Uniting Church in Australia

The Uniting Church in Australia (UCA) was

Uniting Church in Australia
founded on 22 June 1977,[2] when most
congregations of the Methodist Church of Australasia,
about two-thirds of the Presbyterian Church of
Australia and almost all the churches of the
Congregational Union of Australia united under the
Basis of Union.[3] According to the church, it had
243,000 members in 2018.[1] In the 2016 census,
about 870,200 Australians identified with the
church;[4][5] in the 2011 census, the figure was
1,065,796. The UCA is Australia's third-largest
Christian denomination, behind the Catholic and the
Anglican Churches.[6] There are around 2,000 UCA
congregations,[1] and 2001 National Church Life UCA logo
Survey (NCLS) research indicated that average Classification Protestantism
weekly attendance was about 10 per cent of census
Orientation Calvinism and
figures.[7]
Methodism
The UCA is one of Australia's largest non- Polity Presbyterianism,
government providers of community and health Connexionalism
services. Its service network consists of over 400 and
agencies, institutions, and parish missions, with its
Congregationalism
areas of service including aged care, hospitals,
children, youth and family, disability, employment, President of the Assembly Sharon Hollis
emergency relief, drug and alcohol abuse, youth Distinct fellowships Uniting Aboriginal
homelessness and suicide.[1] Affiliated agencies and Islander
include UCA's community and health-service Christian
provider network, affiliated schools, the Uniting
Congress
Aboriginal and Islander Christian Congress, Frontier
Services and UnitingWorld. Associations NCCA, WCC,
CCA, WCRC,
World Methodist
Organisation Council, Pacific
Conference of
The UCA is a national, unincorporated association of
councils, each of which has responsibility for Churches
functions in the church. The councils are Region Australia
congregations (local), presbyteries (regional), synods
Origin 1977
(state) and an assembly (national).[8]
Merger of Methodist Church
The membership of each council is established by the of Australasia,
constitution. Each council includes Women and Men, Presbyterian
lay and ordained. The offices of president of Church of
Australia,
assembly, moderator of synod (who chair these Congregational
councils) and other offices are open to all UCA Union of Australia
members.
Congregations 2,000[1]
The UCA is a non-episcopal church, with no bishops. Members 243,000 (2016)[1]
Leadership and pastoral roles are nominally Aid organization UnitingCare
performed by presbyteries, but in reality by
UnitingWorld
individuals.
Nursing homes UnitingCare

Assembly

The UCA assembly meets every three years, and is

chaired by the president.[1] The 14th Assembly met
in Perth from 12 to 18 July 2015. The 15th
Assembly, hosted by the Synod of Victoria and
Tasmania in Box Hill, met in July 2018. Assembly
business between meetings is conducted by the
Assembly Standing Committee, which meets three
times per year (usually in March, July and
November). Membership is drawn from throughout
Australia, with 18 members elected at each assembly.

Uniting Church members as a percentage of the total

President population in the 2011 census, divided
geographically by local area
The current president is Reverend Sharon Hollis
since she was installed as president in the online
meeting of the 16th Assembly on 17 July 2021. She replaced
Deidre Palmer, who had succeeded Stuart McMillan at the start of
the 15th Assembly on 8 July 2018.[9] Palmer was the second
woman in the role, following Jill Tabart (1994-1997).[10] Palmer
was the moderator of the Presbytery and Synod of South Australia
from November 2013 to November 2016.[11] Hollis was moderator
of the Synod of Victoria and Tasmania at the time of her election in
2018 as the president-elect and became president at the beginning
of the sixteenth assembly, which was to be held in Queensland in
2021.[12] As a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, the meeting was
moved to a shorter, online form.[13]
St Michael's Uniting Church,
Synods Melbourne (pictured) was formerly
the Congregational Union Australia
Church.
Synods are UCA councils which roughly correspond to state
boundaries. Each synod meets about once per year, with a standing
committee to represent it between sessions. Synod responsibilities
include the promotion and encouragement of the church's mission, theological and ministerial education,
and overseeing property matters.[14] There are six synods:[15]

Synod of New South Wales and the ACT (formerly the NSW Synod)[16]
Synod of Queensland[17]
 Synod of South Australia[18]
Synod of Western Australia[19]
Synod of Victoria and Tasmania[20]
The Northern Synod, which includes the Northern
Territory, north-west Western Australia and northern
South Australia.[21]

Presbyteries Port Adelaide Uniting Church

Each synod generally consists of a number of presbyteries. Western

Australia has a unitary presbytery-synod model. South Australia
also had a single presbytery and synod for 15 years, until 2019.
These large presbyteries enable groups of congregations to work
together, based on geographic location or similar interests or
characteristics. Selection of ministerial candidates and the
placement of ministers are decided at the presbytery level.

Congregations

There are about 2,000 UCA congregations, with 243,000 members

and adherents. Congregations range in size from a dozen to
hundreds of members.[1] They are the local church, the setting for Scots Uniting Church in Albany,
regular worship (generally on Sundays). Many churches also Western Australia
conduct worship services at other times, such as a monthly
weekday service, a late-night service for day-shift workers, a "cafe
church", or Friday- or Saturday-evening services.

A Meeting of the Congregation must be held at least twice each

year. The meetings typically consider and approve the budget, local
policy matters, property matters (ratified by the presbytery and
synod) and the "call" (employment) of a new minister or other staff.

Congregations manage themselves through a council. All elders are

members, as are ministers with pastoral responsibility for the
congregation; there may also be other members. The council meets
regularly, and is responsible for approving worship times and other
matters.

Some united congregations exist. The UCA has joined with other
churches, such as the Baptist Union and the Churches of Christ, in
some locations. There are also cooperative arrangements where
supplying ministry to congregations is impossible, particularly in
remote areas. This includes arrangements with the Anglican
Church, where ministry and (sometimes) property resources are Deidre Palmer was UCA President
shared. from 2018-2021

Faith communities are less structured than congregations. They are

groups of people who gather together for worship, witness or service and choose to be recognised by the
presbytery. Local churches are sometimes also used by congregations of other denominations; for example,
a Tongan Seventh-day Adventist congregation may make
arrangements to meet in the building on a Saturday. The UCA is
committed to inclusivity, and there are a number of multicultural
ministry (MCM) arrangements in which Korean, Tongan and
other groups form congregations of the church.

Co-operating congregations

Co-operating congregations, typically in rural areas, have

several denominations worshiping as one congregation and
rotate the denomination appointing its next minister. They are
known as union churches in some places, with several
denominations using the building at different times.

Frontier Services

A Frontier Services ministry is available to residents of the Narooma Uniting Church, a 1914
outback, with ministers and pastors visiting families by air or example of Federation Carpenter Gothic
four-wheel drive vehicles. Visits are normally arranged in architecture
advance so adjacent families can travel for significant events,
such as baptisms. These "padres" are based in a major town or
city, and the local synod is normally their organisational and funding body.

Uniting Aboriginal and Islander Christian Congress

The Uniting Aboriginal and Islander Christian Congress (UAICC, sometimes known simply as the
Congress), is constitutionally recognised as having responsibility for oversight of church ministry to the
Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people:

A Synod may at the request of a Regional Committee of the Uniting Aboriginal and Islander
Christian Congress prescribe that the Regional Committee may have and exercise all or
specific rights, powers, duties and responsibilities of a Presbytery under this Constitution and
the Regulations (including ordination and other rights, powers and responsibilities relating to
Ministers) for the purpose of fulfilling any responsibility of the Regional Committee for
Uniting Church work with Aboriginal and Islander people within the bounds of the Synod.[22]

Agencies
UnitingCare Australia, one of the country's largest providers of social care, is its largest operator of aged-
care facilities. Other activities include shelters and emergency housing for men, women and children;
family-relationships support; disability services, and food kitchens.

Education

The UCA provides theological training through a number of theological colleges:

 New South Wales: United Theological
College, Parramatta a member of the School of
Theology at Charles Sturt University.
Queensland: Trinity College (with Australian
Catholic University)
South Australia: Uniting College for
Leadership and Theology, Adelaide College of
Divinity
Victoria and Tasmania: Pilgrim Theological
College, part of the University of Divinity
Western Australia: Perth Theological Hall[23]

Training generally takes five years, and includes Wayside Chapel, Potts Point
supervised practical experience.

Youth

The National Christian Youth Convention is a national UCA activity during school and university holidays,
every two or three years in a different city. NCYC 2007, "Agents of Change", was held in Perth.[24] The
2009 "Converge" was held in Melbourne. NCYC 2011 was held from 29 December 2010 to 4 January
2011 at the Southport School on Queensland's Gold Coast. Yuróra NCYC 2014 was held in North
Parramatta, Sydney from 7 to 10 January 2014.[25] Yuróra NCYC 2017, "Uniting Culture", was also held
in Sydney in January 2017.[26]

International aid

UnitingWorld is the church's international-aid agency.[27] It receives funding from the government of
Australia to implement development and poverty-alleviation programs in the Pacific, Asia and Africa.[28]
UnitingWorld works in partnership with 18 overseas denominations to support over 180,000 people
annually through sustainable community development projects.[27]

Ministry
The role of the laity is valued in the UCA, which recognises that ministry is a function of the entire church.
However, "specified ministries" are defined.[22] Of these, the roles of elder and pastor are open to lay
members. The church has two orders of ordained ministry: minister and deacon.

When it is not possible (or desirable) to have an ordained minister, a lay preacher or lay ministry team may
act in their place (similar to a Methodist local preacher). Lay preachers are required to participate in training
and examinations conducted by each synod, and must be approved by the presbytery.[14]

Culture
The UCA was one of the first Australian churches to grant self-determination to its indigenous members
through the Uniting Aboriginal and Islander Christian Congress. Partnerships exist with South Pacific and
Asian churches, especially those which share a Congregational, Presbyterian or Methodist heritage. An
increasing number of ethnic churches worship in their own languages as well as in English. Five to seven
per cent of the membership worship in languages other than English, including Aboriginal languages.[29]
The UCA advocates for social justice. It has taken stances on
issues such as native title for indigenous people; the
environment; apartheid; refugee status, and safe injection
facilities for drug users. The church is similar to other united and
uniting churches, which maintain a cultural identity in their own
country and practise ecumenical fellowship with other Christian
denominations worldwide.[30] Between 1991 and 2013, UCA
attendance declined by 41 per cent. In 2013, about 97,200
people attended weekly worship services throughout
Australia.[31] Church in Mundijong (built 1905)

Liturgy

The church is liturgically varied. Practices range from experimental liturgies, informal worship reminiscent
of the Jesus movement to conventional Reformed services. Music also varies from traditional and
contemporary hymns in the Australian Hymn Book and Together in Song, through Hillsong and
contemporary Christian music to hard alternative and metal.

Liturgical dress in the UCA is generally lenient, and is optional for ministers and other leaders of
worship.[32] When liturgical dress is worn, it most commonly consists of a white alb and a stole (for
ministers and deacons) or scarf (for lay preachers). The colour of the scarf or stole is often related to the
liturgical calendar, such as purple for Lent or red for Pentecost.

Decision-making

Since 1997, most councils and agencies have used the consensus
decision-making procedures outlined in the church's Manual for
Meetings. The procedures may use orange ("support") and blue
("do not support") cards, which may also be displayed times other
than voting.

Theology
The UCA's theological range is broad, reflecting its Methodist,
Presbyterian and Congregational origins and its commitment to
ecumenism. Its theology may be described as mainline
Protestantism, with a commitment to social justice. The church's
perspectives are evangelical, left (or progressive), and liberal.
Morality, faith, and (in particular) sexuality have been debated.
Concerns focus on biblical understanding and accommodation to
St David's Uniting Church, Haberfield
the broad culture.

Uniting Network Australia is "the national network for lesbian, gay,

bisexual, intersex and transgender people, their families, friends and supporters within the Uniting Church
in Australia."[33] The establishment of Evangelical Members within the Uniting Church in Australia
(EMU), the Reforming Alliance and their merger with the Assembly of Confessing Congregations (ACC)
illustrate conservative opposition to the ordination of gay and lesbian candidates and the influence of the
Confessing Movement (not to be confused with the anti-Nazi Confessing Church).

Homosexuality

Issues debated since early in UCA history are the role of gay and lesbian people in the church, their
possibility of being ordained and the blessing of same-sex unions. The church permits local presbyteries to
ordain gay and lesbian ministers,[34] and extends the local option to marriage; a minister may bless a same-
sex marriage.

The fairly broad consensus has been that a person's sexual orientation should not be a bar to attendance,
membership or participation in the church. More controversial has been the issue of sexual activity by gay
and lesbian people and the sexual behaviour of ordination candidates. In 2003, the church voted to allow
local presbyteries to decide whether to ordain gay and lesbian people as ministers.[35] Ministers were
permitted to bless same-sex couples entering civil unions even before same-sex marriage was legalised in
Australia in late 2017.[36] In July 2018, the national assembly approved the creation of marriage rites for
same-sex couples.[37]

Since 1997, some ministers living in same-sex relationships have come out without their ordination (or
ministry) being challenged. In 2011, the church approved the blessing of same-sex unions.[38] Seven years
later it allowed local congregations and ministers to decide whether to perform same-sex marriages, and
ministers may now do so.[39]

In March 2021, the UCA became the first mainstream Australian church to induct a transgender minister,
when Jo Inkpin was installed at Pitt Street Uniting Church in Sydney.[40][41]

Theologians
Alan Walker
James Haire
Bill Loader
Wesley Wildman
 Benjamin Myers

Assemblies
No. Date President General secretary Location
1 June 1977 Davis McCaughey Winston O'Reilly Sydney

2 May 1979 Winston O'Reilly O’Reilly (until December 1979) Melbourne

3 May 1982 Rolland Busch David Gill (from January 1980) Adelaide
4 May 1985 Ian B. Tanner David Gill Sydney

5 May 1988 Ronald Wilson David Gill (until July 1988) Melbourne

6 July 1991 D'Arcy Wood Gregor Henderson (from January 1989) Brisbane
7 July 1994 Jill Tabart Gregor Henderson Sydney

8 July 1997 John Mavor Gregor Henderson Perth

9 July 2000 James Haire Gregor Henderson Adelaide

10 July 2003 Dean Drayton Terence Corkin (from January 2001) Melbourne

11 July 2006 Gregor Henderson Terence Corkin Brisbane

12 July 2009 Alistair Macrae Terence Corkin Sydney

13 July 2012 Andrew Dutney Terence Corkin Adelaide

14 July 2015 Stuart McMillan Colleen Geyer (from January 2016) Perth
15 July 2018 Deidre Palmer Colleen Geyer Box Hill, Victoria (Melbourne)

16 July 2021 Sharon Hollis Colleen Geyer online

See also
Christianity portal

Methodism portal

Calvinism portal

Christian Conference of Asia

Confessing Movement
Congregational Federation of Australia
Fellowship of Congregational Churches
Homosexuality and Christianity
Presbyterian Church of Australia
Progressive Christianity
Rupert Grove
United and uniting churches
United Church of Canada
Wesleyan Methodist Church of Australia
World Alliance of Reformed Churches
 World Methodist Council

References
1. "Submission to the Review of the ACNC Legislation" (https://www.acnclegislationreview.co
m.au/uploads/content_d3eab0ab534294e74726216b2cc8ed3f.pdf) (PDF). Uniting Church
in Australia. February 2018.
2. "UCA - Our History" (https://nswact.uca.org.au/about-us/our-history/).
3. "Uniting Church in Australia Assembly - About the Uniting Church in Australia" (https://assem
bly.uca.org.au/about/uca). assembly.uca.org.au. Retrieved 19 November 2019.
4. Krajevitch, A.; Blot, P.; Cara, M. (1975). "[Transport of newborn infants. Apropos of 114
cases]". Annales de l'Anesthésiologie Française. 16 Spec No 1: 135–142. ISSN 0003-4061
(https://www.worldcat.org/issn/0003-4061). PMID 2071 (https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/207
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n+features902012-2013). abs.gov.au. Australian Bureau of Statistics. 21 June 2012.
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National Church Life Survey
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2020.
9. "Dr Deidre Palmer: God's abundant grace shapes and reshapes us" (https://www.insights.uc
a.org.au/news/dr-deidre-palmer-gods-abundant-grace-shapes-and-reshapes-us). Insights
Magazine. 9 July 2018. Retrieved 9 July 2018.
10. President-Elect announced (http://assembly2015.uca.org.au/president-elect-announced/),
Uniting Church in Australia, 16 July 2015
11. "President-Elect announced" (http://assembly2015.uca.org.au/president-elect-announced/).
Uniting Church in Australia. 16 July 2015. Retrieved 18 July 2015.
12. "Sharon Hollis named as UCA President-elect" (https://uniting.church/sharon-hollis-named-a
s-uca-president-elect/). Uniting Church in Australia. 12 July 2018. Retrieved 12 July 2018.
13. Pulford, Matt (15 July 2021). "Is the UCA ready for a President of colour?" (https://www.eterni
tynews.com.au/australia/is-the-uca-ready-for-a-president-of-colour/). Eternity News.
Retrieved 16 July 2021.
14. "The Uniting Church in Australia Regulations" (https://assembly.uca.org.au/images/resource
s/Regulations_Policies/2015_Regulations-updatedSeptember2016.pdf) (PDF). pp. 75–78.
Retrieved 7 November 2016.
15. "Uniting Church in Australia Assembly - Home" (http://uca.org.au). uca.org.au.
16. "Uniting for the common good" (http://nswact.uca.org.au/). Synod of NSW and the ACT.
17. "The Uniting Church in Australia Queensland Synod" (http://ucaqld.com.au/).
18. "Uniting Church SA - Uniting Church. Uniting People" (http://sa.uca.org.au/).
19. "Uniting Church in Australia, Western Australia" (http://unitingchurchwa.org.au/).
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u/).
21. "Uniting Church in Australia Northern Synod" (http://www.ns.uca.org.au/).
22. "Constitution of the Uniting Church in Australia (2004)" (http://assembly.uca.org.au/__data/as
sets/pdf_file/0011/26939/Constitution.pdf) Uniting Church Assembly Website
23. Commission for Education for Discipleship and Leadership, Annual Report 2018 (https://uniti
ngchurchwa-startdigital.netdna-ssl.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/05/2.-Committee-CEDAL.
pdf)
24. "NCYC 2007: Agents of Change" (http://www.agentsofchange.org.au). Retrieved 9 January
2007.
25. "NCYC 2014" (https://web.archive.org/web/20150226031134/http://ncyc.com.au/). Archived
from the original (http://ncyc.com.au/) on 26 February 2015.
26. "Yurora 2017" (https://web.archive.org/web/20170205001620/http://yurora.com/). National
Christian Youth Convention. Archived from the original (http://yurora.com/) on 5 February
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27. "UnitingWorld Annual Report 2018" (http://www.unitingworld.org.au/wp-content/uploads/Unit
ingWorld-Annual-Report-2017-18_FINAL-LOW-RES.pdf) (PDF). UnitingWorld Governance
and Structure.
28. "List of Australian accredited non-government organisations (NGOs)" (http://dfat.gov.au/aid/w
ho-we-work-with/ngos/Pages/list-of-australian-accredited-non-government-organisations.as
px). Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade. Retrieved 19 July 2019.
29. "Wesley Mission - The Uniting Church" (https://www.wesleymission.org.au/about-us/history/
christian-foundations/the-uniting-church/). www.wesleymission.org.au. Retrieved 19 July
2019.
30. Helen Richmond; Myong Duk Yang, eds. (2006). Crossing borders : shaping faith, ministry
and identity in multicultural Australia. Sydney: Openbook Australia. pp. 138–146.
ISBN 1864072474. OCLC 224450283 (https://www.worldcat.org/oclc/224450283).
31. "2013 Uniting Church Census of congregations and ministers - Headline Report" (https://we
b.archive.org/web/20210411034716/https://assembly.uca.org.au/images/13C003_UCA_Ce
nsus_Headline_Summary_FINAL.pdf) (PDF). National Church Life Survey Research. p. 4.
Archived from the original (https://assembly.uca.org.au/images/13C003_UCA_Census_Hea
dline_Summary_FINAL.pdf) (PDF) on 11 April 2021. Retrieved 9 February 2016.
32. Gribben, Robert. "Liturgical Dress in the Uniting Church" (https://www.assembly.uca.org.au/i
mages/stories/Theology_Discipleship/pdf/Liturgical_Dress_in_the_Uniting_Church-2.pdf)
(PDF).
33. "Uniting Network Australia" (http://www.unitingnetworkaustralia.org.au/). Retrieved
18 November 2018.
34. "Global Trend: World's oldest Protestant churches now ordain gays and lesbians" (https://we
b.archive.org/web/20170710184632/http://www.ucc.org/global-trend-worlds-oldest). ucc.org.
United Church of Christ. Archived from the original (http://www.ucc.org/global-trend-worlds-ol
dest) on 10 July 2017. Retrieved 21 April 2016.
35. O'brien, Kerry. "Nile quits church over gay ordination decision" (http://www.abc.net.au/7.30/c
ontent/2003/s906981.htm). abc.net.au. ABC. Retrieved 21 April 2016.
36. Hiatt, Bethany. "Uniting Church may overhaul rules of marriage" (https://web.archive.org/we
b/20160401170740/https://au.news.yahoo.com/thewest/wa/a/28769619/uniting-church-may-
overhaul-rules-of-marriage/). au.news.yahoo.com. AU News. Archived from the original (http
s://au.news.yahoo.com/thewest/wa/a/28769619/uniting-church-may-overhaul-rules-of-marria
ge/) on 1 April 2016. Retrieved 21 April 2016.
37. Sandeman, John (13 July 2018). "Uniting Church to hold same sex marriages" (https://www.
eternitynews.com.au/australia/uniting-church-to-hold-same-sex-marriage/). Eternity.
Australia. Retrieved 13 July 2018.
38. UnitingNetworkAustralia (http://www.unitingnetworkaustralia.org.au/resources/UN%20NS
W%20Gay%20and%20Lesbian%20Couples.pdf) Archived (https://web.archive.org/web/201
10218235427/http://www.unitingnetworkaustralia.org.au/resources/UN%20NSW%20Gay%2
0and%20Lesbian%20Couples.pdf) 2011-02-18 at the Wayback Machine
39. "Uniting Church to allow same-sex marriages" (https://www.sbs.com.au/news/uniting-church
-to-allow-same-sex-marriages). SBS News. Retrieved 13 July 2018.
40. "Joesphine Inkpin to serve as new minister at Pitt Street Uniting Church" (https://www.insight
s.uca.org.au/joesphine-inkpin-to-serve-as-new-minister-at-pitt-street-uniting-church/).
Insights Magazine. Retrieved 9 July 2021.
41. " 'Tears of joy' as trans priest becomes Uniting Church minister" (https://www.abc.net.au/new
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News. 30 March 2021. Retrieved 9 July 2021.

External links

Official websites
National Assembly website (https://uniting.church/)
UnitingWorld website (https://www.unitingworld.org.au/)
UnitingCare Australia (https://unitingcare.org.au)
Relations with Other Faiths website (http://www.assembly.uca.org.au/rof)
Multicultural and Cross Cultural website (http://www.assembly.uca.org.au/mcm)
UnitingJustice website (http://www.unitingjustice.org.au)
Journey magazine website (http://www.journeyonline.com.au)
Assembly of Confessing Congregations within the UCA (http://www.confessingcongregation
s.com)

Other websites
Uniting Church in Australia (https://curlie.org/Society/Religion_and_Spirituality/Christianity/
Denominations/Uniting_Church_in_Australia) at Curlie
Uniting Church in Australia Oral History 1992-1994 (https://onesearch.slq.qld.gov.au/permali
nk/61SLQ_INST/tqqf2h/alma99208773402061), State Library of Queensland

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