Tag Archives: Sue Hutchinson

Disability is everyone’s business. Following her feature on disability and faith, Sue Hutchinson shares five of the most insensitive comments someone could make to a person with disability. Never say “It’s God’s will” or “It’s all part of God’s plan”.     Never imply that disability is punishment for sin.     Never relate the disability to faith, such as “a test of ...

Most Australians will either experience disability themselves or have direct contact with someone who has, but are churches equipped to be an inclusive environment for everyone? Sue Hutchinson examines disability, faith and what churches can do to be welcoming to all. According to the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare, around one in five people in Australia have a disability ...

Chasing Asylum exposes the barbarity and secrecy surrounding the Australian Government’s asylum seeker policies, Sue Hutchinson gives her take on the controversial documentary which is destined to become one of the year’s most talked about films. The federal government has demanded absolute secrecy around the offshore detention of so-called boat people, so Australians have had very little idea of what really ...

New resources will help Uniting Churches to create safe spaces to talk about mental health. Dianne Jensen reports. The most powerful conversations are often the hardest to begin, and Synod research officer Sue Hutchinson understands that mental health is a confronting topic for church communities. Sue has coordinated the new Called to care suite of mental health resources for Uniting ...

While asylum seeker advocates are celebrating the announcement that some children and their families will be released from detention, they warn that there is still much to do. Dianne Jensen reports. The Uniting Church in Australia has welcomed an announcement by the Minister for Immigration and Border Protection Scott Morrison that some children in detention will be released into the ...

Dianne Jensen talks to Dave Andrews, Charles Ringma, Lin Hatfield Dodds and Sue Hutchinson about why they keep working for social transformation. “Many people start out with the fire in their belly to set the world alight when they are young; but very few people still have the fire in their belly when they are old,” says Dave Andrews. The ...

Ahead of Refugee Week, Sue Hutchinson and Rohan Salmond examine the federal government’s pursuit of a regional solution in asylum seeker policy. The federal government renewed its commitment to offshore processing of asylum seekers in the 2014 Budget with the closure of six onshore detention centres. The government is also in talks with Cambodia to resettle an as yet unknown ...

This is a book the church really needs. Many people in our communities are affected by mental illness of one kind or another, but how do our church communities respond? This book identifies people who fall through the gaps or are even damaged by contact with churches and looks at what can be done about it. Let’s look at some ...

Life is about to get tougher for young Queenslanders in trouble with the law. Dianne Jensen reports. “Tough on crime” has a reassuring ring to the outraged householder who discovers a smashed car window or graffiti on their freshly painted wall. It’s time these kids faced up to the consequences of their behaviour, right? The Queensland Government is currently considering legislation ...