A week in the life of Rohan Pryor, Synod Liaison Minister (Tasmania) and Presbytery Minister Team Leader, is an extremely busy one.
Monday
The week begins with a quick check of email at home before heading into the UCA Tasmanian office in Launceston, then a regular Zoom check-in with colleagues on the Synod’s Senior Leadership Team, followed by a short conversation with Sophie Marcard, Synod Director of Marketing and Communications, about a potential story enquiry by an ABC journalist.
Next comes authorisation of some account payments, then an update for the consultant who will facilitate the Presbytery’s strategy project (following the Presbytery Standing Committee meeting the previous week), aligning with both Faithful Futures and Act2 within Tasmania’s context.
Some quick phone calls to two retired ministers, then on the road to Hobart and phone calls with a heritage consultant with the Tasmanian Heritage Council, a church member checking Working With Vulnerable People registration, and a new minister about a pastoral situation.
Today now includes a last-minute opportunity to meet the new owners of the former Lindisfarne Uniting Church, a Muslim faith community that is forming the House of Guidance Hobart, along with an ABC journalist. The day ends with a walk-through of the new University of Tasmania building The Forest, followed by dinner with a friend and our son Jack, where I bunk down for the night in his share house.
Tuesday
An early call to a contractor about the Meadowbanks cemetery in Campbell Town is followed by travel to Glenorchy Uniting Church for the Presbytery’s Pastoral Relations Committee (PRC) meeting, which is held in Hobart several times each year. Meeting preparation includes setting up portable Zoom equipment so Rev Marian Bisset can connect from Melbourne. PRC considers pastoral matters, mentors for some people new to leadership roles, a supply ministry application, a review report after the first year of West Coast ministries including the New Beginnings Community Centre in Queenstown, early preparations for two upcoming inductions and planning for PRC meetings in 2026.
PRC finishes just in time to head north again, with a phone call to Uniting Vic.Tas staff about the Wesley Church property on the way. I arrive back in Launceston in time for a meeting of the Board of Directors for Scotch Oakburn College, the one Uniting Church-associated school in Tasmania.
Wednesday
Catching the first flight out of Launceston still doesn’t avoid the peak hour traffic in Melbourne, but the Skybus makes travel simpler. A temporary office in Wesley Place is a useful base to catch up with some Synod staff, and to have a Zoom meeting with Presbytery leaders about a request for a special service in the Wesley Church, Hobart, shortly before its sale.
The Presbyteries Synod Forum meeting is on Zoom today and includes a first meeting with the Faithful Futures Project Lead, Dr Karen Roberts.
The annual public meeting of Uniting Vic.Tas is a great opportunity to hear the positive impact of various programs and celebrate staff achievements and service, including 30 years for Janine Heath, manager of Uniting’s Pilgrim Early Learning service based alongside the UCA Tasmanian office in Launceston. The event includes a live link between Melbourne and Hobart (and ironically the drive to Hobart would have taken longer than the flight from Launceston and the bus travel to Melbourne city).
A night staying opposite the Wesley Place offices gives a glimpse of the many glossy high-rise buildings now towering over the Wesley Church in Melbourne.
Rohan Pryor and Bronwyn Howard in the UCA Tasmanian office.
Thursday
The Senior Leadership Team meets one morning each month, and this meeting receives a report on the Church’s insurance coverage for cybersecurity incidents, an update on the Faithful Futures project, review of a draft policy and guidelines on the use of Artificial Intelligence by Synod staff, an update on the material risk register across the Synod and planning for a retreat.
The reflection and appraisal process for Presbytery eLM Ministers (PeMs) includes both myself as the Presbytery Minister Team Leader and Rev Nigel Hanscamp as the liaison person for PeMs. The Synod holds an annual service to recognise long-term staff service and to welcome new staff and, as the UCA Tasmanian office team are staff of both Presbytery and Synod, some staff attend the service, before catching the last flight home.
Friday
An early start for a meeting in Hobart with a supply minister and church council member about a pastoral situation provides travel time with colleague Rev Marian Bisset. Since Marian is driving I can enjoy the great Tasmanian landscape and skyscape as we travel and talk, as well as make some notes. This is one of the enjoyable parts of this role: the changing seasons, changing weather and changing locations for working with local and regional church leaders around Tasmania.
A visit to the former Wesley Heritage Museum at Wesley Church to collect a few items also provides an opportunity to talk with Jeremy Pettet, Executive Officer for Uniting Vic.Tas, about some forthcoming changes. Jeremy offers an invitation to the weekday meals service at No Bucks Café that began as an outreach of the former Wesley congregation and has expanded under Uniting Vic.Tas to include emergency relief services, but we need to keep moving.
Further communication on the drive back north includes supply ministry arrangements for a local congregation, planning for a Presbytery committee meeting the following week, follow-up on the ABC news story and a quick review of the final Uniting Vic.Tas newsletter for the year.
This particular weekend includes no church responsibilities, which is some relief after a very busy week.
