was causing the Australian government. Asha was a healthy one-year-old baby—fully recovered from burns accidentally sustained ...

Palestine resolution It was reported in the Australian, (“Uniting Church in Australia faces backlash on anti-Israel boycott”, Tuesday 15 December, page 3) that the Uniting Church Assembly had decided to embrace the anti-Israel Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions Movement. Uniting Church president, Stuart McMillan, said the church had “encouraged members to be informed and to consider personally boycotting” goods produced “within ...

  The president of the Uniting Church in Australia Stuart McMillan has welcomed the commitment by the Federal Government to develop a national approach to redress for survivors of institutional child sexual abuse. “This commitment by the government is important, because a nationally consistent approach has been identified as best meeting the needs of survivors,” said Mr McMillan. “The Royal ...

An appeal to replace the church at Mapoon which was burned in 1963 has been launched. Rohan Salmond writes. A new appeal to rebuild the church at Mapoon has been authorised by the 14th Assembly. Mapoon, on Cape York in far north Queensland was originally a Presbyterian mission. Bauxite was discovered in Mapoon during the 1950s, making the area of ...

The real work Assembly has come to a close for another triennium, but really the work has just begun. The meeting resolved to undertake all kinds of tasks that will keep us well and truly busy over the next three years. Committees, working groups and task groups have been formed; regulations have been changed and now need enacting; awareness-raising campaigns ...

From 12 July Stuart McMillan will become president of the Uniting Church—only the third lay person to ever hold the position. Matt Pulford writes. Stuart McMillan says he had a really good first week working for the Uniting Church in the Northern Territory. But the way that week started wasn’t promising. Six weeks after being interviewed in Sydney for an ...